Inside word with the Doughnut Prince of Melbourne

Since the age of seven, Morgan Hipworth has been cooking and experimenting in the kitchen. With a passion for fine dining and good food, at the tender age of 15, he has taken it upon himself to develop a range of  baked goods that would make even the most experienced pastry chefs weep. Morgan’s amazing array of doughnut flavours can be found at many Melbourne cafés and markets. He took five minutes out from his homework to tell us how he became the Doughnut Prince of Melbourne.

How did you get into the kitchen?I was inspired by cooking shows such as Masterchef since I was a kid – I thought “If they can do it, so can I”. So I started cooking three course meals (complete with printed menus) and baked goods for family and friends at around seven years old. At 13, I began taking cake orders from friends, and then the café down the road caught wind of what I was doing and challenged me to create an ‘extreme doughnut’ for them for Valentine’s Day. I headed to the chemist, bought some syringes and made my first batch – doughnuts the shape of love-hearts with an injectable jam centre. The rest is history!

So your parents didn’t really play a role in you becoming a foodie?No, actually my parents have become foodies because of me! Mum had a rule she would only make meals with less than four ingredients so our dinners were always quite simple. She didn’t enjoy cooking but she says she does now – but I think it is only because she likes to help and support me!

How does this work – you’re a kid! How do you fit it all in?I am normal teenager during the week but when the weekend rolls around I head straight to the kitchen. Each weekend I make around 750 doughnuts for the cafés I supply, and when there is an event on I will make up to 2000 doughnuts. Whenever I do the Flour Market, I sell out within  two hours – sometimes people are lining up for 40 minutes just to get one doughnut! It is one of the busiest days ever but I don’t care, it is so much fun.

What is your favourite doughnut you have created?Personally, I’ve only ever eaten two doughnuts in my entire life! When you work with them all the time – the dough, chocolate, sugar – you get over them. So all I want is savoury flavours, meat or something really bland when I get home from school. I don’t want a sugar high. But if I had to, because I like caramel flavours, I would pick the Golden Gaytime as my favourite invention.

What is the weirdest flavour?I change flavours each day and I like to drop in weird ones every month such as Fruit Loops or mini Oreos with marshmallows. Some of the bacon ones are really out there. I once did a cronut with coffee cream, maple glaze and maple bacon piled high. It was massive – just too big! So I refined the design and now it is a pure injection of maple syrup in a bacon covered doughnut, which is the very popular maple bacon flavour.

What do your school friends think of this?They all like that I do it , but they think I live a double life. I guess I do – I change out of my school uniform and into my apron.

Where do you like to eat in Melbourne?When I am on school holidays I aim to go to one new café or restaurant every day. I recently went to Dinner by Heston at Crown which is one of the best restaurants I have been to with regard to food quality and creativity. I like Rockpool, as well as fast paced Asian restaurants such as Chin Chin and Hawker Hall. I love Andrew McConnell’s restaurants, particularly Cutler&Co and I am looking forward to trying Marion soon.

Who are your foodie idols?Andrew McConnell and Heston Blumenthal are my favourite chefs. I like Darren Purchase (from Burch and Purchase) – it’s good for the right occasion. Very over the top!

What do you want to do in the future?Well straight out of Year 12 I want my own at least one café. I want to do all types of food and be a real chef – not just desserts. Eventually I would like to have three different types of restaurants – a fine dining one, a nice casual restaurant and a faced-paced street-food Hawker Hall kind. As well as a few cafés. And a doughnut shop on the side.

Doughnuts are the big trend in Melbourne desserts right now – what do you think the next one will be? And will you be jumping on board?!I think that doughnuts are not just a trend. They have been around for a long time – look at the Simpsons. Homer always goes for a doughnut and that was more than 20 years ago. I don’t think there will ever be a time that they go out of style because everyone likes a hot jam doughnut. I definitely think they will remain central to a lot of people’s hearts – and taste buds.