The pivot and the side hustle were popular phrases throughout the coronavirus pandemic as many battled to keep an income coming in, but one teen’s side gig making doughnuts has taken off in a big way, becoming an all-round success.

Sunny Beatson from Burnie, Tasmania started making doughnuts in May as a way to supplement his family’s income, which had taken a hit during COVID-19 lockdown. Making 30 doughnuts a day in the beginning and selling them to locals via Facebook.

It quickly took off, with the 16-year-old telling the ABC in July that he was producing anywhere between 1500-2000 doughnuts a week and delivering them to supermarkets in Burnie, Somerset and Wynyard, a gourmet food store at Wivenhoe, and a pizza restaurant in Ulverstone – while still working two shifts at a fried chicken restaurant and going to school.

“I guess everyone became a chef during the lockdown here in Burnie [in April and May] and I started messing around with some recipes,” he told the ABC.

“I found a good doughnut recipe and added a few of my own ingredients. Because I have five brothers, they all tried them and thought they were really good.

“Then I noticed there weren’t really any doughnut shops around.”

The entrepreneurial youngster has since achieved his next goal of leasing a retail space to sell his doughnuts as well as coffee. The BeaDoughs Donuts storefront opened in the Burnie Plaza Arcade in August, and continues to grow, even offering delivery through I SO Delivery.