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The British are coming: Tesco, the U.K.'s largest supermarket chain, is branching out and plans to open 50 Fresh & Easy stores over the next year in the southwestern USA, according to The Christian Science Monitor. The chain, which ranks No. 3 on a list of the world's largest retailers, plans to open another 200 stores every year thereafter in Vegas, SoCal and Phoenix.
I like the one that opened near me. It's a bit like Trader Joes if you are familiar with that store brand, both in terms of size and variety of fare. Each store is appx. 10,000 ft, much smaller than a big supermarket, so it's easy to get in and out (the "easy" part). Most of their produce and branded products are organic, but nicely priced. You can grab ready-to-eat stuff like a panini sandwitch or salads, etc. Then they have a lot of options for the "take home chef" - fresh pastas/sauces, prepared entrees, etc. - just heat, tweak and serve. And they also have the raw materials for making things from scratch. I'll still go to other markets, but this will definitely be part of the shopping mix.
There's nothing really "British" about them. In fact you'd think it was a Calif. chain due to their style/products. Nice mix of familiar favorites plus international fare - in the bread area, for example, you can grab french loaves, pitas, garlic naan, empenandas, pizza dough, blue corn enchiladas, etc.
This is great news -- thanks for finding and sharing this news item. We shopped in TESCO when we were in Ireland and it had excellent merchandise - way better than Walmart, Target, etc. If you had to compare it, I guess COSTCO would be a close cousin. I also suspect it will cater to the local buying habits by providing merchandise in keeping with the area.
I like the one that opened near me. It's a bit like Trader Joes if you are familiar with that store brand, both in terms of size and variety of fare. Each store is appx. 10,000 ft, much smaller than a big supermarket, so it's easy to get in and out (the "easy" part). Most of their produce and branded products are organic, but nicely priced. You can grab ready-to-eat stuff like a panini sandwitch or salads, etc. Then they have a lot of options for the "take home chef" - fresh pastas/sauces, prepared entrees, etc. - just heat, tweak and serve. And they also have the raw materials for making things from scratch. I'll still go to other markets, but this will definitely be part of the shopping mix.
There's nothing really "British" about them. In fact you'd think it was a Calif. chain due to their style/products. Nice mix of familiar favorites plus international fare - in the bread area, for example, you can grab french loaves, pitas, garlic naan, empenandas, pizza dough, blue corn enchiladas, etc.
Most are in SoCal and Phoenix at the moment.
The concept of a refrigerated ready-meal (what they're called in the UK) is very British; I don't know if they invented it or not, but they sure as hell ran with it! That's one thing I actually miss about the UK...the dazzling array of refrigerated ready-meals.
Hey, perhaps we will be able to purchase loaf of bread which are double in size for a $1 and milk for about the same price? The only two items i think are too expensive in the US.
As for the size of the store? haha i guess some traditions are hard to break
Hey, perhaps we will be able to purchase loaf of bread which are double in size for a $1 and milk for about the same price? The only two items i think are too expensive in the US.
As for the size of the store? haha i guess some traditions are hard to break
The concept of a refrigerated ready-meal (what they're called in the UK) is very British; I don't know if they invented it or not, but they sure as hell ran with it! That's one thing I actually miss about the UK...the dazzling array of refrigerated ready-meals.
You are joking?
The 'ready-meal' was a USA invention, first known as a 'TV dinner'. The first TV Dinner was produced in the United States in 1953 and consisted of a Thanksgiving meal packaged in a tray like those used at the time for airline food.
I am constantly appalled and amazed by the terrifyingly huge array of freezers full of ready-meals and the poor selection of fresh food in supermarkets here in the US compared to the UK.
The UK media is always going on about the dangers of ready-meals, fast food and processed food, high salt and sugar levels etc, always as compared to the US where high levels of obesity and heart disease are blamed on a poor junk-filled diet, a diet which the UK is now sadly copying.
The 'ready-meal' was a USA invention, first known as a 'TV dinner'. The first TV Dinner was produced in the United States in 1953 and consisted of a Thanksgiving meal packaged in a tray like those used at the time for airline food.
I am constantly appalled and amazed by the terrifyingly huge array of freezers full of ready-meals and the poor selection of fresh food in supermarkets here in the US compared to the UK.
The UK media is always going on about the dangers of ready-meals, fast food and processed food, high salt and sugar levels etc, always as compared to the US where high levels of obesity and heart disease are blamed on a poor junk-filled diet, a diet which the UK is now sadly copying.
Actually, they sold dozens of different low-fat, low-salt ready meals at Sainsbury's and the traffic light system they had was great; you could see at a glance whether something was healthy or not. I lost forty pounds the last year I was in the UK and ate ready-meals frequently.
And I must disagree that the US has a wider variety of refrigerated ready-meals. We do have a wider variety of frozen meals, but the refrigerated meals in the UK were of a higher quality than the frozen meals you find both here and there.
The 'ready-meal' was a USA invention, first known as a 'TV dinner'. The first TV Dinner was produced in the United States in 1953 and consisted of a Thanksgiving meal packaged in a tray like those used at the time for airline food.
I am constantly appalled and amazed by the terrifyingly huge array of freezers full of ready-meals and the poor selection of fresh food in supermarkets here in the US compared to the UK.
The UK media is always going on about the dangers of ready-meals, fast food and processed food, high salt and sugar levels etc, always as compared to the US where high levels of obesity and heart disease are blamed on a poor junk-filled diet, a diet which the UK is now sadly copying.
I work for British company which happens to be the world's largest foodservice provider. We have been getting rid of trans fat and things like that for years. We are bigger on the Global 500 than McDonald's.
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