sueciv

Had a British friend get delighted at a British store in my town. He stocked up on Chocolate Bikkies...didn't share
what are they? But I did make him some dense dense cake with raisins, currents and nuts. He said it was "wedding cake"

Was he pulling my leg?

Morgana

I'm in the 'I love Marmite' camp - and so is Nigella with this pasta recipe,
http://www.nigella.com/recipes/view/...H-MARMITE-5306

Mathieu

Same here. Marmite sandwiches were an 'elevenses' childhood favourite. Also Bovril sandwiches, with butter.

PalenQ

Don't recall aspirin plus codeine, but definitely worth it to stock up on the paracetamol or ibuprofen plus codeine (Nurofen plus) varietals.>

Yes definitely aspirin and codeine - I always buy at Boots inside the terminals at airports - I have an American brand aspirin bottle that I put them in so Customs would not know the difference - assume would just be confiscated but still...

chartley

Don't imagine that all Cadbury's chocolate is made in Britain.

When Kraft took over Cadbury's recently, they closed factories and moved production to Poland, because it would be cheaper. A week previously, before the takeover, they had said that they did not have firm plans to do so. When the American chief executive was invited to appear before a House of Commons committee to explain how this had happened, she said that she had better uses for time, which did not go down well.

I don't know if Cadbury's made in Poland tastes the same as Cadbury's made in Britain to the traditional recipe, as I have preferred to buy other brands since this incident.

Underhill

Bendicks Bittermints, very hard to find in the U.S.

Avalon2

I can buy most everything mentioned in my local central florida grocery store. I guess nbecause we have so many Brit tourists. One thing I can't get is Rhubarb preserves and curd So I always stock up on that. Love to go to Partridges and just browse along the shelves,always find something new!!

MmePerdu

"When the American chief executive was invited to appear before a House of Commons committee to explain how this had happened, she said that she had better uses for time..." chartley

Invited? Did she break the law? I cannot imagine what would be served by being raked across the coals by a bunch of politicians. I'd have said the same thing

Tulips

Cadbury's and Hershey's are both awful. Too sweet and not enough chocolate.

I live in Belgium - we have good Callebauts chocolate chips in the supermarket to use in baking. Still some Americans go to the American store to buy overpriced imported choc chips. A taste of home I suppose?

Cathinjoetown

This is getting a big market push at the moment, well, big for the UK. Although it's OTC in the UK, obviously I wouldn't give it as a gift but some might be interested for personal use:

http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/aches-and...eine-plus.html

RM67

"Invited? Did she break the law? I cannot imagine what would be served by being raked across the coals by a bunch of politicians. I'd have said the same thing."

She went back on a promise Kraft made before the acquisition, it cost a lot of people their jobs, and given the importance of Cadbury in the early days of social reform in the workplace it went down extremely badly. It may not have been illegal but it was a PR disaster and the parent company are loathed over here partly as a result of this.

Mathieu

"I don't know if Cadbury's made in Poland tastes the same as Cadbury's made in Britain to the traditional recipe, as I have preferred to buy other brands since this incident."

I could be wrong, but since studying food and food practices for some time, I was under the impression that regardless of the country of manufacture, the recipe specifications differed according to the tastes of the product's final market. Thus the Polish plant could be making chocolate for Britain and America, but the product ingredient specifications could be different for each of those markets, and so the Polish plants would be making two or more slightly different chocolate bars that taste different but look the same. Same would apply to milk/cream/fat/cocoa butter content in the chocolate bars.
And I think it's the same for soft drink beverage products sold around the world.

I do know that in France, such measurements are strictly regulated, and Callebaut and Valhrona being smaller and more upper niche products, probably don't have such market variations.

Perhaps someone in the know will enlighten us. I'd be interested.

chartley

"Invited? Did she break the law? I cannot imagine what would be served by being raked across the coals by a bunch of politicians. I'd have said the same thing."

A House of Commons Committee is not a court of law, but has the power to investigate matters of public interest, and to request attendance.

Even Rupert Murdoch had the sense to appear before such a committee. The chief executive of Kraft was the archetypical ugly American, who thinks that economic power is all that matters in the world, and is surprised at the negative reaction they receive from non-Americans.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irene_Rosenfeld

MmePerdu

"...the parent company are loathed over here partly as a result of this."

"...the archetypical ugly American,"

If a Belgian company did the same would it, too, be loathed? Those who care to loathe us do already and any excuse will do. I'll have to ask my English houseguest, arriving in a few days, if she, too, loathes us. I suspect she has more sense than to dislike people because of where they happen to be born. As do I, note my disdain for this way of thinking while still loving England and my English friends.

chartley

If a Belgian company acted in the way Kraft did, then it would certainly receive criticism. But Belgian companies seldom try to use industrial and financial muscle to close down British factories, while still enjoying the benefits of the reputation that Cadbury's has. You will note that most of the posters here believe that Cadbury's chocolate is still made in Britain, and buy it because of that.

It is American business practices that are disliked, not individual Americans. I am sure that your American house guest does not loathe you personally, just as I have no negative feelings concerning the Americans that I shall be spending time with next week.

MmePerdu

"...I have no negative feelings concerning the Americans that I shall be spending time with next week."

That's good to know and I appreciate it. The whole "ugly" thing becomes tedious, as I'm sure you can imagine.

BigRuss

<I>They gave us the 500mg dosage at the hospital and that was what was available over the counter too.

In the states, a regular strength is 325mg.</i>

In the US, acetaminophen is available over the counter at 500 mg.

<I>Even Rupert Murdoch had the sense to appear before such a committee.</i>

Murdock appeared in a CRIMINAL matter relating to failure to ensure compliance with the UK's strong privacy controls. Rosenfeld did not appear in response to an "invitation" that had no relation to a criminal investigation. Not sure how her bio supports the ugly American stereotype - she's highly educated and accomplished and a FEMALE leader of a major corporation and . . . what's wrong with all that?

Thinking that a major multinational corporation has executives on the ground in its various regional affiliates who could answer the MPs' questions. Sounds like the Commons was engaging in some publicity stunting . . .

MmePerdu

"Sounds like the Commons was engaging in some publicity stunting . . ."

They're politicians, what else would it be?

RM67

' The whole "ugly" thing becomes tedious, as I'm sure you can imagine.'

As does people reading a phrase like 'parent company' and extrapolating that to 'all americans'. Assuming that people who are angry with an American company for closing sites must be haters of all Americans worldwide. And assuming that they are somehow owed an apology or explanation for their own mispresumption

BTW, the DTI often get involved with site closures either by visiting the sites in question or summoning executives to justify the proposals to the government. As they should where people's livelihoods are threatened. It's their job.

Hooameye

"When Kraft took over Cadbury's recently, they closed factories and moved production to Poland, because it would be cheaper. A week previously, before the takeover, they had said that they did not have firm plans to do so. When the American chief executive was invited to appear before a House of Commons committee to explain how this had happened, she said that she had better uses for time, which did not go down well."

As I remember, the transfer of some production lines to Poland had already been set in motion by Cadbury before Kraft bought the company BUT like you I don't buy any Cadbury's chocolate any more, used to be a fan of Bournville plain chocolate, now I buy Montezuma's 70% instead.