Buy Australian: Nutie Donuts owners blown away by community support during tough year

Customers would drive 2.5 hours for these sweet gluten free treats but Nutie Donut owners never expected how far others would go to help in tough times.

There’s a saying “hard times will always reveal true friends” but for Nutie Donuts owners, a tough year uncovered something of greater significance – the importance of community.

Sina Klug and Jacques Dumont had been doing what they loved – crafting creative and delicious gluten free and mostly vegan treats – since opening their flagship Balmain store in 2016 and their passion proved infectious with customers, some driving 2.5 hours just to stock up on their goods.

Sina Klug and Jacques Dumont, who are the owners of Nutie Donuts Cafe in Balmain and Surry Hills. Picture: Tim Hunter

After opening a second store in Surry Hills two years ago, the duo made the decision to forge on when the pandemic changed our way of life in March.

“We stayed open the whole time [since lockdown], we didn’t close a single day,” Klug said.

“We knew a lot of people depended on our product because they don’t get a lot of great gluten free options.

The Nutie Donuts Christmas Menu is fully vegan and gluten free. Picture: Samantha Beasley

“During lockdown, we started creating take-home products such as homemade pancake mixes and lunch meal sets with soups and salads. We mainly delivered to people in quarantine, especially those in hotels.

“We took our business online and started a broader delivery service. We were able to build great relationships with customers from all over NSW, even Canberra.”

The Christmas menus includes giant trifles, banoffee and pecan pies, amaretto cheesecake and even lentil roasts. Picture: Samantha Beasley

To help give back, Klug said they started a community nomination system where a list of local people in need was created and customers would choose to pay forward their meals or they could receive them at cost price.

“We built this community of people trying to help others,” Klug said. “We gave away $250 vouchers to winners at a radio station and one spent the full amount on our pay forward for Christmas hampers to send to hospitals.”

Each item is created to be a visually pleasing and delicious treat. Picture: Samantha Beasley

Klug, who is a self-taught baker, said her and Dumont are always looking for ways to give back.

When one of their customers suffered a COVID-19 job loss, the couple offered her free Christmas catering in return for her business photography services.

“I love our community, it means the world to us. They absolutely do want to help others and that’s what local business is all about. If you support local business, the money stays in the community.”

Buy Australian is a News Corp Initiative – in partnership with Woolworths and Australian Made Campaign and supported by Red Energy – to help put money back in to our economy by supporting our producers, makers and manufacturers.

Originally published as Buy Australian: Nutie Donuts owners blown away by community support during tough year