Balls and Bangles is a family-owned bakery on Shotover Street in the heart of Queenstown, serving indulgent donuts, fresh-baked bagels, hot bagel sandwiches, breakfast bagels, shakes and their own 'burgels' every day of the week. Run by Clinton and Tess Sloan — bakers who moved their young family from Australia to Queenstown in 2015 and opened the shop in 2016 — it runs on a simple philosophy: friendly service, fast turnaround and, above all, baking fresh every single day.
The donuts are the headline act: jaw-dropping, over-the-top creations like Oreo Crunch, The Pav, Salted Caramel Brownie and the fairy-dusted Glitter Bomb. Alongside them you'll find hot bagels for breakfast or lunch, thick shakes for an afternoon pick-me-up, and coffee with your choice of almond, soy, oat or coconut milk. Gluten-free donuts, gluten-free and dairy-free bagel options, plus halal, vegetarian and vegan choices mean there's something for almost everyone — and any bagel or burgel can be made bagel-less, just ask.
Sustainability is part of the picture too, with cardboard packaging, paper straws and biodegradable takeaway coffee cups. The team also caters for events of all sizes, with group discounts and delivery available for large orders. Doors open from 7.30am daily, and delivery is available through Uber Eats.
Step onto Shotover Street in Queenstown Central and follow the smell of fresh baking: it leads to Balls and Bangles, the family-run bakery that has been letting the sugar shine since 2016. Open every day from 7.30am, it is the home of what the team proudly calls Queenstown's best donuts and bagels — indulgent, filled and glazed donuts, hot bagel sandwiches, breakfast bagels, shakes and their own creation, the burgel.
Balls and Bangles is the work of Clinton and Tess Sloan, bakers who fell for Queenstown while holidaying in the town. In 2015 they made it permanent: they sold their bakery in Australia, said farewell to family and friends, and crossed the Tasman with their two young children to start a new life and chase the dream of running their own shop. Balls and Bangles opened its doors in 2016 with a simple philosophy — be friendly, be fast and, most importantly, bake fresh every day.
Clint is the self-described sugar-devouring cake tornado behind the counter, a former cake-decorating star who sets his alarm for 2am before a big morning of baking. Tess, a farmer's daughter and former all-round athlete, was plucked from a bakery herself at 18 and has become Queenstown's own little awesome baker, frying donuts whose trademark craziness has won over kids of all ages. Family owned and operated isn't a marketing line here; it's literally who's baking.
The indulgent donut range is the headline act, and the flavour names alone are worth the walk: Oreo Crunch (Oreos, Nutella and cream), The Pav (meringue, passionfruit and jam — a pavlova in donut form), Bacon & Waffle (choco-chip waffle, butterscotch cream and banana curd), Salted Caramel Brownie (salted caramel filling, oreo crumb, butterscotch cream and chocolate brownie), Ferrero (hazelnuts, cream and Nutella), Cookie Dough, Pecan Pie (honey roasted pecans, spiced buttercream and apple pie filling), Blueberry Shortcake, and the kid-favourite Glitter Bomb, finished with sweets, chocolate cream and fairy dust.
Because everything is baked fresh each day by the family, what's in the cabinet is at its peak. The shop's own suggested rhythm is hard to argue with: a coffee and breakfast bagel to start the day, a tasty shake as an afternoon pick-me-up, and an indulgent donut as an early-evening reward.
Donuts may get the glory, but the bagels have their own following. Hot bagel sandwiches and breakfast bagels are built on bread baked in-house daily, and the burgel is the menu's wildcard. Importantly, nobody misses out: there are gluten-free donuts, gluten-free and dairy-free bagel options, and halal, vegetarian and vegan choices. Coffee drinkers can pick almond, soy, oat or coconut milk. And if you'd rather skip the bread entirely, every bagel and burgel can be made bagel-less — just ask.
Feeding a crowd? Balls and Bangles caters for groups of all sizes with freshly baked bagels and indulgent donuts, gourmet or classic. Group discounts apply based on quantity ordered, and delivery is available for large orders — fill out the catering enquiry form on their website and the team will come back with pricing and details. If you'd rather have the sugar delivered to your door, they're also on Uber Eats.
Sustainability sits at the forefront of the family's minds: cardboard packing for have-here and takeaway orders, paper straws, biodegradable takeaway coffee cups, and a gentle nudge to stay and enjoy your coffee in-store rather than take it away.
You'll find Balls and Bangles at 62 Shotover Street in Queenstown Central, open Monday to Sunday from 7.30am to 6pm. Call +64 3 442 7999 or email ballsandbangles@gmail.com with enquiries, and follow @ballsandbangles on Instagram to see the latest creations coming out of the kitchen. Whether it's a 7.30am bagel run before a day of adventures or a glitter-dusted donut after dinner, this is Queenstown comfort baking at its happiest.