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‘Duchess of Dockyard’ launches Popsicle line

Unique flavours: Rikeisha Burgess, owner of the Duchpops kiosk in Dockyard (Photograph by Blaire Simmons)

An entrepreneur has launched a new line of Popsicles — with an island flavour.

Rikeisha Burgess has opened up Duchpops Bermuda Home-Made Popsicles in Dockyard, operating from a purpose-built kiosk next to the tourist information centre.

Ms Burgess, 35, said: “Travelling all over the world and trying out different tastes, I’ve seen some other pops keeping it local with local fruits and local names.

“That’s what I developed here.”

The flavours at Duchpops, which opened last month, include Reggae Gombey, featuring mangoes, kiwi and raspberries, and the Railroad Cherry Trail, which uses local Bermuda cherries.

Ms Burgess, who creates her Popsicles with boyfriend Whakail Lightbourne, combines her new venture with a job as manager at Dockyard’s Frog & Onion pub.

She said: “It’s been a lot of work and a lot of sleepless nights.

“But it’s actually doing very well. It’s a crowd-pleaser we’re getting a lot of feedback and it’s been very well received so far.”

Ms Burgess, from Sandys, added: “I guess because of the location, it’s targeted towards tourists, but a lot of our feedback has been from locals.”

In addition to the kiosk, Ms Burgess also sells her Popsicles at the weekly summer Harbour Nights in Hamilton and plans to be at Cup Match, to be held in Somerset this year and at the Bermuda Heroes Weekend carnival later this month.

She explained: “We have a permanent structure in Dockyard, but we do have a mobile pop-up tent that we use for all the big events.”

Ms Burgess said the business name was an abbreviation of “Duchess” — her nickname and one she used when she owned the former Duchess boutique in Dockyard’s Clocktower Mall.

She added: “I think I can officially say I am the Duchess of Dockyard.”

Ms Burgess said: “It’s a thing that no one on the island was doing, so we thought we would bring it to the table.

“Right now it’s me and Whakail who operate it. He’s pretty much the cutting fruit guy, the prep guy.

“We also have two employees who work in the shack in Dockyard.”