Proven doughnuts have turned into a bit of a phenomenon across the north east, appearing originally at the Sunday Quayside market, and pop up deliveries once a week in places like Fenwick’s food hall and Kith & Kin in Whitley bay, selling out every time. The lovely couple behind the doughnuts have recently found their own space to sell these incredible treats, and yesterday I finally made my way along at lunchtime to their little cafe at Hoult’s Yard with my friend Laura of Laura Jayne Designs.

Our visit had been planned literally since they opened a few weeks ago, as these elusive doughnuts had managed to escape us for weeks. Where we work we just can’t get to Kith & Kin on a Thursday morning until lunchtime, by which time they’d always be sold out. Previously you had to be quick off the mark wherever you could get them from, but now with their place at Hoult’s Yard we can relax (a little!).

Turning into Hoult’s Yard off Walker Road, you’ll find Proven’s little space on the right, with plenty parking about that’s free for an hour. Despite being in a warehouse they’ve got the place looking totally adorable and it suits the setting perfectly. There’s a number of little tables and chairs, with the full range of donuts they offer on a big chalk board on the wall.

The counter is full of whichever selection they’ve made that day, and even at 12pm on a Wednesday when they’d been open 2 hours, the trademark ‘Homer’ donut with pink icing and sprinkles was almost sold out – we got the last one.

*Card designed by Laura

Others freshly baked that day were sugar doughnuts filled with strawberry and passion fruit jam, Nutella, blackberry cheesecake, peanut pretzel Boston cream, vanilla custard, and vegan options orange pistachio and coconut glaze, and biscoff biscuit glaze. So good!

All their hand rolled doughnuts are baked fresh every day, and you can see trays of them being prepped behind the counter. Just ignore the huge bags of sugar on the side – who cares about calories?!

We sat in and enjoyed a coffee and our doughnut of choice, chatting about how it’s a good job we aren’t ladies of leisure or we would become part of the furniture. I went for the jam and Laura nabbed the last remaining Homer. Coffee and a doughnut costs £3.50, and they use Love Lane House blend coffee from Luckie Beans, also available to buy in pouches.

While we sat munching on the best doughnuts ever, the place slowly filled up with others doing the same. Clearly news spreads fast as the doughnuts were flying off the shelves and more were being filled behind the counter.

We were under strict instructions from our office not to return empty handed under any circumstances, so before we left we put together an assortment box of 12 doughnuts to take back with us. A box of a dozen costs £22.50, and the struggle is real deciding how many of each flavour to get.

They went down an absolute storm back in the office though, with those in the know quickly grabbing their favourite flavour, and the Proven doughnut virgins throwing serious allegations around like ‘that was actually the best doughnut I have ever had in my life’.

Trust me once you’ve had one of these bad lads your average supermarket bakery counter doughnut just won’t cut it. Who knew that the best doughnuts in the world aren’t to be found in Krispy Kreme or Dunkin Donuts, you can get them right here in our little corner of the UK.

The Proven Doughnut cafe is open from Wednesday to Sunday. 10am – 4pm. Parking is free for the first hour. You can also find Proven doughnuts as I mentioned earlier at:

• The quayside market on Sunday’s
• Thursday mornings at Kith & Kin and Pink Lane coffee
• Saturdays at fenwicks food hall, Free Trade Inn, the Factory Kitchen and Laneway & Co.

Follow their social media for up to date stories on what’s available at their new base daily, and where they’ll be.

If you’ve not yet experienced Proven doughnuts in your life you really need to, and if you’re not convinced by me take a look at what Canny Food and New Girl in Toon make of them too.

I always feel when I harp on about how good something is I need to just clarify, this wasn’t a collaboration or sponsored post. I paid for all doughnuts and coffee consumed, practically threw the money at them actually, and I’m just sharing the joy. 

Adorable greeting cards in these photos designed by Laura.

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Sundays at the Quayside Market, Newcastle