Donuts have become big business in last few years. It’s easy to see why – they’re deep fried, don’t require loads of expensive kit to make, and they’re the perfect vessel to showcase creativity. There’s also something about them which brings a smile to everyone’s face.
For Phil Lauder – founder of The Donut Lab – donuts offered a chance to learn something new in lockdown, develop his understanding of flavours, and ultimately launch his own business.
“I’d never made donuts before lockdown, but the combination of having a lot of time on my hands and wanting to learn something new led to doing the Bread Ahead baking classes,” says Phil, who has been full-time in the business for two years. “The classes on Zoom covered everything from sourdough to bagels, but donuts were the thing I fell in love with.”
Having delivered his bread and donuts to friends and family during lockdowns, and grown to making more and more donuts every week, Phil combined The Donut Lab with being head chef at Omni Café in Monkseaton. He continued the two jobs, working seven days a week, before the tipping point came in August 2022 and he went full-time with his own business for the first time.
“I knew I wanted to work for myself and enjoy the flexibility that comes with that while raising my son, Sebastian, and the point came when The Donut Lab was big enough to go it alone,” adds Phil, a former graphic designer who moved into cheffing in his mid-20s. Having worked in a kitchen for the first time in the French Alps during the skiing season, he worked in restaurants including Peace & Loaf, The Bridge Tavern and Hjem before joining Omni. He also spent a couple of years as a street food trader with a friend – running Sghetti Monster – around his chef roles.
“I came out of lockdown a better chef, and found a real love for donuts and sweet things which I’d never made a lot of.
“I stuck to the traditional flavours at first, and those are still our most popular options. There’s something people just love about raspberry jam and vanilla custard donuts.
“When you get into the research, you find so many countries have their take on a donut, and the possibilities and flavour combinations are almost limitless. One of my favourites is a Thai tea donut with a sesame tuile that I tried for the first time while I was at Omni.
“I’ve done a lot of trial and error over the years and some of the ideas haven’t come off, but one of the joys of donuts is how much you can experiment with what boils down to a relatively simple starting point.
“I think that simplicity – along with the combination of the detailed, scientific bit that goes into the dough and the creativity of the fillings – is what appeals to me,” adds Phil.
The starting point for each donut, the dough, has taken a long time to perfect.
It takes 24-36 hours to make, knead, prove, knead and prove again before frying. The donuts are then filled with an ever-changing menu of traditional and experimental fillings before going off to markets and pop-ups, including Jesmond Food Market and a second Sunday of the month pop-up at Northern Rye.
They also head off to Donut Lab’s regulars – Fenwick Food Hall, Woods Coffee in Tynemouth, Fausto Coffee in Roker, Lagom Coffee Bar in Newcastle, Pumphreys in the Grainger Market, Nucasa in Jesmond, and Fern Coffee in East Herrington.
“It’s a scientific and creative process,” says Phil. “It always starts with the dough and getting that right has taken a lot of time. It’s a long process, but the yeast being in there working for so long is what gives you that slightly tangy, super fluffy dough that’s the perfect base for creative fillings.”
While the traditional flavours remain most popular – a choice which Phil puts down to jam and custard donuts transporting people back to being children – his experimental donuts are key to the brand’s success.
“I’ve tried all sorts over the years,” he says. “Our Lab Experiments – which are based on messages and suggestions – are so much fun. The crazier they are, the better!”
Cocktail-themed donuts are popular Phil says, and some of his personal favourites include tequila slammer and margarita-inspired donuts created for the Mexican Stand-Off events at Wylam Brewery.
“I think the key is responding to what’s going on around us,” adds Phil. “Combining that with research, and reading lots of books and adapting desserts, leads to so many possibilities.”
While Phil drives the business, creates the donuts and mans the stall at events, he admits he couldn’t run the business without his wife, Lucy, who is becoming more and more involved. He also has his parents lending a hand with weekly deliveries.
“It’s a real family effort,” adds Phil. “Lucy is the one who keeps everything going and I really couldn’t do this without her. She’s also been really important with the development of the business, and a lot of the work we’ve done to create vegan donuts has been driven by her.”
When it comes to eating donuts – something Phil says he’s not bored of despite years of developing them – a traditional vanilla custard is his favourite.
“It can be a repetitive process, creating anything from 200-300-plus donuts a week, but I think being passionate about what you’re doing and loving the end product are essential in every job.
“My dream would be to grow into having my own shop, but that takes a lot of planning and it’s a major change for any business. I think we have the balance right at the minute – we have a great following and fantastic outlets. I’m also working the way I want to while seeing Seb grow up, which was the main reason to make this my full-time job.
“Sure, I’d love to be a huge operation with a big team and destination-style shops, but right now I love what I’m doing. What comes next will be really exciting when it comes, and it’ll definitely involve a lot of donuts.”
