British supermarket goodies?
Sep 8th, 2013, 07:49 AM
#141
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"I picked up a small container of Fairy dishwashing liquid simply because the brand name would never work in the US. Worked pretty well too."
AFAIK, Fairy is a product in the P&G family and the U.S. dishwashing brand, also from P&G, has the same essential formulation. As for the name not working in the U.S., it apparently doesn't work in some other countries either -- in Sweden it's call Yes. We used Fairy in the UK and it was fine, we now use a store brand in Switzerland (Migros) and it cleans our dishes just as well as Fairy.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dawn_(brand)
Re chocolate, I was born not far from Hershey and grew up eating their premium chocolates that weren't sold outside the area. Definitely far better than the average Hershey product. But their are plenty of good small chocolatiers in the U.S.
Of course, I lived in Belgium and now live in Switzerland, so I prefer those two to U.S. and British chocolate.
One thing we missed from our local Waitrose was the Tilda brand pesto sauce. Really tasty. Unfortunately, it needs to be kept fridged, so it's not a take-home souvenir. And we still crave the bake-at-home tarragon potatoes from M&S. Delish. Back in the UK, we had to ration ourselves or we would have pigged out on them far too often.
AFAIK, Fairy is a product in the P&G family and the U.S. dishwashing brand, also from P&G, has the same essential formulation. As for the name not working in the U.S., it apparently doesn't work in some other countries either -- in Sweden it's call Yes. We used Fairy in the UK and it was fine, we now use a store brand in Switzerland (Migros) and it cleans our dishes just as well as Fairy.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dawn_(brand)
Re chocolate, I was born not far from Hershey and grew up eating their premium chocolates that weren't sold outside the area. Definitely far better than the average Hershey product. But their are plenty of good small chocolatiers in the U.S.
Of course, I lived in Belgium and now live in Switzerland, so I prefer those two to U.S. and British chocolate.
One thing we missed from our local Waitrose was the Tilda brand pesto sauce. Really tasty. Unfortunately, it needs to be kept fridged, so it's not a take-home souvenir. And we still crave the bake-at-home tarragon potatoes from M&S. Delish. Back in the UK, we had to ration ourselves or we would have pigged out on them far too often.
Sep 8th, 2013, 08:05 AM
#142
In L.A., we can, fortunately, get most everything mentioned above at either the Continental Shop or the King's Head shop -- both in Santa Monica -- including my favorite Garibaldi biscuits that someone mentioned above.
Although these items don't travel well long distances (like back to L.A.), I covet M&S smoked mackerel pate and their smoked salmon pate. It was positively criminal when M&S was closed in Paris!
So these days, really the only supermarket items I get are Sainsbury's Schwartz Shepherd's Pie mix packets (they only have Colman's here) and sometimes weird socks commemorating some event, like my 01 Sep 2001 Germany/England 1 : 5 football socks!
Although these items don't travel well long distances (like back to L.A.), I covet M&S smoked mackerel pate and their smoked salmon pate. It was positively criminal when M&S was closed in Paris!
So these days, really the only supermarket items I get are Sainsbury's Schwartz Shepherd's Pie mix packets (they only have Colman's here) and sometimes weird socks commemorating some event, like my 01 Sep 2001 Germany/England 1 : 5 football socks!
Sep 8th, 2013, 09:08 AM
#143
Wandering off-topic slightly, there's been a certain furore (but all publicity's good publicity, eh?) about the latest ad campaign for Marmite:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHjssdNNzP0>>
I think that it's Michael Buerk's voice-over lending it gravitas that adds to the impact of the advert, good or bad. I hadn't actually seen it before, and didn't find it offensive - and I thought they were supposed to be the NSPCC at first, not the RSPCA.
surfergirl - love those socks!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHjssdNNzP0>>
I think that it's Michael Buerk's voice-over lending it gravitas that adds to the impact of the advert, good or bad. I hadn't actually seen it before, and didn't find it offensive - and I thought they were supposed to be the NSPCC at first, not the RSPCA.
surfergirl - love those socks!
Sep 9th, 2013, 01:36 AM
#144
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I can't see anything wrong in parodying formulaic TV programmes that clutter up the digital channels and turn into a parody of themselves within about a dozen episodes: they're just as exploitative, superficial and potentially trivialising of what they're about as any parody advert - if anything's being sent up, it's that.
I do wonder sometimes if the clever-clever approach of some of the ads might actually put some customers off, though. The latest Skoda ad in the UK looks suspiciously like the few seconds I've seen of some of those US Extreme Makeover programmes that some of our digital channels have bought, and makes the client look like a loon:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XLfn9-Mlhg
>>On thick hot buttered toast is the only way to eat marmite.
I do wonder sometimes if the clever-clever approach of some of the ads might actually put some customers off, though. The latest Skoda ad in the UK looks suspiciously like the few seconds I've seen of some of those US Extreme Makeover programmes that some of our digital channels have bought, and makes the client look like a loon:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XLfn9-Mlhg
>>On thick hot buttered toast is the only way to eat marmite.
Sep 9th, 2013, 02:09 AM
#145
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We too seem to get most of the packaged items mentioned.. our city is very "old British" .. so most grocery stores a larger section of an aisle set aside for such products.. Jaffa cakes, Tim Tams,Marmite, Birds Custard, tinned sticky and toffee puddings, all sorts of biscuits, marmalade ( the real stuff) , and wine gums surprises me the most those are positively common here , you can buy they at any corner store that sells candy etc.. We also get alot of packaged mixes like Colmans Sheperd pie mixes ,, and tons of curries.
BUT,
One thing I have yet to find is these blocks of jelly that you make into a jello desert,, you are supposed to melt them in hot water .. but I eat them just like a big chunk of jello.. love them. I miss those.. have only ever found them in UK
BUT,
One thing I have yet to find is these blocks of jelly that you make into a jello desert,, you are supposed to melt them in hot water .. but I eat them just like a big chunk of jello.. love them. I miss those.. have only ever found them in UK
Sep 14th, 2013, 09:10 AM
#149
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Bath Oliver biscuits - very neutral taste, crisp and great on their own or with cheese (or Marmite). And there's a variant with a dark chocolate coating. Yum.
Scottish oatcakes - great with cheese - or anything actually
Cornish fairings - excellent ginger cookies, made in Cornwall
Somerset cider brandy - available from Waitrose amongst others. See background in http://www.theguardian.com/world/201...otected-status
Cheese - apart from the usual suspects (cheddar, cheshire, wensleydale, lancashire, double gloucester, caerphilly etc) there's Yarg from Cornwall, usually plain but wrapped (in season) in wild garlic. Delicious.
I'd quibble about Cornish clotted cream, since I come from Devon and rate the Devonian variety at least as highly, if not higher.
I'm a supermarket present buyer as well - and often find things that may not be intrinsically different, but are made so by the packaging or by slightly different scents. Such as the cinnamon-scented washing up liquid I found in Japan. Very disconcerting.
Scottish oatcakes - great with cheese - or anything actually
Cornish fairings - excellent ginger cookies, made in Cornwall
Somerset cider brandy - available from Waitrose amongst others. See background in http://www.theguardian.com/world/201...otected-status
Cheese - apart from the usual suspects (cheddar, cheshire, wensleydale, lancashire, double gloucester, caerphilly etc) there's Yarg from Cornwall, usually plain but wrapped (in season) in wild garlic. Delicious.
I'd quibble about Cornish clotted cream, since I come from Devon and rate the Devonian variety at least as highly, if not higher.
I'm a supermarket present buyer as well - and often find things that may not be intrinsically different, but are made so by the packaging or by slightly different scents. Such as the cinnamon-scented washing up liquid I found in Japan. Very disconcerting.
Sep 15th, 2013, 02:00 AM
#151
I'd quibble about Cornish clotted cream, since I come from Devon and rate the Devonian variety at least as highly, if not higher.>>
well of course you would say that, wouldn't you?
our pasties beat yours blind, though.
Timtams - never 'eard of them, as my grandad would have said.
well of course you would say that, wouldn't you?
our pasties beat yours blind, though.
Timtams - never 'eard of them, as my grandad would have said.
Sep 15th, 2013, 02:47 AM
#152
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<Timtams - never 'eard of them, as my grandad would have said.>
Ah- we in the Colonies have been busy since we parted company.
They are chocolate biscuits with a chocolate coating:
http://www.arnotts.com.au/our-produc...s-tim-tam.aspx
Ah- we in the Colonies have been busy since we parted company.
They are chocolate biscuits with a chocolate coating:
http://www.arnotts.com.au/our-produc...s-tim-tam.aspx
Sep 15th, 2013, 06:40 AM
#153
is it a biscuit, is it a cake?
no, it's a tim tam!
we'll be looking out for them anyway on our trip to Oz. They look quite good but the name?
amazing what you colonials are capable of when given your heads, isn't it?
no, it's a tim tam!
we'll be looking out for them anyway on our trip to Oz. They look quite good but the name?
amazing what you colonials are capable of when given your heads, isn't it?
Sep 15th, 2013, 11:55 AM
#155
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Cherry Ripe is my favourite Australian confection although Tim Tams are pretty good with a cup of coffee. Some of my Aussie girl-friends showed me how to slurp coffee up through the end of a TimTam for a new taste sensation. Bite off both ends, dunk into coffee and slurp...okay maybe you'd have to be drunk to actually try this, but they swore by it.
Sep 15th, 2013, 01:07 PM
#156
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Chocolate coated Teddy Bear biscuits are the best for this:
Bite off a foot and the diagonally opposite ear.
Place foot end in coffee.
Suck really hard on ear end until you taste coffee - one really hard, quick suck.
Quickly jam the whole thing in your mouth before it collapses - either into your cup of coffee, or all over your hands.
Please note that this is an activity that should only be undertaken within the confines of a private home or room - please do not perform such acts at cafes or coffee shops, or you will be seen as utterly devoid of class.
Bite off a foot and the diagonally opposite ear.
Place foot end in coffee.
Suck really hard on ear end until you taste coffee - one really hard, quick suck.
Quickly jam the whole thing in your mouth before it collapses - either into your cup of coffee, or all over your hands.
Please note that this is an activity that should only be undertaken within the confines of a private home or room - please do not perform such acts at cafes or coffee shops, or you will be seen as utterly devoid of class.
