Sometimes you find something kind of amazing on Craigslist and just know you must have it. Like a tricycle cart with a freezer attached, and you buy it, and then you come up with the perfect business to pair it with. That’s exactly what Any Colour You Like, an artisan popsicle company based in West Michigan, did. They now have a business that every child probably dreams of running each summer.
“We’re like big little kids,” Korin Hollinshead, co-owner of the company, said of herself and her husband, Jason Richardson, who own and run the company together.
Any Colour You Like is one of the businesses that Founders Brewing Company is highlighting through its Crafted in Michigan campaign. Over the next several weeks, we’ll be bringing you the stories of the locally-owned businesses and organizations behind Crafted in Michigan, introducing the people behind these places, showing you their products and introducing the owners, and their inspiration behind it all.
Check out our interview below with Hollinshead, the co-founder and co-owner of Any Colour You Like. We talk about how the cart literally came before the product, the inspiration behind flavors, and working together as husband and wife.
Popsicles were not the original plan for Any Colour You Like, ice cream was. After Richardson found that ice cream cart on Craigslist, the couple realized that scooping artisan frozen ice cream out of it just wasn’t practical, from a temperature and quality aspect. “It was pretty difficult,” Hollinshead said. “We realized that it was going to be really hard, to scoop this super hard ice cream. So we were like, what can we do to make this better?”
Scrolling through the internet, Richardson came across some unique popsicle molds. He told Hollinshead that “this could be it, let’s try it out” and thus, a business was born.
A cantaloupe mint popsicle from Any Colour You Like, a Grand Rapids based company that makes naturally flavored, all natural popsicles.Courtesy Photo, used with permission.
The couple have been in the restaurant industry pretty much their whole professional careers, with Hollinshead working the front of the house as a waitress, and Richardson working as a chef in the back. Hollinshead also holds a design degree from Kendall College, and continues to work as a printmaker. “We’re a match made in heaven, and it all just kind of worked out,” Hollinshead said.
They’ve divided the work at Any Colour along these lines: Hollinshead takes on the marketing and branding of the company, while Richardson mostly focuses on flavor development.
“Surprisingly, we actually make a really good team,” Hollinshead said about working together as husband and wife. “It depends on the day as to who the boss is. It took a long time to figure out where that separation is, like where are we a husband and wife, and where are we business partners and co-founders. It’s been a learning curve, but overall we love each other, and we are still growing a business together.”
Sounds like success, in both work and home life.
Any Colour You Like is owned by the husband and wife team of Jason Richardson and Korin HollinsheadCourtesy Photo, used with permission.
A love of music festivals drew the couple not just together, but into owning their own business. While attending festivals, which Hollinshead said that they would attend as their vacations every summer, the duo checked out the sweet treat offerings, and said to themselves “I think we can do better. I think we can do something super fun, and something that is a reflection of the environment and the culture that’s going on.”
All of the popsicles are made using all natural ingredients. Fruit flavors are made with actual fruit, instead of concentrates or additives. Fruit is sourced locally from Michigan farmers when possible. “Anything that grows in Michigan, and we are able to get, we do,” Hollinshead said. “Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, peaches, plums, currants. We’re working on a Bloody Mary pop right now with Michigan tomatoes. Everything else we source is from sustainable farms, and we incorporate organic ingredients when possible.”
Purchasing and processing fruit in season, and then freezing it, makes sure that the company always has ingredients available at their peak ripeness.
Any Colour You Like gets creative with their flavor profiles, combing common ingredients with unique ones. Their number one seller in popsicles is the berry lavender lemonade, while out of the fudgesicle varieties the maple chaga is popular. Custom flavors can also be ordered direct from the company if you wish.
A coconut, kiwi, lime pop from Any Colour You Like.Courtesy Photo, used with permission.
The pandemic shutdown has been a pretty significant blow to the company, as about 80% of their business was derived from sales from music festivals. “It’s a big hit,” Hollinshead said. “But as most businesses do, you pivot to survive. We’ve made a lot of really cool relationships with wholesale accounts that we wouldn’t normally work with otherwise. It’s actually been a pretty cool silver lining to the whole thing.”
“We never thought we would be in stores and restaurants,” Hollinshead said. Any Colour You Like took a chance on a tricycle and some freezer molds, and is now helping to cool West Michigan down, one fabulously flavored popsicle at a time.
Any Colour You Like's popsicle cart.Courtesy Photo, used with permission.
The top selling flavors of popsicles from Any Colour You Like are:
•Berry-Lavender-Lemonade
•Maple-Chaga Fudgesicle
•Nieve de Oasis (Strawberry-Pineapple-Orange)
•Mango-Hibiscus-Lime
All are gluten-free, and vegan. Popsicles are always nut free & made with local &/or sustainable, organic ingredients; no additives, dyes, corn syrups or preservatives are ever used.
You can currently find the pops on menus around the Grand Rapids area, including at Lucy’s Cafe, Linear, Speciation Ales Taproom, and The Green Well. Check their Facebook page for current locations, and for any events that the company may be selling at.
You can also place special and custom orders for the popsicles for your home or private parties, and you can get more information on pricing here.
Cookies and Cream pops ready to go from Grand Rapids based Any Colour You Like.Courtesy Photo, used with permission.
Any Colour You Like
One of Rebel Nell's employees works on jewelry.Courtesy Photo, used with permission.
Other Crafted in Michigan stories:
Music industry bands together for support
Rich + Maple candles take inspiration from nature
Mokaya creates edible art with chocolate
The Brandino Extravaganza is a one-man band finding his own sound.
Rebel Nell’s graffiti inspired jewelry is designed to lift women up
Young man turns artistic skill into hand forged knife business
Special Brew Bakers are behind Beer City Dog Biscuits
Why Founders Brewing is behind Crafted in Michigan
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Crafted in Michigan: Any Colour You Like creates popsicles with sweet flavor combinations - MLive.com
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