A 70-stong queue of doughnut lovers waited for the shutters to go up at Doughnotts' latest shop opening in West Bridgford. It's the ninth store for the award-winning homegrown company, that started eight years ago in a home kitchen.
With the offer of a free salted caramel doughnut for the first 50 customers, it was enough to entice get people out of bed early and queue down Gordon Road. And the good news for anyone who missed out today, there's another 50 up for grabs tomorrow (Saturday, June 10).
Harriette Allen, 17, of West Bridgford, dragged her mum Janet along to be first in line 40 minutes before the shop opened at 9am. The teenager said: "I thought there was going to be a queue so I said to mum we've got to get here early but we're first. I follow them on Instagram. I've not been to the shop in the city centre for ages so I'm really excited to come again. They're great, they're huge."
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Janet recalled being one of the first customers in 2015 when founders Megan Scaddan and Wade Smith started making doughnuts at home and selling them via Facebook. She said: "I remember when Megan and Wade were delivering them and they came round to my house in the first week. There's lots of different flavours and they're nice and fluffy.
"It's nice when they come out with lots of different ones for Easter and Valentine's Day - that's really good. They've got that variety there which keeps people excited about them as opposed to having the normal things every time they come. I think it will do good. They've done amazingly well. Good luck to them."
The selection of sweet treats currently includes Eton Mess, Apple Pie, Nutella Custard Berliner, Cherry Bakewell and a simple vanilla glaze. Coffee from 200 Degrees is on sale as well as merchandise, including tea towels.
The store has a small amount of seating inside, plus tables and chairs outside on the pavement for customers to tuck into their doughnut with a hot or cold drink. Photos lining one of the walls chart the history of the company, which started out as the Phat Doughnut Company. It became the Nottingham Doughnut Company after they were forced to change the name, before finally becoming Doughnotts.
The company, which also has shops in Nottingham city centre, Beeston, Lincoln, Leicester and Birmingham, is set to launch a further two outlets this year. All the doughnuts are made at a factory at Queen's Drive Industrial Estate, Nottingham.
Wade, 31, said: "We just do what we do. We've got two more sites locked in for this year, a kiosk in Victoria Centre, just outside Greggs on the ground floor, and at the Derbion in Derby. We have just been offered Sherwood as well so we don't know whether to take that one.
"We make about 20,000 a week, all by hand. We had the option to go machine-operated but we stuck by hand, all the cutting and decorating. We never expected it to turn out like this. We just wanted to create a job. We got a taste for it and decided to go full chat with it."
Co-director Megan, 29, whose mum's kitchen was the setting for the duo making their first batch in a wok, said: "We knew what we wanted but I don't think we ever thought it would go this big. We thought maybe a couple of shops.
"What we didn't expect was to be opening three shops a year. The more we do it the easier it's getting - we used to get so stressed about it, now we know what we're doing. We got the keys for this on Friday last week and it's taken us a week - and it was a completely empty shell."
Even though like everywhere else, the cost of living crisis, has had an impact, Megan said the humungous doughnuts are still an affordable treat. "We have noticed a bit of a change - we're not getting as many regulars through the door but we are putting things in place to make it affordable- like in half-term we do kids for a quid. It's not too bad. I think everyone has felt the impact of it.
"If you go out for dinner, if you buy a pudding from a restaurant you're looking at least £6-£7. Our doughnuts are huge so you're getting yourself a pudding for £3-£4. You can get a box of six for £15 if you're having a party, so it's an affordable dessert."
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