Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
The World Market chain also has a decent selection of British food and sweeties.
Be very careful where the so called 'British' products are made.
We bought some Cadbury's chocolate in World Market that was made in South Africa and it was yuck. Mrs J seems to recall that some products were made in Mexico.
I find using the swipe card and then signing for stuff to be cumbersome and had just got used to putting my debit card in and entering my pin.
Supermarkets in California just don't have the selection that Tesco for example would have.Target is about the closest but its fresh produce doesn't really compare with Tesco or Sainsburys. In California we need to shop in about 3 different places to get everything. UK Supermarkets are like a cross between Target, Whole Foods (to an extent) and Ralphs so you can get everything under one roof.
As for cell reception the rural areas tend to get ignored and the urban areas don't get enough capacity. On my 45 minute commute home in the UK my reception would drop completely at least 4/5 times.
I find using the swipe card and then signing for stuff to be cumbersome and had just got used to putting my debit card in and entering my pin.
Supermarkets in California just don't have the selection that Tesco for example would have.Target is about the closest but its fresh produce doesn't really compare with Tesco or Sainsburys. In California we need to shop in about 3 different places to get everything. UK Supermarkets are like a cross between Target, Whole Foods (to an extent) and Ralphs so you can get everything under one roof.
As for cell reception the rural areas tend to get ignored and the urban areas don't get enough capacity. On my 45 minute commute home in the UK my reception would drop completely at least 4/5 times.
US supermarkets are crap in comparison to even mid-range British supermarkets. There just isn't the same selection of fresh produce over here an the healthy stuff is more expensive than the UK (not good if you don't fancy living on Kraft macaroni, ramen noddles & other processed crap). Say what you will about British supermarkets, but I miss real bacon (not the packaged Oscar Meyer crap), real cheeses and fruit & veg that was grown locally, not shipped 1,700 miles from Florida & coated in preservatives. Whole Foods is good, but the average Joe would need to take out a second mortgage to shop there.
US supermarkets are crap in comparison to even mid-range British supermarkets. There just isn't the same selection of fresh produce over here an the healthy stuff is more expensive than the UK (not good if you don't fancy living on Kraft macaroni, ramen noddles & other processed crap). Say what you will about British supermarkets, but I miss real bacon (not the packaged Oscar Meyer crap), real cheeses and fruit & veg that was grown locally, not shipped 1,700 miles from Florida & coated in preservatives. Whole Foods is good, but the average Joe would need to take out a second mortgage to shop there.
Rubbish! It's the opposite! I've said before, go into Waitrose (where I used to be a branch manager and considered the best British supermarket) and see where products are shipped from! 'Fresh' produce is all pre packaged, nothing is loose and quality is poor. Not only do we have decent chains like Trader Joes, Von's, Smiths etc but we also have local stores that are excellent.
If you consider Tesco, Sainsburys or Asda as 'good' I sincerely hope you never contemplate working in the retail sector.
Rubbish! It's the opposite! I've said before, go into Waitrose (where I used to be a branch manager and considered the best British supermarket) and see where products are shipped from! 'Fresh' produce is all pre packaged, nothing is loose and quality is poor. Not only do we have decent chains like Trader Joes, Von's, Smiths etc but we also have local stores that are excellent.
If you consider Tesco, Sainsburys or Asda as 'good' I sincerely hope you never contemplate working in the retail sector.
Ian, I am going on personal experience. You worked in retail in the UK, but not over here. Chill dude.....the US is great in many respects, but not when it comes to food. Whole Foods and TJ's are not better than Waitrose, which happens to be cheaper than both, despite being "upscale". Add to that, in the UK, you have the option of buying produce/meats from greengrocers, butchers and outdoor markets. Looking at this completely neutrally and as a person who has lived in both countries, the UK wins hands down when it comes to food....sorry if that offends you.
Ian, I am going on personal experience. You worked in retail in the UK, but not over here. Chill dude.....the US is great in many respects, but not when it comes to food. Whole Foods and TJ's are not better than Waitrose, which happens to be cheaper than both, despite being "upscale". Add to that, in the UK, you have the option of buying produce/meats from greengrocers, butchers and outdoor markets. Looking at this completely neutrally and as a person who has lived in both countries, the UK wins hands down when it comes to food....sorry if that offends you.
having lived in both I have to agree the supermarket choice in the UK is better.(if you are not trying to find the US processed foods and sweets) Some foods are cheeper in the US like beef but option to go to the butcher in the UK and get a specific cut etc is worth the extra cost IMO. I tried to get the butcher here in A&P and also in Whole Foods to mince some beef for me ( I'm not eating that 92% beef crap - what is the other 8%) and they looked at me like I'd grew another head. I ended up buying the mincing attachment for my food processor and doing it myself.
and don't get me started on the cheese selection in the US........ nearly all the 'domestic' cheeses taste the same.... how can a country with so much land and so many cows mess up cheese so much LOL....
Ian, I am going on personal experience. You worked in retail in the UK, but not over here. Chill dude.....the US is great in many respects, but not when it comes to food. Whole Foods and TJ's are not better than Waitrose, which happens to be cheaper than both, despite being "upscale". Add to that, in the UK, you have the option of buying produce/meats from greengrocers, butchers and outdoor markets. Looking at this completely neutrally and as a person who has lived in both countries, the UK wins hands down when it comes to food....sorry if that offends you.
Sorry Dragonborn, I am actually am chilled (it just doesn't always read that way!). I consider myself a foodie - I wouldn't have had position of responsibility within Waitrose if I wasn't, and it is a great store. Their cheese and wine is fabulous. But the rest of uk food retailing is pitiful, and Waitrose isn't cheaper than the likes if Trader Joes - just check out their wine selection for example. The diversity of food here is great, not just in stores but everywhere. In my city you can eat at any type of restaurant you can imagine and micro brew beers and good wines are stocked by hundreds of varieties in all the supermarkets. I do think you have to work a but harder for quality in the US because cheap processed foods are offered cheaply and in abundance.
Greengrocers/butchers rtc are a dying breed on British high streets. They are actually being put of business by the large retailers. They are nowhere to be found in my state but are available in other cities. I'm surprised you haven't found them out east??
... Looking at this completely neutrally and as a person who has lived in both countries, the UK wins hands down when it comes to food.....
It certainly wins when it comes to buying food not laden with growth hormones, pesticides, antibiotics and GMO, and all of the other crap that the USA deems acceptable for human consumption but that most other countries have banned. Animal welfare and the way food is raised is simply atrocious in the USA.
Personally I don't care how well it is marketed or how prettily it is packaged, I am much more concerned about what you can't see - and that is significant where US food production is concerned. Food Inc. is an excellent film for anyone still living in lala land when it comes to food "quality" in the USA.
That's the thing sunshine- although food was cheap in a number of supermarkets in the US I wouldn't buy meat there due to growth hormone being given to animals.
I tended to shop at Wholefoods or the equivilant and that was far more expensive.
I also remember looking at the ingredients in convenience foods and the salt levels were unbelievable! Probably the same here, but still scary!
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
