Fudge doughnuts from Fisher and Donaldson are legendary – but what about the ones with ice cream inside?
“We started it during Covid, as just a bit of fun,” Fisher and Donaldson managing director Chloe Milne tells me, “it was an idea that came about one day.
“We asked: what if we put ice cream in the middle of this instead of the custard filling?”
If the fudge doughnuts weren’t big enough for you, the Fife bakery has now brought back the doughnut ice cream sandwich – stuffed with two heaped scoops of Luvians vanilla ice cream.
However, some customers think the well-loved bake shouldn’t be changed.
“There are die hard, original fudge doughnut fans that won’t even try it,” says Chloe.
“They say ‘don’t change something’. But we’re not doing it instead of, it’s as well as.”
And the doughnuts don’t magically appear on the shelves either.
There is a team of Fisher and Donaldson bakers who work through the night to create all the baked goods we enjoy the next morning.
The bakers make thousands of fudge doughnuts every night.
The busiest day of the week in the Fife bakeries and cafes is Saturday. So that makes the busiest night of the week Friday.
The team make 5,000 fudge doughnuts every Friday, ready for hungry customers on Saturday.
The enormous fudge doughnuts are a staple in Fife, and are what many think of when they first think of St Andrews and food.
“It’s part of being a student in the town,” adds Chloe, “having your first fudge doughnut.
“And now we have fans all over the world.”
What did I think of the Fisher and Donaldson fudge doughnut ice cream sandwich?
I tried the Fisher and Donaldson summer special for the first time on my latest visit to St Andrews.
The fudge doughnut ice cream sandwich is enormous, and has quite a weight to it when you pick it up.
It’s pretty big for one person, so I would recommend cutting it in half, unless you’re absolutely starving on your visit.
The doughnut is light and fluffy and packed with sweetness.
If you’re a fan of the custard filling, you’ll be disappointed to find out that it has been replaced with the ice cream for this treat. But for me – not the biggest custard fan – I welcomed this replacement.
The creaminess of Luvian’s ice cream provides a reprieve from the intense sweetness of the doughnut, and pairs perfectly.
I’d recommend taking this to eat at the beach – if you can avoid the seagulls!
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