Derbyshire business creates UK's first protein doughnuts for Arnold Schwarzenegger exhibition

Derby-based Project D will be selling its protein-laced treats alongside some of its standard doughnuts at the Arnold Sports Festival, which takes place from Friday to Sunday this week at Birmingham NEC.

The award-winning firm, which prides itself on producing ‘the world’s best doughnuts’, originally launched the unique protein version of its popular white chocolate and milk chocolate doughnuts at the same event in 2021.

The special doughnuts, which contain 20g of protein in their toppings, were designed as a tasty supplement for body builders, athletes and fitness enthusiasts. They proved so popular in 2021 that Project D is bringing them back this year.

If the firm sees the same level of demand as last year, it is planning to make the protein versions a permanent addition to its nationally available menu.

Actor, politician and former Mr Universe Arnold Schwarzenegger, who founded the global Arnold Sports Festival in 1989, is scheduled to appear at an exclusive ‘Meet Your Heroes’ audience at the event on Saturday.

Other speakers include ex-boxer Sugar Ray Leonard, fitness guru David Goggins and former World’s Strongest Man Eddie Hall, who sampled one of Project D’s protein doughnuts at last year’s festival.

Max Poynton, operations director at Project D, said: “We completely sold out of everything last year, every single day. It was a huge event for us.

“We’ve literally been inundated ever since with messages from last year’s attendees asking if ‘we’ll be back’. I’m delighted to say that we will – with even more products than last year, and the biggest event stand we’ve ever built.”

Project D, with its eye-catching bright pink branding, will in fact be selling its sugary wares from three stands across the exhibition space, including from a four-metre-high stand in the centre of the main hall.

Max said: “The protein doughnuts, in particular, are set to sell like hot cakes! They are the perfect post-show, post-exercise treats for the super-fit men and women that tend to attend this event.

“We created them purely as a limited edition for the Arnold Sports Festival last year. But if they get the same reception this year, we are definitely thinking about putting them on our main menu available to the public.”

He added: “Although we’re there to sell our product, we’d be delighted to give one or two free ones to Mr Schwarzenegger if he happens to visit our stand!”

Project D, which has grown from three staff to 120 employees in just four years, manufactures around 48,000 doughnuts per week at its headquarters in Spondon.

Anyone attending the Arnold Sports Festival at the NEC between 23-25 September can find Project D at stands A124, B124 and C454.