Hoops donuts by James Dale

It’s going to make me really proud to open Hoops in Banbury. Until now, the idea was just fluttering around with the million other things in my head - all those things which any working, family man who just hit his 40s, has to think about. From there it has grown slowly, and with difficulty at times, to become a reality. But here we are now, about to open our doors to the public for those who share my tastes and standards for great donuts and coffee.

I got the idea from family holidays to America and business trips to London. Great donuts and coffee were just meant to be together and I wanted to introduce them here.

Without my wife and friends, and the new friends I’ve made along the way, this would never have become a reality, but we now have the most fantastic artisan coffee and light cake donuts, which when paired together, and served by our awesome Hoops team, is something to get excited about.

The Hoops coffee is wood-roasted in Oxfordshire and served by our trained Baristas and well… if you like your coffee, you really should try it. It is ethically sourced being Organic, Fairtrade and Rainforest Alliance and is also available to buy as whole bean or ground if you want to make your own at home.

Our donuts are freshly made throughout the day on site; the ingredients are all natural, vegetarian and from the UK. They are crispy on the outside, fluffy in the middle and made to order to your own personal taste. Next, you choose an icing, then a topping – my personal favourite flavour is dark chocolate and pistachios but the white chocolate and multi-coloured sprinkles always wins my children’s vote.

Hoops donuts give people a fresh alternative to the pre-packed snacks or cake products that sit around on shelves in the big chain coffee stores. Ours are all takeaway so you can order a single donut or a dozen for your office or party in our newly fitted out shop.

We’ve put together a great team of local people to work at Hoops and I’m really excited to be in the high street in Banbury. It’s my local town and it’s taken some stick in the past but I really feel that it’s a great place to be. There’s a real buzz in the area and there are some great retailers – it’s a fantastic place for independents and if you haven’t been into that part of town lately you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the new eateries that have opened up – there are great Mexican burritos and a fantastic new Japanese sushi restaurant in the same part of town as we are.

It’s been an interesting journey so far, with many ups and downs. But with fantastic people around me and with a lot of help from some good friends along the way, it’s definitely a journey that has been worth taking.

Please pop in and see what we do, we’d love to hear what you think. I hope that people will give us a try and then they can make up their own minds, we’ll soon see!

You can also check us out at www.hoopsdonuts.co.uk or look us up on Facebook.