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Old family doughnut recipe secret to success for Williams Lake Farmers Market vendor

Nathan Thiessen of Alexandria owns Gold Country Doughnuts and More
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Nathan Thiessen of Gold Country Doughnuts can be found at the Quesnel and Williams Lake Farmers Markets this summer. (Angie Mindus photo)

An old family farm recipe is at the heart of Gold Country Doughnuts and More products, which can be found at the Quesnel and Williams Lake Farmers Markets this summer.

“When I was growing up my mom would only make them once or twice a year, so it was a real treat,” Nathan Thiessen said of his deep fried doughnuts and other baked goodies.

“Now I make them three times a week.”

Thiessen was set up at the Williams Lake Farmers Market for the first time Friday, July 17. He is also a regular at the Quesnel market.

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In order to prepare fresh doughnuts for the markets, Thiessen works bakers’ hours, getting up at 2:30 or 3 a.m. Fridays and Saturday to make 60 or so dozen doughnuts at his home at Alexandria between Williams Lake and Quesnel, which he shares with his wife Melissa and their two young children.

Thiessen grew up on a farm outside of Grande Prairie where he honed his baking skills, using the family dough recipe handed down from his grandmother to his Aunt Sandra.

“I always baked growing up on the farm because I just enjoyed it so much.”

Customers in the Cariboo are enjoying it too, and Thiessen hopes he can make baking and selling his doughnuts a full-time gig.

“We are feeling like that might be a possibility,” he said. “It’s really taken off. One day we’d like to start a coffee shop between Williams Lake and Quesnel.”



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Angie Mindus

About the Author: Angie Mindus

A desire to travel led me to a full-time photographer position at the Williams Lake Tribune in B.C.’s interior.
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