
Krispy Kreme is giving away thousands of free doughnuts for one day only this week
The iconic chain will upgrade partially-munched treats from rival brands in order to weed out " dupes" of its Original Glazed product.
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Experts will be on hand in stores to "verify" the dupes, with indicators that it's not the real thing including the texture of the dough, the glorious glaze cracks and the iconic shape.
For any who do have a dupe, thousands of free doughnuts will be up for grabs in all stores in the UK and Ireland on Friday, June 6 – National Doughnut Day.
It has launched the amnesty after a survey of 2,000 adults revealed 73% of those who have bought "fake" food and drink items were left disappointed.
Of the 49% who have bought a dupe, 79% said it was "not the same".
And 72% would be willing to pay more money for an original or authentic product.
A spokesperson for Krispy Kreme said: "They say imitation is the ultimate form of flattery, and we have seen many copies of our iconic doughnuts over the years.
"But we all know a dupe is rarely as good as the real thing.
"We want doughnut fans to enjoy the best of the best, so turn your backs on the dupes and stick with the original."
In a further twist, the brand has also partnered with Lady Leshurr to release a diss track titled "We Run This Glaze" calling out dodgy doughnuts.
The rapper, who has previously taken part in Celebrity Masterchef, Celebrity SAS Who Dares Wins and Dancing on Ice, has recorded the song taking aim at "fake" baked goods.
Lady Leshurr said: 'For me, an original is always the best thing, whether that's music or doughnuts.
'You have to remind people who the originals are, otherwise history gets rewritten by the copycats.'
It comes after the research, carried out via OnePoll, only 21% felt the dupes they bought were as good as the real thing, with 10% going as far as to say they were always disappointed.
And 30% even claimed they sent a dupe back so they could go and get the original instead.
While 53% have admitted they are unlikely to ever buy another dupe again after being feeling let down in the past.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk.
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