MamasDonuts product reviews

You haven't had a donut until you've had a mamas donut. Mamas are my favourite donut shop in Hamilton, and unless there's one I haven't heard of I've tried them all. Why so good?

1. They are baked fresh every day and throughout the day. This means that unless you arrive close to closing time you can see into the kitchen and see the staff making fresh donuts. No stale donuts here!
2. They have a good range of flavours and something to suit everyone's taste. Whether you like a plain sugar glaze or a filled chocolate custard, there's something for you. Plus the 3 flavours of the month each month keep things interesting and different. I'm always straight in when it's German chocolate.
3. They taste like donuts not bread. So many donuts out there taste bready or like a baked product. Mamas are yeast based and deep fried (maybe not the best for the waistline but the best for your tastebuds!) this means the are light and fluffy.

However, there are a couple of reason why they're not 10/10.
1. The hours are awkward. 7am until 1pm Thursday to Saturday. Sometimes I feel like a donut at 2pm on Monday and I can't get one and they don't keep.
2. The store set up doesn't really work, because they are so busy people coming in block those trying to get out and once inside people don't seem to know how to line up.
3. Sometimes they can be oily and soggy. I'm guessing this happens because they're so busy they struggle to keep up with demand so they don't drain for as long as they should. Those days are disappointing.

These negatives are not enough to stop me going to mamas though. It's our Saturday post park run tradition. Highly recommend.

Sure, you can easily go to a local supermarket or bakery and pick up a donut or 2 but these often seem as though they have been frozen and tend to be rubbery or chewy without much of a flavour and also lack variety when it comes to choice of flavours, Dunkin Donuts have recently come to Hamilton in the past year or 2 and while these are an upgrade on the other places you can get donuts from as listed above they still tend to be mainly just topped with different coloured/flavoured icings or filled with just a tiny smidgen of a filling leaving you guessed it a rather dull tasting donut lacking in flavour and texture.

Having been to America 5 years ago I experienced many amazing donuts and more recently while visiting the Gold Coast in Australia I was walking through a shopping mall when I happened to come across an amazing donut shop called Krispy Kreme, where people appeared from every direction when a flashing light turned on at the shop as this I learnt meant that there were hot, fresh and tasty glazed donuts ready to enjoy, of course these needed to be sampled and I must say they were super amazing coated in a warm sugary glaze it was perfection. Returning back to New Zealand how my partner and I longed for one of these donuts but sadly nothing over here compared, that was until one weekend we took a trip to the Tamahere markets and stumbled across the amazing Mamasdonuts.

People were queuing for miles for these donuts so we thought they ought to be good, we were praying that these glazed morsels would taste as good as those at Krispy Kreme and they certainly did, and as a added bonus they were massive! There was certainly no questioning why they had packed up and left the market miles before it even finished that's for sure! A couple of weeks ago on a Saturday we were driving down Kahikatea Drive and noticed a Mamasdonuts shop, super excited we took a detour and headed straight to the shop. The cabinets were filled with those great big glazed donuts which we remembered enjoying at the markets as well as a whole assortment of other flavours, lemon and passionfruit, blueberry, cinnamon sugar, chocolate custard and apple and cinnamon to name a few, being such a difficult choice in regards to deciding which to buy we decided to get a mixed pack so that we could sample several of the flavours.

I have to say that my favourite was the chocolate custard which was a yummy donut filled with lashings of yummy custard and topped with a generous chocolate icing, my partners favourite was the blueberry which consisted of a generous amount of a sweet blueberry sauce which appeared to be made from REAL blueberries, Miss 2 enjoyed munching on a yummy glazed donut. While in the shop I noticed they also run a 'decorate your own donut' activity in the school holidays which seems a great idea which I will definitely take my donut loving niece and daughter to next school holidays.

I have a few pet peeves - unhelpful staff and crap food that you have to pay astronomical prices for. Both of these pet peeves can send me into rants which can last for hours on end. So when asked to do a secret shopper review these are the first things that I like to have crossed off my list, unfortunately they are normally the last.

Thank the Lord however that for once I not only got genuinely helpful staff but I also got yummy gourmet donuts that are for once legitimately gourmet!

Donuts are normally portrayed in America Culture as the go-to food for law enforcement officers, and when donuts finally made their way here amongst our snack food items it was a slight disappointment as bakeries around the country supplied us with dry, pasty rings of pastry topped with plasticy icing. Gourmet Donuts in NZ were to us donut loving fiends as a pasty flavoured creme in a dry donut looking ball splashed with some watered-down chocolate as the topping. Finally, FINALLY us donut-munching-enthusiasts can now enjoy the perfect donuts at Mamas Donuts.

I walked in with my family, two boisterous boys and a husband who looks like he'd rather blow donuts up, than eat them and was instantly greeted with a lovely 'hello, how can I help". Such a greeting is damn near non-existant in stores these days. After not really knowing what I should try the lovely girl suggested a gourmet banoffee pie donut. So thats what we went with, alas they were not ready yet but were assured they would be ready in 5mins if we wanted to wait. I love me some banoffee pie and combined with a donut made my mouth water, so without dribbling (and this took some effort) I agreed to the wait and instead discussed what was the best offer. The young lady suggested the 10 pack being the better deal while we waited and filled up our tray with an assortment of gourmet donuts. The wait was longer than 5 mins and surprisingly they gave us updates with each apology. All up it was only a 7 min wait but I was quite happy that they told me before I had to ask them what was taking so long. And OMG it was worth the wait, it was a banofee pie in a donut, best invention EVER!

Now as a customer I know what its like when the people in front of you in the queue are making up their minds and you know exactly what you want and just want to grab and leave. I felt sorry for the people behind us, however the staff surprisingly, without being rude, ushered the people behind us so they could pay for their donuts. Now I consider this quite an art to enable queue jumping without pissing me off, so I give this staff a 10/10 for tact. As normally this would annoy me, however for someone reason I didn't mind. Maybe I'm getting nicer in my old age... I doubt it, so full credit to staff.

So here are my scores for Mamas Donuts:
    •  Staff Greeting 10/10
    •  Staff Help 10/10
    •  Staff Knowledge 10/10
    •  Product Quality 10/10 - OMG you can just keep eating & eating & eating & eating
    •  Product Display 7/10 - products look great but no effort in display
    •  Product Packaging 6/10 - room for improvement - a 10 pack is put in a tray then that tray is placed in a bakery bag. meaning donuts move or squash in transport.
    •  Location: 4/10 - admittedly it was hard to find. Nothing a few signs can't fix.
    •  Overall Score 8/10 - I will be back most definitely - I'm still thinking about that banoffee pie donut *drools*

Having tried many donuts over the years - including some diabolical messes and a few absolutely stunning cream-filled varieties. So, I think I am fairly well qualified to judge a good donut from a bad one. These ladies and gents make some of the nicest donuts I have tasted in the last 5 years!

Entering the shop, I was at the end of a line of 4 other customers. Watching how the staff were being so friendly and polite, while still working as a team to ensure everyone got the donuts they wanted, was very instructive. With a delightful young lady working "pick and pack" while a young chap was on the till working the 'accounting' - it was a ballet of teamwork in action. When my time came to order, I was actually pleased to see the current "Flavour of the week" (Maple Walnut) because it gave me the opportunity to ask what else was worth trying.

The suggestions I was given were good ones as far as I was concerned - Blueberry Custard, Choc Nut and Apple Cinnamon. I got 2 of the apple cinnamon - because I LOVE that combo in pies - and one each of the others, along with a Choc & Custard, and a Lemon Passion. I knew I could share these and get solid feedback about the berry custard, which is not one I would normally try since I am not a huge berry jam fan.

So... the donuts... ALL AMAZING, was the verdict. The Apple Cinnamon is just such a sweet treat, you need to be sure to eat it when your sweet tooth is at full strength. The cinnamon sugar is plentiful and just lick-your-fingers good. There was a good helping of the apple filling which helped keep the donut moist and sweet too. The berry custard was, according to my co-taste-tester, a wonderful and creamy delight with lots of flavour the berry wasn't too overpowering. I cut a segment from each of the rest of the donuts, so I could give my own impressions on them.

The Choc Nuts was very tasty, with a thick chocolate glaze coated in chopped nuts. The glaze had a tendency to crack away in chunks, taking a hefty swag of nuts with each bit. These formed yummy little treats which were a nice ending after the donut was gone. The Lemon Passion was seriously scrummy, with the filling reminding me a lot of the Lemon and Passionfruit Patisserie Filling from Barker's which I just loved. The Chocolate & Custard donut was perhaps my least favourite, but only because it was the last one I tried and by that stage I was getting a bit "donut'd out" so it's one I may just have to go back and try again sometime soon.

Overall, all of the donuts were just great... some more than others only by personal preference. There were two styles of donuts - the traditional 'ring donut' and the solid 'filled' style. Both were of a very high standard and so good when fresh. They were all very light and fluffy, sweet, and showed real care and attention was put into their creation. I *will* be back again to buy more, but only on special-treat occasions because otherwise I won't be able to fit behind the wheel of my car in a month's time.

First impressions were the store was nice and tidy, and the staff were friendly. I didn't have to wait long, I had barely walked in the door before a staff member came out to serve me. It was lovely prompt service. I was asked "What would you like today?" I told her "...a friend had given me a jam and custard one previously so I thought I would come in and check them out myself. What would you recommend?"

She then suggested the blueberry and custard, but also the lemon-passion. She warned me it wasn't to everyone's taste, but if you like passionfruit you'd probably like it. The Mother's Day special was the triple-chocolate, and that the classics were apple and cinnamon, and the chocolate and custard. I miscounted and ended up with 7 in the bag, and because I had left my purse at home I knew I wouldn't be able to buy it, despite really wanting to, so I had to ask for her to put one back. There was no issue with that, she was really friendly and good about it, and returned it to the cabinet with a smile. Excellent service, and I would be happy to recommend them to anyone!

Cinnamon & Apple:
I found this to be the mildest of the lot. I could definitley still taste the apple and cinnamon, but it suits a less adventurous palate. It was still really yummy, but it was, for me, a quiet taste. Probably would have been my least favourite out of the five, but that's not to say it was bad at all. I just liked the other ones more.

Chocolate & Custard:
It was defintely chocolatey and custardy, but it was more of a "chocolate icing" rather than an actual "chocolate" but they still made a really good combo that went well together. There was plenty of the custard inside the donut, as well as plety of the chocolate icing - it was a very generous donut.

Triple Choc:
This one was really sweet. The chocolate filling was really rich, and the white chocolate glaze was another layer of sweetness. I didn't notice any of the shavings of milk chocolate that was suppoed to be on top though. For me, this flavour was a little disappointing, but would probably appeal more to those with really sweet teeth who want this as a dessert ingredient, rather than as a stand-alone treat. Not the most memorable of the donuts.

Blueberry & Custard:
This was my favourite, hands-down. This one seemed to have the most filling of the lot. I found the blueberry a nice change from the more traditional strawberry or raspberry, and it went very well with the creamy custard.

Lemon Passion:
I could definitely taste both flavours, there was lots of filling and lots of flavour. This was my second most favourite of the lot. Even though there were the passionfruit pips, I hardly noticed them. They weren't annoying or uncomfortable, which was grerat. I also want to note that it was quite sweet, there wasn't much of the tartness I was expecting, just a hint. For me, that was a good thing, because it evened out the flavour, it was quite pleasant.

All of the donuts were very generous with their flavours. That was the one thing that really stood out for me. In all of them, there was plenty of filling, so that you don't end up with a mouthful of plain donut. One thing though, even though I didn't get to try these right away - I saved them as a dessert treat - they were still quite moist and sweet. But after leaving a couple for the next day, they had dried out a quite bit. Because of the large amount of filling, the donut was still tasty to eat, but it had lost that nice soft texture in the donut itself. So it is important to know that these really are at their best when fresh, as there are no preservatives that keep them "factory fresh" for days. A good excise to keep going back.

Mamasdonuts is a building I have driven past a lot since it has opened on Duke St. and never have had the opportunity to really try it before, not knowing anything about them at all, though I did start following them on Facebook. As it turns out the name is a very good fit for the business as it really is a family affair and to me I think that is a great thing, it's not a big faceless company you are dealing with, it is real people doing something really neat with their family.

I went in on a Saturday morning before I went travelling around the countryside. The location is good, it has a lot of traffic going past it all day long and the building is easy to spot. Parking can be a problem when really busy and people in massive utes with trailers on decide to go in there. Which isn't their fault, just something to be aware of.

Mamasdonuts was really busy, which is great to see. People either want to try or get more of their donuts plus with the limited opening hours it drives demand and makes them a special treat more then a place you could go any time. Inside the place was really nice and clean, had a nice display cabinet showing the goods, and after tearing my eyes away from the really great looking donuts I noticed the price board on the wall behind the counter.

Service was nice and prompt, and I picked out 6 donuts to add to the box. I wasn't asked for an upsell, just asked if I wanted anymore. The young person that served me looked at me funny when I handed over the voucher I had, and quite rightly questioned it, and then checked with his mum, which was good to see.

Now onto the donuts themselves. First off I have to say all of the donuts I tried were all fresh and very tasty, it just comes down to what flavour you get.

CHOCOLATE NUT - The name sort of gives it away, it has chocolate on top of it and is covered in nuts. I liked the taste of the chocolate and the combination of the nuts, was really nice.

BLUEBERRY CUSTARD - This was my favourite, I couldn't get enough of this one. I love custard, and the blueberry flavour worked really well with it. Yum.

LEMON PASSION - This is a lemon passion fruit type flavour which is quite nice.

RASPBERRY AND WHITE CHOCOLATE - This was the flavour of the week this week, and it was quite nice. The raspberry jam type flavour on the donut was really really good. The rest of the donut had something on it that looked more like white icing then white chocolate.

I got a couple of double ups so these were all the flavours I tasted, now from my experience with these flavours is anything to go by all the others will be equally as nice. I think all it comes down to is what you prefer, all of the donuts met my expectations with the blueberry custard one being the top of my list.

In summary, the overall experience with mamasdonuts was a good one, their product is really nice, it is presented well and it is an all round yum treat. I know a few people who have also tried mamasdonuts and they rave about them, word of mouth advertising is working well for them. I also like their Facebook page to hear what the flavour of the week is. It is great to see the interaction they are getting from their fans.

So a great product as a reasonable price and better than anything else out there in my humble opinion.

I was very lucky in having the honour of trying mamasdonuts which were totally divine.

I had seen them advertised in quite a few places including facebook buy and sell groups and had even seen them at the Frankton markets, At that point in time they were only really selling their original glazed donuts so I was very eager to see what other flavours were on offer.

When I went into the shop I was instantly greeted my a lovely sight of a full display case and could see in the background many hands at work making these yummy treats, it was not long before someone came to the counter to see if I needed assistance which was a good thing because I was very unsure on what flavours to choose and if I could have I would have got 1 of everything. The staff member was lovely and told me of all the flavours and what ones were the most popular and which were her personal favourites. I didn't feel pressured into making my choice. I plan on going back again when they have their banoffee flavour which I was informed they have as their flavour of the week on the 4th week of the month.

The flavours I ended up choosing were raspberry sprinkle, cinnamon sugar, cinnamon apple, coconut custard (was the flavour of the week), chocolate custard and blueberry custard. I also chose to cut them in half and share half with the husband to get 2 different opinions on them as I have a sweet tooth and he does not.

First off the donuts were beautiful, soft and fresh. I hate the donuts you buy at the supermarket because they often feel stale and leave a waxy/fatty residue in my mouth which these did not do.

Raspberry Sprinkle: I liked how these looked like donuts off the simpsons. The icing was quite sweet and tasted almost like that of sticky buns you buy from a bakery. I did enjoy these though. My husbands only comment on these were "They taste familiar"

Cinnamon Sugar: These to me reminded me of the little donuts you can buy from the food carts and fairs and events. These were my favourite donuts when I was little and used to love watching them be made and then eating them hot. They brought back many child hood memories. Although they could have done with a little more cinnamon on them. My husbands comments were "A little too much sugar, Not enough cinnamon"

Apple cinnamon: I love spiced apple and this one reminded me of a mixture of apple pie and spiced apple muffins, I loved these ones they were divine. My husbands comments are "Pretty good, maybe a little too much sugar" (Like I said he is not a sweet tooth)

Coconut custard: These ones were my favourite of the ones I got. I adore coconut so I was not surprised there. Only thing I found was the custard was a little flavourless. Husbands comments were "Needs more coconut and less sugar"

Chocolate custard: Custard was a little flavourless still but not as bad as the coconut one, I loved how the custard was nice and smooth, the chocolate was also not quite as "chocolatey" as I was expecting. I did feel a little let down by this one. My husband on the other hand said "Divine... Absolutely amazing"

And last but not least....

Blueberry custard: Lovely smooth custard, still not very flavourful though. the berries were delicious though and left a a very pleasant after taste in my mouth. The husbands comments were "custard is too watery tasting"

The price was a little higher than I would normally spend on a tasty treat but I think with the size of them they are still good value and will be buying more at some stage soon (most likely when the banoffee ones are available next). I will also be sharing with the children who were very upset to have missed out on this review when they noticed the rubbish in the bin.

After picking my son up from his music practice it was time to make my way to Mamas Donuts shop, after not having breakfast myself due to getting kids moving, the donuts were the only thing I had in the morning. We finally arrived and parked, telling the kids how I wanted them to behave (good but not too good ) trying to see how the staff might react we entered the store and within 10 seconds were greeted with a friendly hello (more aimed at my very cute daughter, but generally aimed at us all) I looked around the store and it seemed to be very tidy and had a modern look as well as being simple and clean. There was a drink fridge and the donut display cabinet. Having the open plan (in this case a clearing for people to see the making process) was brilliant, you could see the donuts being made and know the cleanliness of the staff making them.

I turned to the kids and said they could choose 1 each which they did themselves picking their favorite one with my son actually choosing one he hadn't tried before (chocolate custard). As I looked a little overwhelmed with the choices compared to the limited choices at a supermarket, I was asked if I had been here before, which I replied no I hadn't. I asked what were the flavors they recommended to me, after telling me the price listing and that they had a flavor of the week which was always different and would only come back if extremely popular, this to me was a neat idea but a little disappointing if you found out later that a flavor you wanted to try wasn't coming back, no biggie though

The staff were very friendly and informative, they didn't ignore the kids which for me was great, they were patient when my 4 year old daughter kept asking me questions. They were very patient with a few people arriving during the thinking process of choosing the donuts that we were going to choose, they didn't make you feel like "Hey hurry up we have more customers to serve" not feeling like that was really a customers first and everyone would still get served approach was good. There was also a boy maybe about 12-14 year old that when my son chose his Chocolate Custard the boy said it was nice and he liked it too, which made my son feel like it was a good choice, He loved his one too.

One thing I loved with these donuts was the texture, to me these were similar to that of a croissant, they weren't dry they were very moist at all and the melt in your mouth flavoring was very well accepted. It was a shame that out of the 6 that we got, none survived passed the tasting time. Once we got home we cut up all the donuts into 3rds to we all got to try all of them too, they were all very nice.

CHOCOLATE SPRINKLE
I found this one to be quite sweet, the chocolate was similar to that of Icing that you put onto a cake, for me I'm not much of a sweet food eater, this was still a very nice flavor, The taste of the sprinkles was nice and a good addition to the texture to give it something different as they were a little crunchy as well. My daughter loved it as well and my son thought delicious with a nice texture which is better than the bakery and supermarket.

CHOCOLATE CUSTARD
This flavor wasn't as sweet as the Chocolate Sprinkles having a bit of a custard taste which made the donut very attractive. The taste mix when you eat it just melted in your mouth along with the texture that of Croissant which made it a favorite among us all. My daughter loved the custard part as well. My son thought after the boy at the shop said he liked it, that he was happy that he chose it and would be very happy to get that one again. I have to admit I would agree with him there very yummy.

CHOCOLATE NUT
The chocolate nut I found to be a little better than the chocolate sprinkles as it wasn't as sweet due to having the nuts on it. One problem i found was that there was too much nuts on it and could have maybe done with a little less on it. It was still a nice flavor and better than the other places I've tried so far. My daughter wasn't really enjoying this one due to the sharpness of the nuts on them and not really being a fan of those style of nuts (similar to that on the mister whippy ice creams) the texture of the nuts I found was very nice and wasn't plain.

LEMON PASSION
I loved this one the most, Not too sweet but not too sour either, I am a huge fan of passion fruit and lemon myself so to see this together on a donut I hadn't thought of before and when tasted "hit the spot", This is one of my one's that I would get often when i can get more. My daughters words for this was "Good and Delicious" she loved this flavor too and I think she would love to try it again. My son found this one to be not his sort of flavor, the donut was nice just not suited his taste for the flavor.

BLUEBERRY CUSTARD
This was a nice flavor the texture of the blueberries mixed with the custard made for an interesting taste, while still retaining the blueberry flavor and the custard flavor was amazing while still giving you the feeling that this works well. Again this one I would considered buying again. My daughter love this one and her words were "I loved everything". My son thought it was OK but again not to his taste as not really liking cooked/preserved fruit and doesn't really like blueberry's to start with.

BLACK FOREST
Being a fan of the black forest flavor I found this one to be a little lacking. I could taste the Jam on it's own, the chocolate was a little overpowering and it just didn't' seem to blend together as much as I was hoping. This was the Flavor of the Week so i was lucky to get to try it, I still was happy to buy it and try it and i would buy it again to try it again as a while instead of cutting it up to share as it might also have been the way I was eating it too. My daughter love this one and her words were "I loved everything". My son thought the chocolate part of this was nice but wasn't fussed on the black forest jam in it.

In the end the the shop was wonderfully presented, staff were very friendly and helpful, Being in the East side of Hamilton there, It was a little out of the way and I might only stop in when going past that area (not being too often). I found the shop times were a little restrictive meaning you need to plan a day around going there but maybe in time they might expand the hours and locations as well. The cost was very reasonable with the smaller ones being $2 along with the larger standard glazed, with the rest being $2.50 per donut. This is well in the price range for a high quality donut that looks like they put the effort into, compared to the rack and stack/bag approach of a supermarket or bakery. Well worth the visit and might even go back a little more often. They are a great idea for functions like kids birthdays, office shouts, even picnics.

Thank you to the Team at Mamas Donuts for giving us the service and quality of the donuts that I think all donuts should be now

I must admit that I am very impressed with this place, the staff were friendly, and the doughnuts were delicious! I went in with the cover story of it being my mum's birthday, and I was looking to get her some doughnuts for a present. I got 6 doughnuts, 2 of which were for me, 2 were for my Dad and 2 were for my Mum (even though it wasn't really her birthday). I went in, and things moved along so quickly that I only had to wait in line for a couple of minutes before ordering.

The floor was clean and tidy, and the shelves of the rack were kept well-cleaned frequently. There were at least 3 staff members, 1 was cooking in the kitchen, 1 was taking out the selected doughnuts, and 1 was in charge of the payment. The customer service was excellent, the food lady even made a good gesture by wishing my Mum a happy birthday!

When I asked about what flavour was the best, the first question I was asked was whether Mum was more for the sweet flavours or more for the tangy. The lady narrowed it down to the Jam flavoured one, though I was actually aiming for the Blueberry and Custard, Mum's REAL favourite. I asked about that one and the lady said it was a very good one, so I grabbed 2 of those for mum, 2 Apple and Cinnamon ones for Dad, and an Original Glaze and Choc Top for me.

When it came time to pay, the pay lady made sure she had the right doughnuts and the right quantities listed before adding up the prices, which added up to a total of $14.50. When I handed over the voucher, she was rather happy and surprised, and then she wished me a happy day. I had originally intended to have the Choc Top and Glaze for me, but I swapped the Choc for one of Dad's Apple and Cinnamon ones.

In terms of flavour, The Glaze came second place. The doughnut was delicious, but it was also a large one, and the topping looked almost like pure sugar, so that one was rather sweet. There was also an annoying factor of the glaze coming off like flaky pastry, so I had to lick my fingers quite a bit to get it off.

The Apple was #1 in my books though! It was small and highly flavourful, and it was less sweet than the Glazed. The Doughnut itself was dusted in icing sugar, bringing back the childhood memories of having the doughnuts back at the Fish'n'Chip shop where I grew up. The filling was awesome, it was rather cold, so it retained a lot of the flavour, unlike the fillings of mass-produced Apple Pies.

Overall, friendly service, great location, nice staff members, awesome place to go if you want doughnuts.

I have driven past Mama's Donuts a few times but it has always been closed so I planned my week so that I would be able to get into the shop this morning. As I already knew where Mama's Donuts was it was easy to find and I got a park right outside the shop. I was there about 9.30am and there was a steady stream of customers so I wasn't served immediately which was fine. As soon as I walked into the shop the counter with donuts is in front displaying about 12 varieties of donuts. The shop is obviously new and spotless. Behind the counter is the food preparation area where a women was busy filling the donuts with fillings as required.

I asked what ingredients were in the donuts and whether any were free from artificial flavours, colours and preservatives. The lovely women serving me couldn't give me an ingredient list but did say that she thought the only one free from fillings or glazes with artificial ingredients was the sugar donut. (But I was left very unsure of this). All the fillings appeared to be pre-prepared (ie from a tin -the caramel- or other company) with the majority being Barkers fillings which have a lot of preservatives, thickeners and (it appeared) artificial flavours and colours - looking at their packaging. Even the vanilla essence used is imitation not real essence.

I was a little surprised at this as I had expected that all the fillings would be fresh and "homemade" in that they were all natural. Realising that I wasn't buying anything remotely natural and there were customers by now waiting I chose six donuts that looked the yummiest including the best seller Banana Banoffee and a sugar donut. At just under $15 for six it wasn't until I walked out of the shop that I realised I hadn't even noticed a price board (there must be one...?) There had been no suggested upsell. The donuts are placed in cardboard trays and then in a brown paper bag both of which I can recycle. I was told to store in a cool place but not the fridge and to eat by tonight as they would be past their best tommorow.

A store member then came from behind the counter and held the door open for me (I was carrying my toddler and the donuts and my bag) which I really, really appreciated. Overall I thought the service was great and very friendly and helpful. I would however have liked a written ingredient and nutrition breakdown of each donut though.

I took the donuts home though the chocolate custard donut didn't quite make it past a red light. Yummy!!! The donut dough is the nicest I have had for a long time and was perfect. The filling was also a perfect ratio to the dough. The chocolate topping was a little messy and I could taste that imitation vanilla but overall I would definitely buy again.

The other five flavours were divided up at home though I must confess to then scoffing all the pieces of the Banoffee donut which was very more'ish. My girls liked the sugar donut which also had perfect dough. The apple donut, and two jam donuts were also very more'ish. If I ignore that the ingredients are all "not fresh" I have to say that these are seriously good donuts that your waistline will not forgive you for!!!

I would go back to buy donuts from Mama's Donuts if I was particularly after donuts but the location and opening hours would make this a special trip.

The service I received at the store was great. We arrived at the same time as two other families. I hung back, unsure of what to get. There were so many good ones. My daughter immediately wanted a Chocolate Sprinkles donut. Of course there was only one left on the tray. She got the servers' attention and immediately asked for it. The server looked to me and I hesitated, I said I wasn't sure what I wanted or what was good.

I asked about deals, and she pointed to the sign and said the best deal was the $20 box of 10 because I could have a mix of anything. It sounded good, so I said yes to that. I was impressed that both her and the other assistant remained aware of my daughter's desire for the Chocolate Sprinkle donut. Even though they served others at the same time, they mentally reserved it for my girl, which I really appreciated. I also liked that another lady came in to order a mixed box, and the server asked her specifically if she had children who would be sharing it, so they could pick ones that would appeal.

Chocolate Sprinkles - My daughter described it as chocolatey and good. I was not allowed to try any of it, but I did sneak a bit once she was finished. It was delicious and creamy chocolate tasting. I thought it looked really neat and appealing with the sprinkles too. I was impressed that the sprinkles still had a bit of crunch to them.

Chocolate Nut - I had this one all to myself as neither my husband or daughter like nut chunks. I thought the taste of the chocolate with the peanut bits was really good. The nut pieces had a slight crunch, but were softened by the chocolate icing too. The donut itself was like eating a sweet and delicious pillow. Very nice.

Blueberry Custard - My husband had this one. He wasn't too keen on sharing, but he let me taste the blueberry sauce. It was nice and berry tasty, without being too sweet. I thought it had a good balance. He said the donut was good, the fillings were good but he thought the hole where the fillings were housed could have been deeper or wider for more filling.

Lemon passion curd - My husband had this as his dessert. He made a lot of mmmm sounds and declared it "lovely lemon curd". However, again he felt like the cavity was a bit on the small side.

Pink Sprinkles - My daughter had this as her dessert for the evening. She declared that it tasted like Love. I had a quick taste of the icing and it was really nice. Had a slight raspberry hint, and tasted just like pink icing should.

German Chocolate - My husband tasted the filling in this as he was making his dessert selection. When he said it was coconut I knew it was destined to be mine. Yum yum. Despite the fact they had been in the fridge for a few hours now, they were still fairly soft. The sweetness was nicely balanced with the breadiness of the donut, at first. But then the ending was super sweet. I thought the filling pocket was quite a good size, but then the chocolate icing was all over the top as well, compared to the more plain ones my husband had been having.

Chocolate Custard - by the time I got to this one it was a day old. The donut part was a bit chewier and thick. Usually that would make me gag, but the chocolate icing made the bread part more palatable. The custard was soft and sticky and good as new.

Chocolate glazed donut - I had this one day old for my lunch. It was a bigger size than the Chocolate Custard one which I think made the dough less stale. It was definitely softer and more enjoyable. The chocolate icing was again a winner for me, though pretty sweet by the end.

Orginal glazed donut - Even though this was left the longest out of everything, it still had some give and tasted fine. Its a good standard donut, but if I had a choice I wouldn't buy it over a custardy or chocolate donut.

In hindsight, I should have asked about storage, as the fridge was probably not the best place. If I hadn't had a sick child I would have invited more people over to enjoy them too. The donuts were gorgeous fresh, and make a good Saturday morning great. But once they are a day old, they lose their shine. They would make a neat addition to a kid's party or to a shared picnic/bbq or even a work morning tea if you start late and don't have school drop offs.

The shop itself is a bit out of the way, and the opening hours are limited which means I'll only be over there on a Saturday, which suits me fine as it is a treat food. Its in an industrial area too, so parking is plentiful and easy - something that is very important to me. The price is about $2 - $2.50 a donut, or a box of 10 is $20. That's very reasonable when a cream donut at a local bakery is $1.50 and they aren't as nice or special.

My daughters were very excited when I told them we were going to a donut shop to get some special treats. My three year old told me she wanted a donut with sprinkles but we we arrived at Mamasdonuts there were no donuts with sprinkles in the cabinet. I could see the sign for them on an empty shelf so I asked if they had any. The staff member offered to make one for us, which my daughter was very pleased with especially as she could look through (when I lifted her up) and see her donut being decorated. This made her feel extra special.

While I was in the store with the kids several other customers came in. It was obvious they were regulars as they knew exactly what they wanted and chatted with the staff. There were ten varieties of donuts on display and they all looked and sounded tempting. It was going to be a tough decision. The staff member recommended the flavour of the week, German Chocolate and said the original frosted was their top seller.

I asked how best to store the donuts in this heat until my husband got home from work. She recommended keeping them in a cool place out of the sun, not in the fridge or a hot car. I also asked about a bulk discount and was told about the special price for ten. I purchased six different donuts.

The first donut we sampled was the chocolate sprinkles since it had been Miss 3's request. The donut was so soft and light and the colourful sprinkles on the chocolate frosting really appealed to the eye.

Miss 4.5's choice was the blueberry custard because she is a huge blueberry fan. When I cut it up I realised that there wasn't much filling but once I bit into it there was just the right balance of filling to donut. The flavour was a hit with all three of us.

My top choice had been German chocolate. It was like a bounty bar crossed with a donut. I loved the sweet coconut filling. The only down side was knowing it probably wouldn't be available next time I craved one since it was a the weekly special.

The original glazed donut was the biggest of all the donuts but this may have been an illusion as it has a big hole in the middle. This had a thin sweet white glaze on top and another hit with the kids.

The classic jam I had to get after watching too many TV shows with donut-eating Police. There was only a small amount of jam but this prevented it from being sickly sweet.

The final flavour and the only one I didn't share with anyone was Lemon-passion. I have always loved the tangy sweet combination of lemon and passionfruit. The filling in this one was like a curd. This would be my choice if German chocolate wasn't available on my next visit.

I saved some of the classic jam and original glazed donuts for the lunchboxes the next day. The donuts weren't as fresh as they had been on the day of purchase but were still devoured quickly. I would recommend consuming these treats on the day they are purchased to enjoy them at their best.

Because Mamasdonuts' store is not near any of the shops I would normally go to and is only open three mornings a week I have to make a special trip. It is well worth it. I have had Mamadonuts recommended to me by others and now I am recommending them to others. A real hit with adults and kids. I will be visiting again very soon.