Dalby Donut Man Colin Watters honoured with Chamber of Commerce award

After almost four decades making doughnuts, Colin Watters, otherwise known as the Dalby Donut Man, has been honoured by the Dalby Chamber of Commerce. Find out more here.

BEST DONUTS: Dalby Donut Man Colin Watters providing the best doughnuts in town at the Monster Market Day on Saturday.

Beloved baker Colin ‘Dalby Donut Man’ Watters has taken home the Dalby Chamber of Commerce’s 31 Faces of Small Business award for the second year running.

Mr Watters first started making cinnamon doughnuts in November 1986 as part of his work with Youth for Christ, and after his retirement in December 2016 he opened a small business in Dalby, making the sweet treats as a hobby.

Mr Watters can be found across Dalby tuckshops, markets and hardware stores selling his delicious cinnamon doughnuts and took home the Chamber Champion award, which runs annually throughout May celebrating local Dalby businesses that contribute to the community.

Mr Watters was presented the accolade at the Business After Hours Event earlier this month and said he was honoured to receive the award for the second year running.

“On Facebook I received 80 votes, on the post for the 31 Faces of Small Business,” he said.

“It gives me appreciation that what I do is liked by the community.

“I was pleased and proud to receive this honour, I trust I make a good product.

“I just love the interaction with the people. I’m a people person and I like seeing people appreciate what I am making and when they come and tell me.”

Dalby Donut Man Colin, and Pam Watter sent sweet scents through the street.

Mr Watters, who has been making doughnuts for almost 38 years and estimates he's made hundreds' of thousands in his lifetime, said he has honed his baking skills over the decades.

“Some of the early doughnuts were pretty ordinary but I’ve definitely got better in recent years,” he said.

“I use exactly the same mix as other doughnut companies. It’s a commercial mix, I ordered it on Monday and I will have a quarter of a tonne of mix on my front veranda tomorrow and that will last me about two months.

“There’s also five things I do that the other don't. I just make the cinnamon rings, I’m a one trick pony, I’ve never put any icing on my doughnuts, it's simply cinnamon sugar on the outside of a cinnamon ring doughnut.”

Mr Watters said he planned to continue to bake his doughnuts for the community as long as he could.

“I’m 74 so more than half of my lifetime has been spent making doughnuts,” he said.

“If I’m still going at 80 I’ll be happy, I will keep doing it as long as my health holds up.”