Day 1 | Krispy Kreme Blogger Summit: The Total Sensory Experience

Day 1 | Krispy Kreme Blogger Summit: The Total Sensory Experience

Upon accepting my invitation to the Krispy Kreme Blogger Summit, I was quite certain that if nothing else, this trip would be full of yummy doughnut tasting and a chance to hang with my friends Karen (KouponKaren) and Nicole (NicolesNickels), and also a chance to meet and get to know some other bloggers as well. I am pleased to report that the  Krispy Kreme Blogger Summit: The Total Sensory Experience was ALL of this and more!

I feel in love with my room right away! We stayed in the Manor House at the Graylyn Conference Center.

About: At the Manor House, enjoy the original 1930s resident and guest room floor with all the comforts of modern amenities. The Manor House features thirty-five exquisite guest rooms including the Bowman Gray Suite and the Natalie Gray Suite. The Manor House also features many elegant and private dining rooms, outdoor dining, meeting and breakout spaces.

Let me sum this up for you: Quaint, beautiful, cozy, awesome.

There were 14 of us bloggers on this adventure and we all headed out to begin our experience by visiting the Krispy Kreme Mix Facility which is just outside of downtown Winston-Salem. This building was built in the 1940s and was the companies headquarters until the 1990s. Upon entering the facility, visitors and employees walk under this sign, that reads: Our Mission: To touch and enhance lives through the joy that is Krispy Kreme:

The more time that you spend with Krispy Kreme employees, the clearer that this mission becomes. There really is a sense of joy that goes into every aspect of the Krispy Kreme production process from new product conception, to bringing doughnuts off the line, joy is a very good word to use to describe the atmosphere at Krispy Kreme.

I felt joy as I got to enter the vault and hold in my hands the actual envelope that contains the ORIGINAL Krispy Kreme doughnut recipe:

As I had expected it to be, the Mix Facility was very (VERY!) clean and you could tell that quality control was very tight (Um… except that part about them letting me hold that envelope…do you have any idea how big of a klutz I am? lol) We were able to see the original equipment that was once used to create doughnuts:

We also got a peek at the very efficient and high tech way that they create the Krispy Kreme mixes that get shipped all over the world. Our tour ended with a visit to the doughnut production line and the doughnut aroma in this facility was to.die.for!

I got to hold this little baby doughnut who got picked up off the line before he really became a “real” doughnut. I did feel a little guilty about stopping him from reaching his full potential, but at the same time, it was really neat to feel the “airy-ness” of the dough before it becomes a doughnut:

… and this was the very best part: FRESH yummy warm original recipe Krispy Kreme doughnuts right off the line. The smell was amazing and then of course we were all giddy when they handed us each a box of hot, fresh doughnuts to take with us… mmmm!

We then continued our adventures with a trip to Old Salem in which we visited the Old Salem Museums and Gardens. The city of Winston Salem, NC is rich with history. In fact, the town of Salem was formed in 1766, and then merged with Winston to become Winston-Salem in 1913, the birthplace of Krispy Kreme (1937).  Just driving through the city of Winston-Salem, you can feel and see the history. We actually got to experience the history with a visit to the the Old Salem Museums which included real demonstrations by tradesmen, and a we were even treated to a real hearthside meal that was cooked just as it would have been in the 1700s:

This is Nicole and I (NicolesNickels) getting ready to enjoy our hearthside cooked meal in Old Salem.

After our time in Old Salem, we headed back to the Graylyn where we then got ready for our next adventure, dinner at the Spring House Restaurant, Kitchen and Bar. Chef Tim Grandinetti, who was recently featured on The Food Network’s “Chopped”, made us a wonderful meal featuring traditional foods and drinks from Winston Salem and the southeast. Ohhhh the food was sooooo good!

This meal was so delicious! I had such a fun time with fellow bloggers, as well as the Krispy Kreme team, they are such a fun and joyous group of people and I am seriously convinced that joy plays a big part in the Krispy Kreme world! After our wonderful meal it was back to the hotel to rest up for the next day, and I will share those adventures with you in my next post.

Day 1 ended beautifully as I climbed into my big comfy bed at the Grayland with my yummy box of Krispy Kreme doughnuts… sweet dreams! (literally!)