Frewville
Foodland

May 2019
$4.00
Donut from Frewville Foodland

Sitting on a triangular plot of land, near the intersection of Fullarton and Glen Osmond Road, this grocery store has set the standard for grocery stores high. Having already won the International Retailer of the year award in both 2016 and 2017 it’s safe to say that this little shop is the pride of Adelaide.

Indeed, the owners of this store have made food shopping not simply a chore but more of an experience. Having spread out beyond Frewville they have also renovated Pasadena. Pasadena may be my personal favourite of the two stores but Frewville definitely lives up to its reputation. The exterior is not just plain lettering and specials – but the presence of wood and foliage make you feel as though you are entering a forest to forage for the food yourself. Classical music softly plays in the background as you meander up and down aisles, a small biodegradable cup of complimentary water (flavoured with seasonal fruits) in hand.

Frewville Foodland
Frewville Foodland,
Glen Osmond Road, FrewvilleView on Map

The store is small, at least compared to its Pasadena sister, but has a lot to offer. There is a wide range of quality and local items crammed attractively into well thought out displays. The back right corner is dedicated to the bakery – with baskets of bread artistically spilling their goods on to wooden display tables. The bakery vibe is French between its pain au chocolat and heavy wood accents reminding one of a rural French kitchen; je suis un beignet!

For those who are clever enough to speak French – I am not a donut (i.e beignet) – my French phrase was merely a way to turn the topic back around to the star of this blog. Me. Just joking, I meant the donut (but also me).

I have to admit, I went towards the end of the day, meaning that the donuts on display were likely to be staler. There were two left, both which I bought and partook in. The first (and the better donut) was topped in nuts. I asked the very young man behind the bakery counter what type of nuts they were and his reply was “I dunno, nuts…”. Despite his immense help, I’ve deduced that at least pistachios and walnuts were harmed in the making of this donut. The other donut we tried was a fruit loop-topped one – which for adult tastebuds was far too sweet.

So, enjoy the blog and even if you don’t get a donut – go and enjoy the store. It’s a wonderful shopping experience.

Aesthetics — 6

The donut is small for $4. The topping is messy and sloppy, chunks of white icing dribbling down the sides, and smothered with crushed nuts and crumbs. It's difficult to differentiate what sort of nuts are sprinkled on top. If you manage to glimpse the dough underneath it is a nice golden hue.

Topping — 7

The flavour, unsurprisingly, is nutty with strong hints of pistachios and walnuts leading the charge. The icing itself is varying in thickness – being far too thin in some parts and far too thick in others. It was only halfway through the donut that I realised that the icing wasn't plain vanilla, but had a subtle citrus flavouring.

Dough — 6.5

The dough had a good yeasty flavour. It had a strong taste of oil but in a pleasant way, similar to old fashioned donuts at a fairground. Unfortunately, the donut was a bit stale and could have had a bit more salt and sweetness with the majority of flavour coming from the yeast and the oil.

Texture — 5.5

The dough texture was really let down by the dryness of the dough. There was some crunch to the outer shell but only a little crunch from the nuts. In most parts, the glaze was chunky but occasionally it would run thin. There was generosity in the nuts lavishing the icing.

Overall

6.3

Almost Wonderful

If you like a combination of pistachios, walnuts, and citrus than this is the donut for you! More seriously, it was a unique donut compared to most donuts in Adelaide. I think it is important to note that had I consumed this donut fresher I'm sure it would have improved the texture of the dough.

  • Aesthetics: 6
  • Topping: 7
  • Dough: 6.5
  • Texture: 5.5
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