National Doughnut Week was launched in 1991, creating opportunities for bakers, cafés and coffee shops to raise awareness and funds for The Children’s Trust. In view of the good cause, we’ve rounded up some of the best doughnuts in town for you to enjoy. You’re welcome.
Krispy Kreme’s Nutty Chocolatta, £2
Krispy Kreme is king. And now the doughnut doyen has confirmed the rumours. After bringing us classics including the Original Glazed and Strawberries and Kreme, Krispy presents Nutty Chocolotta, a new doughnut filled with Nutella, dipped in rich chocolate icing and decorated with caramelized hazelnuts and a white chocolate swirl. The limited edition Nutty Chocolatta launches 27 May and will be available until 4 September. Form an orderly queue.
Krispy Kreme Manchester Piccadilly, Unit B1, City Tower, Piccadilly Plaza, M1 4AH
Solita’s ice-cream doughnut sandwich, £4.90
Expect Cheshire Farm’s fresh vanilla ice-cream, sandwiched between a Brackman’s doughnut, topped with warm chocolate sauce and dark chocolate pieces. This is the stuff dreams are made of.
Solita, School Lane, Didsbury, M20 6RD
Barbakan Deli’s apple doughnut
I see your Gran’s humble, home-baked apple pie and I raise you with one of Barbakan’s freshly baked apple doughnuts.
Rooted in Polish baking alchemy, the family-owned business offers glazed artisan doughnuts, injected with a nostalgic apple filling and soft apple slices, and finished with powdered sugar.
Sorry Gran.
Barbakan Bakery, 67-71 Manchester Road, Chorlton-Cum-Hardy, Manchester, M21 9PW
Bill’s warm mini cinnamon doughnuts, £5.50
Good things come in small packages or so they say. Bill’s melt-in-the-mouth cinnamon doughnuts are super moreish and when you pair them with the chocolate dip and strawberries, they taste like Christmas.
8-12 John Dalton St, Manchester M2 6JP
Bloom Street Kitchen’s rhubarb and custard doughnut, £2
Last month, Bloom Street Kitchen moved in to the King’s Arms. Home sweet home.
This doughnut maker serves up fresh batches, fried and filled daily. Flavours change weekly, from bacon to bourbon to butterscotch, but our favourite is coated in crushed rhubarb and custard sweets and oozes Wythenshawe-grown rhubarb and vanilla custard.
Available from Tues – Sat, between 4 – 9pm.
Bloom Street Kitchen at the King’s Arms, 11 Bloom Street, Salford, M3 6AN
Red’s True doughnut burger, £12.95
Red was built on the foundation that anywhere else selling barbecue-inspired grub is irrelevant, and the doughnut burger is the real MVP.
Two patties stuffed with melted cheese, smoked and peppered bacon, crispy onions and Dirty sauce. All this between two sweet, glazed doughnuts with frickles on the side. We’re not worthy.
Red’s True Barbecue, 22 Lloyd Street, Albert Square, M2 5WA
Blawd Bakehouse’s salted caramel doughnut
Every day (except Mondays), Common gets a special doughlivery from Blawd Bakehouse, which now has its own on-site bakery in the downstairs dungeon. Blawd can seriously bake and alongside white chocolate and traditional raspberry jam options, Blawd and Common bring you a doughnut packed with salted caramel realness. I’ll take two.
Blawd Bakehouse at Common Bakery, 39 – 41 Edge Street, Northern Quarter, M4 1HW