Natalie Gray loves life as the Goulburn purveyor of seriously good donuts. Photo: Supplied.
If you grew up in Goulburn, the street name Russell Lane meant one thing: donuts.
Not just any donuts, the Goulburn Donut Shop located down Russell Lane specialises in made-to-order, hot, fresh cinnamon donuts and has done so for 51 years.
The quaint shop, which has slowly transformed over the years, is the stuff of every child’s dream and an image I can conjure from my childhood in Goulburn with minimal effort.
The batter is being plopped out of the hopper-style contraption into the oil. The glee of watching your donuts travel up the tiny, automated conveyor belt to be deposited into a bath of sugar and cinnamon.
The translucent window that formed on your donut bag that Homer Simpson’s shonky doctor once referred to as the window to weight gain.
The novelist Thomas Wolfe once said that you can’t go home again. His 1934 novel of that name refers to the nature of both yourself and the place having changed, but to me, these sound like the words of a man who didn’t grow up in a country town.
The Goulburn Donut Shop is looking fun and fresh. Photo: Tenele Conway.
The Goulburn Donut Shop has been calling me home for a while now, an itch I’ve avoided scratching, but as I followed the smell of cinnamon donuts down Russell Lane, I knew I was indeed home again.
The current owners of Goulburn’s historic doughnut shop, Natalie and Scott Grey, have brought new life to the once-tired shop.
The hot pink coffee machine sets the tone for the cafe, which is now a much lighter and brighter space. The couple has invested in a brand-new donut machine and I was pleased to see that the hopper and conveyor belt are still a part of the process.
They’ve also expanded the menu, and while a rainbow of iced donuts in every colour still greets you, you can now order gourmet sandwiches, salads and burgers. Natalie has a deft hand with a ham salad sandwich, which is bountiful in bright, fresh ingredients and really hit the spot on my recent trip down memory lane (or Russell Lane, as the case may be).
Natalie and Scott were compelled to purchase the donut shop in 2023 when the store was on the brink of closure.
“A close friend of mine said that the owner would close the store if it didn’t sell. Knowing how loved the donut store is, we couldn’t let it close,” Natalie tells Region.
The compulsion to buy a tiny cafe hidden down a laneway wasn’t good timing for the pair, who were navigating parenthood for the first time and planning a wedding, but there’s nothing more gripping than nostalgia, and the born and bred Goulburnians took a chance and haven’t looked back.
The Goulburn Donut Shop might be 51 years old but isn’t a time capsule with it’s fresh new look. Photo: Tenele Conway.
The investments in the cafe appear to have revitalised the business.
On this particular day, I was one of nine customers ordering coffees, sandwiches and, of course, donuts. The procession continued throughout the morning, and Natalie and the team were flat out behind the counter keeping up.
When WIN News wandered in to film the donut display, I had a chuckle to myself; the small-town donut store that had the attention of two media outlets. Impressive.
The hot cinnamon doughnuts were exactly like I remember them: fluffy, light and sweet, but now with a touch of nostalgia.
Natalie tells me that I’m not the only one drawn to the donut shop for a taste of yesterday, and they regularly have people bring their children and even grandchildren in to experience a piece of their childhood.
If Thomas Wolfe were alive today, I’d write him a little letter, maybe even on a typewriter or with a fountain pen, so he feels at home. I’d let him know that you can indeed go home again, and when the donuts are this good, you absolutely should.
The Goulburn Donut Shop is located at 16 Russell Street, which is signposted on the ground and known locally as Russell Lane. They serve their delicious donuts and full cafe menu Monday to Friday from 9 am to 4 pm.
