Kipling
Bakery

Apr 2021
$4.00
Donut from Kipling's Bakery, Port Wakefield

If you find yourself driving north out of Adelaide, sticking to the main road and heading anywhere that doesn’t involve wine – you’ll probably end up driving through Port Wakefield. Admittedly, we didn’t spend much time in Port Wakefield, or deviate from the dual lane highway that dissects this little town, and I imagine not many people do. Port Wakefield might have an important historic past to South Australia, but its current purpose seems to be to provide petrol, toilets and bakery goods to those travelling through.

The bakery itself can be easily missed.

Kipling's Bakery, Port Wakefield
Kipling Bakery,
Port Wakefield
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Kipling Bakery sits between two petrol stations, so any attempts at ambiance are lost. From a different era, it looks like it belongs in an old country town, on a cobblestone path, rather than adjacent to a highway. The building is red, the veranda wide and lined with tables. The pigeons are obtrusive and numerous.

The first time we tried Kipling Bakery we mistimed our journey, arriving after the lunchtime rush. By the time we had pulled in the donuts were gone, as were most of the pies. Settling for a greasy kransky, that still gives me reflux, I wasn’t inclined to head back in any rush.

The second visit was several months later. This time, en route to camping in the Flinders Ranges, we pulled over pre-lunch rush to grab a donut for the blog. Even at 11AM on a weekday there was a queue of travellers out the door and we were lucky to snag a donut and pie.

Aesthetics 5.5

The donut was large, lopsided and flat. It was not an attractive donut, yet there was something in it that had appeal - or maybe I was just really hungry. Covered in sprinkles the white icing sat on top of a dark dough.

Topping 7

The icing was plain in favour and immensely sweet. The sprinkles were fresh and crunchy. This topping didn’t stand out, but also wasn’t offensive.

Dough 6.5

The dough had a distinctive fried oil taste. It reminded me of the donuts you might get at the fair or shows. The dough was yeasty and not too sweet, which was good in the context of such a sweeet icing.

Texture 7.5

Overall, the texture was pretty good. The sprinkles provided good texture with crunch, although this icing was runny and sticky. The dough was very soft - like a pillow of air. It collapsed with the first bite and had no structural support.

Overall

6.6

Almost Wonderful

Despite appearances the donut was rich. It was a generous size and tasted relatively fresh. However, the oily dough sat heavy in the stomach, despite the airiness of the its texture. Personally, I found the sweetness of the icing overwhelming but overall it balanced out.

  • Aesthetics: 5.5
  • Topping: 7
  • Dough: 6.5
  • Texture: 7.5

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