Check the Base Before You Choose Your Snow Ice
Snow Cream serves Taiwanese-style shaved snow ice desserts with a light, fluffy texture and a range of flavour bases. The base may contain milk, cream, or other dairy ingredients depending on the flavour selected, so it is important to check each option before ordering. If you are booking for a party in Umhlanga, Durban, Ballito, Pietermaritzburg, Johannesburg or nearby areas, please treat every flavour as a separate choice, not every bowl is the same.
Some flavours and mix-ins may also contain traces of wheat, nuts, soya, or eggs because of shared preparation areas and catering packing. We recommend that anyone with a known allergy reads the full flavour notes carefully and asks questions through the enquiry form before confirming. If you are ordering for children, schools, or a large group, it helps to keep one clear list of who must avoid certain ingredients.
Toppings That May Carry Common Allergens
Toppings can change the allergen profile of a dessert quickly, especially when you are building a custom cup or planning a live serving station. Syrups, biscuits, wafers, sauces, nut toppings, chocolate pieces and creamy add-ons may contain or come into contact with common allergens. In a busy event setting, even a small spoonful can matter.
- Dairy ingredients in milk-based sauces, creams and some flavourings
- Tree nuts and peanuts in nut-based toppings or mixed garnish packs
- Gluten in biscuits, cones, wafers and crumb toppings
- Soya in some chocolate, creamy or processed ingredients
- Egg in certain dessert fillings or whipped-style toppings
If you are unsure about a topping, leave it off. A simple snow ice cup with one or two safe additions is often the easiest option for guests with sensitivities. We would rather help you keep it plain than make a guess and get it wrong.
How to Order Safely for a Birthday, Wedding or Corporate Event
When you send through your enquiry, include the number of guests, the venue suburb, and any known allergies in the group. This is especially useful for wedding catering, school event catering, mall activations and corporate functions where people are served quickly and may not stop to ask questions. Clear notes help the team plan serving, packing and labelling with more care.
If your event needs separate dessert cups, ask for the ingredients to be grouped by flavour before the day. For a live serving station, it helps to set aside one serving area for guests with allergy concerns where possible. If you are hosting in a coastal area such as Umhlanga or Ballito, we also take humidity and heat into account when planning toppings that may soften or melt faster.
- List all known allergies on the enquiry form
- Tell us if you need dairy-free or nut-aware choices
- Confirm the venue suburb and event time
- Ask about separate serving cups or labelled trays
- Leave out any toppings you are not sure about
What We Can and Cannot Guarantee
We take care with ingredient handling, but we cannot promise a completely allergen-free environment. Shared equipment, shared storage and busy event service mean that trace contact can happen. This is standard in dessert preparation and catering, and it is why clear communication matters from the start. If a guest has a severe allergy, please tell us in advance and do not rely on a last-minute change on the day.
For large group catering, festival catering and school events, our team may prepare multiple orders at once. That means ingredients and toppings are handled in a working kitchen and packing area, not in separate sealed rooms. Families in Johannesburg, Sandton, Hillcrest and Pietermaritzburg often appreciate having an ingredient summary ready before the booking is confirmed, because it saves time and avoids confusion later on.
Storage, Heat and Service Notes for Events
Allergen planning is not only about ingredients. Storage and service conditions can also affect how desserts are handled. In hot weather or during load-shedding, some toppings and sauces need extra care so they do not spoil or soften too quickly. If your venue has limited refrigeration or no backup power, let us know early so we can advise on suitable serving times and portions.
- Keep desserts cool until service begins
- Do not leave dairy toppings out in the sun
- Ask for drop-off cups if the venue has limited space
- Allow time for setup before guests arrive
- Use covered serving trays where possible at outdoor events
For outdoor functions in Durban, La Lucia or Ballito, wind and heat can also affect toppings that are light or crumbly. A simple setup often works better than a heavily decorated one when you need clearer control over ingredients.
Who to Contact If You Need Ingredient Guidance
If you need help deciding on a flavour, topping set or event format, send your questions through the enquiry form on our contact page. Our team can talk through birthday catering, wedding catering, home parties, corporate functions and other bookings across KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng. The more detail you share, the easier it is to point you to suitable options.
For guests with severe allergies, we recommend ordering well in advance and keeping the menu simple. That gives the team time to check the ingredients, plan the serving flow and confirm any special notes before the event. A short conversation upfront can prevent problems later and helps everyone enjoy the dessert without worry.
