![Donut Jam is about to open in Shell Cove. L-R Kerri Rodrigues, Volkan Guden and Charlize Rodrigues-Sa. Picture by Sylvia Liber Donut Jam is about to open in Shell Cove. L-R Kerri Rodrigues, Volkan Guden and Charlize Rodrigues-Sa. Picture by Sylvia Liber](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/123041529/aafc9254-0e96-4197-8871-302c298e7565.jpg/r0_435_5432_3501_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
For many women the period of pregnancy can be marked by weird and wonderful cravings.
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For Kerrie Rodrigues, she could not stop thinking about donuts.
"I'd be sleeping, wake up one day and just come up with a cheesecake one," she said.
For husband Volkan Guden, each day began with a new flavour.
"Every morning I would wake up and say, 'What are you giving me today?' and [Kerrie] would be like 'I'm going to do yoghurt custard.'"
The inspiration runs in the family, with daughter Charlize Rodrigues-Sa also dabbling in flavour experiments.
"A little flavour here, a little flavour there and then if it's good it goes on the menu."
That menu is almost ready to be revealed, as the family put the final touches on the soon-to-open Donut Jam at The Waterfront, Shell Cove.
For the past two years, Donut Jam has existed as a "hidden gem" in an industrial part of Warrawong, working out of a food truck located in the carpark of a steel fabrication business.
Opened in 2021 the weekend before lockdown began, the business kept the family going throughout the lock lockdown and provided fertile ground for experimentation.
Originally, Ms Rodrigues began slinging donuts based on her Portuguese family recipe for malasadas, fried bundles of dough flavoured with lemon zest and topped with sugar and cinnamon.
"Growing up with a Portuguese background, we've been making lots of sweets, and donuts is one of the things that was always on the menu," she said.
The business grew, and began to branch out to modern twists on the original donut, including Nutella and biscoff filled 'lava' donuts, strawberry Freddo and white hazelnut chocolate and caramel fudge filled concoctions.
While this site will always be their home and will continue to operate, the family are looking forward to swapping the view of shipping containers for the Marina.
"There is such an amazing view out there, we want people to come here, get their donuts and then go for a stroll around the marina," Ms Rodrigues said.
The outlet will also be serving up their own blend of coffee and shakes, as well as gluten free and vegan varieties of their heartstopping rings.
Donut Jam will open for a soft launch later this week, if all goes to plan, before a grand opening later in August.
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