There are new doughnuts in town and they’re popping up in Strathcona.

An Interview with Plates By Payts

Meet Plates by Payts, Vancouver’s fresh new sweets vendor who, since the early pandemic, has been improving the lives of Vancouverites one delicious doughnut at a time. If you’ve been lucky enough to catch his pop-up at Strathcona’s Sunrise Market you’ll know that Payton’s Vegan Sourdough Doughnuts (with rotating flavours) are super popular with locals. The lineups have been known to pile up to the back of the store, and the doughnuts are well worth the wait. 

We caught up with founder, Payton Lum, about his creative process and where we can get our hands on his unique offerings. Read along below!

How did Plates By Payts begin and grow to such rapid popularity?

It all started during quarantine. I have always had a passion for baking and had previous experience making sourdough loaves. It wasn’t until last year when I made my first ever batch of sourdough doughnuts. Since then, they are all I could ever think about and I have been hooked on perfecting the recipe and developing the flavours. All in all it really has been the most humbling experience, knowing that so many people love my creations and continue to support me.

What do you think makes your doughnuts stand out from the rest?

A few things…

– The slight tang in the dough. Making products using a sourdough starter as the only leavener provides a naturally sour taste and long fermentation that can be finicky and not as reliable as products made with yeast.

– Free of any animal products. Most doughnuts are made using eggs, milk, and butter. The idea behind Plates By Payts is for everyone to have the opportunity to enjoy these doughnuts.

– Weekly flavour lineups. This is one of my favourite parts where we get to brainstorm different flavour ideas and combinations that work in unison. The goal is to keep everyone excited about new upcoming flavours.

Where can we find Plates By Payts?

Plates By Payts will mainly be doing pop-ups at Sunrise Market (300 Powell Street). You can find me doing spontaneous pop-ups or supplying doughnuts at different retailers around the lower mainland. All of the details of my weekly location can be found on my Instagram @platesbypayts.

Do you have plans to start a retail shop/kitchen of your own?

I’ve been on the hunt for a retail shop, I just haven’t found the perfect spot. I definitely want to continue growing my business and have lots of new, unreleased products and ideas I want to share with my supporters soon (hint… a new dough recipe!). 

How do you decide what types of flavours and ingredients to feature?

I am always inspired by flavours coming from my Asian background and try to incorporate those unique flavour combinations to some of my products. I also like to have different themes to my weekly flavours based on upcoming holidays while using ingredients that are fresh and in season.

What’s your favourite part of the doughnut making process?

I love the behind the scenes when I’m in the kitchen experimenting with new recipes and playing around with new styles of doughnuts.