When visiting Surrey, from any where else in the lower mainland, I suggest stopping at the “Krispy Kreme” in Delta. Located at the border between Delta and Surrey, it is the only one in our province. They are a doughnut name and brand that proceeds themselves.
Can’t find the time to drive out? You can also get your fix from their doughnut fundraisers. It is where local clubs, sport teams, and organizations partner with “Krispy Kreme” to support their individual goals. They sell the original doughnut with glaze, and a portion of its proceeds go directly to the organization raising funds. The “Krispy Kreme” franchise might lose money, but it gains advertising and reach. These $1 per doughnut and $10 for a box of 10 are available wherever these groups decide to post up. Tables and cash boxes seem to pop up all over the lower mainland. I have purchased boxes from outside of Chapters and Walmart, on random street corners and in community centres. And it is all for a good local community cause.
Just walking up to the building got me excited. The legacy of the name and the pageantry of the place, strengthened their branding. It was their clean white look partnered with their green and red logo, finished with a 50’s diner sleek style inside and out. Their clerks even wore the paper fold up soda jerk hats to match. And best of all, you could too. They had a stand with them by the cash register for you to help yourself to, as a momento of your time.
When you enter, you walk across the checkered floor towards their counter. Doing so by avoiding their lone shelf of merchandise, an island in the middle of the floor. On it were coffee mugs branded with their logo and other mugs shaped like their iconic doughnut trucks; which looked like their spotted doughnut boxes, but with four wheels. I was sincerely tempted by their plastic tumbler patterned with various doughnuts, but refrained: to get the real thing instead.
Their showcase of doughnuts was to the right. Seeing as their fundraising groups only offer their best selling original, when I came to their actual store today, I decided to see what else they offered. I was not surprised to see all the doughnut varieties familiar to me. The Boston cream, which was a chocolate topped and creamed filled doughnut that they called “custard filled”. Their jam doughnuts were labelled as “powdered strawberry filled”. Their long johns were longer than I have seen most, and they came in either “chocolate bar” or “maple bar”. They also had sprinkled doughnuts in strawberry or chocolate “iced”. They even offered the more cakey doughnuts with a denser texture in the traditional ring, or as an actual individual sized cake. A baked chocolate or coffee cake. Between all that, a glossy apple fritter, and the glazed filled strawberry or lemon; they didn’t really go out of the box in look and flavour. I noted that it was late November, and they were still offering a pumpkin spice flavoured doughnut. Though I sadly overheard that tomorrow they would be switching to their winter flavours, and I would miss out. Because in how many years they have been open, this was my first visit, and I don’t expect to drive all the way out here again just for doughnuts.
We took a seat and ate a doughnut each. I found it odd that they had so much seating across counter stools, regular tables, and booths. Especially considering they didn’t offer much past coffee-ed beverages and sweet doughnuts. They had nothing savoury warranting a sit down meal, but I guess they encouraged large groups and longer stays.
They certainly put on a show to keep their patrons engaged and hungry. Their whole doughnut making operation was on display, behind glass. It reminded me of a large scale mini donut conveyor belt. That sounds oxymoronic. Today, on the conveyor belt was their original sugar glazed doughnuts.
We were able to watch each ring swim in oil, flip over to brown on each side, bob its way to the rollers where it began to dry off, and then pass under the shower of liquid icing.
My partner’s comment embodied how we both felt be holding the sight, “oh my god, the icing! I can eat that shit straight up!” It did look that good. The icing eventually dried with hardening around the doughnut ring. I wanted to ask for one of these fresh from the fry doughnuts, but the glazed one that we had below was pretty fresh too. You could feel it’s warmth when you picked it up, it was one of the freshest doughnuts I have ever had the pleasure of sinking my teeth in to.
We went modest with a half dozen in a box and had fun choosing three flavours each. “Chocolate iced Kreme filled” with the typical white peaked icing, “Salted caramel” with a crunchy toffee bit topping and a sticky centre, “Mocha Kreme” topped with chocolate and filled with coffee cream; and their feature, “cookies and cream” made with crumbled Oreos and a surprising chocolate cream centre, not the iconic Oreo white cream one you would expect. Each of these doughnuts used the same dough, which gave each the same buttery texture, and the same perfect spongy quality. So fluffy that it sprung back after the initial bite and practically melted in your mouth. I am sure it’s incredibly fattening, but you don’t get a doughnut this smooth anywhere else, and without some cost to your waistline. Therefore having it once in a while is totally worth the calories. Each doughnut delivered on its flavour promise. The filled ones were stuffed with sweet and silky cream. Though half way through it became teeth achingly too sweet for me. I ended up squeezing the excess out and smearing what I could on a napkin. We needed water to balance this, or better yet milk.
Would I come back? – Yes.
Would I line up for it? – No.
Would I recommend it? – Yes.
Would I suggest this to someone visiting from out of town? – No.
Realistically I would love to comeback, often for desert and seasonally to see their rotating speciality creations. Though the commute and the toll bridge fee hardly seems worth it. I wish they had a doughnut trunk that drives around baking and serving fresh doughnuts, like an ice cream truck. And for those who live in the vicinity, I don’t need to recommend their doughnuts, people in the know, know they are good. They are so popular that they even have a doughnut drive through. A drive through to cut down your morning drive in, and to satisfy your anytime doughnut and coffee cravings. Don’t deny yours.
KRISPY KREME
7153 120 Street, Delta BC, V4E 2A9
604-507-8803
krispykreme.com
