From 4.30am on Wednesdays to Saturdays, while the streetlights of Geelong still illuminate the corners of Little Malop Street, chef and co-owner of Uncle Donut Adrian Augert is busy making the next batch of sweet treats for the city.

After seeing how doughnut mania gripped Melbourne, Augert, Ben O’Halloran and Chris Roberts decided to give their hometown a doughnut shop worth talking about. Uncle Donut arrived in early 2017 and made a splash by giving away 500 doughnuts on day one.

The doughnuts are presented in sleek pastel-pink boxes. Flavours rotate monthly, with past hits including strawberry and cinnamon; apple-pie cheesecake; and torched Italian meringue. The dough is the classic yeasted variety that’s light and spongy.

There are no seats or drinks, but every effort has been made to make the quick take-away experience feel special.