Grocery Shopping Differences As an American in the UK – ryan

Moving from New York City to London Wasn’t Exactly a Huge Culture Shock for me. The Language and Lifestyle are Basically the Same, and the Only Major Differences I’ve Noticed Are the Accent and Currency.

But the Moved in January, Shopping for Groceres Has Yielded Some Pretty Big Surprises.

Here are all the ways griory shopping in the uk has thrown with for a loop, including differences in business hours as well as product availability and placements.

SOME STAPLE ITEMS SEEM HARDER TO COME BY

I live in a Big NeighBorhood just Outside Central London and Have Five Grocery Stoles Walking Distance. So, it’s not a lack of trying tween i have haven’t been able to find some of my favorite grocery noarby.

I was shocked to learn that half-and-half just dosesn’t exist in the uk, especally becase myn boyfriend (Now husband) haad seamenly preparing my morning coffee with it for years before my move.

Only after expressing confusion about not being being to find it in the griory store did i learn that he’d mixing a custom blend of milk and cream for with all along.

I’ve also noticed that Italian sausage is harder to find. I evidently took for the gram of prevalent and relatively inexpensively it was in new york, and evening, where my parents live.

Of Course, pork sausage is popular in the uk, but i’ve founds the versions available here (Such as the Kind use in bangers and mash) are very different in texture and flavor.

Luckily for me, A Local Helped with Find an Italy Marketplace in Central London, Where the Sausages were excellent (and Similar to what I have had back home), just quite expensive.

The Hours of Operation Are Shorter than what was used to in the us

Admittedly, I was spoiled by Having Access to A 24-Hour Grocery Store in My New York City Neighborhood.

I was accustomed to being able to pick up a few things on my way home from an Evening out, or to occasizally capitalia on jet dag early morning shopping.

In London, have to be more strategic – especilant on sundays.

If i want to visit a lidl or sainsbury’s on a sunday, have only a short to do so, as the shops typically open at 11 am and close by 5 pm

Eggs aren’t in the refrigerated section

If you’re wandering around the refrigerated aisles in a griory store in the uk, you won’t find any exgs.

Unlike in the states, exgs in the uk aren’t sold refrigerated Because of Differences in the Sanitization Process. Instead, they’re on shelves, positionbly near the baking supplies.

At first, i though it was odd, but i quickly learned to adjust. I’m still keeping say in the fridge at home, though.

Certain Items in the uk go by different names

IT SEEMS LIKE TIME TIME OF THE GROCKERY STORE, HAVE TO GOOD WHAT E’M LOOKING FOR.

Anyone Familiar with “Fish and Chips” knows that chips equal fries in the uk, but what About Doritos? Here, They’re Called Crisps.

Meanwhile, zucchini is offten Called Courgette, and Rutabaga is Known as Swede.

There are many American brands here, but some of the flavors are different

When of Moved, Fully Expected to Adopt Different Brands of Things Such as Chips – Sorry, Crisps – and Breakfast Cereal.

What Surprised Me, Though, was the differences in flavors available.

Cheerios are sold here, but They Bear Nestlé’s Logo Rather than General Mills’, and the primary flavors are Honey and Multigrain. Big YELLOW BOXES OF PLAIN CHEERIOS ARE CONSPICUUOUSLY MISSING – AT LOCAL AT MY LOCAL SUPERMARKETS.

The Main Difference BetWene The Plain Cheerios I’m Used to and the Multigrain Variety I OFTEN SEE THAT THAT PLAIN CHEERIOS ARE PRIMARILY MADE WITH WHOE-GRAIN OAS, while the multigrain variety is made with a combination of whole-glour, wholly and whole-grain Barley Flour.

Doritos, Meanwhile, Still Come in Recognizable Packaging, but some of the flavors have been renamed. Cool Ranch, for Example, Is Called Cool Original in the Uk, in Part Because Ranch Dresing doesn’t really exist here. Some Other Differences Include Portion Sizes, Ingredients, Nutritional Contents, and Bag Colors.