Oscar’s Donuts pulls out all the stops with their first official shop. Photo: Tenele Conway.
Braidwood’s dedicated home of the yeast-risen donut has moved into its first official shopfront on the main street, and for the Parsons family, who own the business, it’s a full-circle moment. Co-owner Judy and her husband know the location well.
“The new location is the same location that my husband and I started up Eureka Pizzeria in 1998. That was pre-children, and we sold it in 2002, never expecting we’d be back there with our son and his donut business 23 years later,” Judy, spokesperson for the Parsons family, explains.
When Region last spoke with Judy in mid-2024, she had an inkling that the business would eventually move into a shopfront but felt at the time it was “probably years away”.
At that stage, they had been in a food truck for two years, which was positioned in a semi-permanent location next to the model car shop owned by a family member.
Self-taught baker Brodie Parsons is the man behind the donuts. Photo: Judy Parsons.
The truck was their second iteration of the business, having started with a smaller food truck that was purchased by Brodie Parsons, Judy’s son and founder of the business, whose middle name, Oscar, lends itself to the name of the donut shop.
Brodie’s skills with the dough are undeniable, despite being self-taught.
“Brodie started this business from home during lockdown when he was 15 and is a self-taught baker. He used YouTube and trial and error to learn the skills he has,” Judy tells Region.
It’s proof that most any skill can be mastered on the internet, and Brodie’s donuts rival their close counterpart in the yeast-risen world, Krispy Kreme.
The new shop, with its handsome 1950s American diner theme, is beautifully designed. It’s sure to be an asset to Braidwood and its growing tourism market, which comes to see the Georgian streetscape and eclectic, creative businesses.
The family has pulled out all the stops to create an inviting space with a focus on the donuts, but with a broader cafe offering of toasties, sandwiches, milkshakes, ice cream sundaes and Niugini Arabica coffee.
Not all of Brodie’s donuts are circular. The apple fritter is still delicious, just not round. Photo: Tenele Conway.
During my visit to check it out, I was impressed by the care and attention to detail.
The donut cabinet is the showstopper, lined with an array of donuts that would surely make Homer Simpson drool, but it’s the touches surrounding the donuts where they have really made their mark.
The main bakery space leads into a dining room with a black and white chequered floor. Chrome-rimmed tables inspired by mid-century Formica tables are lined with high-gloss, red and white striped vinyl chairs. On the walls are photos taken in the local region that align with the broader skateboarding theme, which ties to Brodie’s interests. The food is served on pastel plates in greens, blues, and yellows reminiscent of the melamine designs of the era.
Not to be outshone by the decor, the service is also exceptional. I snuck in unannounced and was well taken care of by Judy, Brodie, and the team, who were open to a chat, quick with the food, and clearly a well-oiled unit.
The donut flavours on offer range from the fruity (like pineapple, passionfruit, lemon and apple) to the classics (chocolate, vanilla glazed, pink confetti adorned with sprinkles) and the downright dangerous (like Biscoff, maple-glazed donuts and the modern favourite, Oreo).
Judy says that Brodie’s path to becoming a baker wasn’t the traditional path. I say, tradition isn’t always what it’s cracked up to be, and Brodie proves every day when he wakes up at 3 am to bake that day’s batch that he has all the chops of a qualified baker, and the proof is in the dough.
Oscars Donuts is located at 1/91 Wallace Street, Braidwood, and is open five days a week from Thursday to Monday, 9 am to 5 pm (and every day during the school holidays).
