New doughnut flavour will honour wartime ‘Doughnut Dollies’ 

Artisan bakers Pipp & Co are releasing a special doughnut this November, as a tribute to the Salvation Army’s ‘Doughnut Dollies’ who supported the Allies, during the First World War. 

The ring doughnut will go on sale either side of Remembrance Sunday, and the Swindon-based bakery will make a £500 donation to the Salvation Army. 

Few may have heard of the Doughnut Dollies, but it was the name given to the dedicated volunteers from the Salvation Army who brought comfort and support to soldiers in Europe following the United States’ entry into the war in 1917. 

While the Salvation Army had a long-standing presence in Britain, it was relatively new to America at the time. Driven by a deep commitment to serve, Evangeline Booth, the organisation’s leader, proposed to General Pershing the deployment of Salvation Army volunteers to France. This initiative not only provided much-needed home comforts but also uplifted the spirits of countless soldiers facing the hardships of war. 

They were dubbed the Doughnut Dollies, because they ingeniously used empty wine bottles for rolling pins and created fried pastry dumplings, similar to doughnuts, giving the soldiers a taste of home. 

“We were so inspired when we heard the story of the Doughnut Dollies that we immediately wanted to create a new doughnut as a tribute,” said Pipp & Co’s Betina Evangelista. “The Salvation Army is still doing great work today, so we are very happy to support our local branch.” 

Pipp & Co’s limited edition ring doughnut is a cinnamon ring dusted with cardamom sugar and will be on sale from 5th to 17th November. Remembrance Day is November 11th. 

Betina added: “We purposely chose a simple flavour to reflect the authenticity of what the Doughnut Dollies were able to create during wartime.” 

Pipp & Co is an artisan bakery, specialising in doughnuts and sweet and savoury pastries, using no artificial additives or flavourings, and locally sourcing ingredients where possible. All the goods are baked from scratch at the Swindon factory, and sold online, through the Pipp & Co café in Bristol, or via retail outlets and farmers’ markets. 

For more information, visit Pipp & Co at https://www.pipp.co/. For more about the work of the Salvation Army’s Gloucester House in Highworth, near Swindon, which supports people trying to overcome substance abuse, visit https://www.salvationarmy.org.uk/gloucester-house.