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One of the things I love about living in London (although I expect it’s the same in many UK cities) is the amount of foreign food shops that are available. Particularly, I love shops like Cyber Candy that are choc-a-bloc with sweets from around the world, including those e-number-packed American sweets from my childhood which English shops no longer sell (I miss Nerds!)
Anyway, when I was in Amsterdam recently I was delighted to discover the same concept in reverse in this British and US food shop, the Eichholtz Delicatessen, on Leidestraat. I couldn’t resist popping in to have a look at their wares. It’s amazing how strange ordinary things like jars or Marmite or Heinz Baked Beans can look in an out-of-place setting! Seeing dozens of cans of Campbell’s Soup and jars of Coleman’s Mustard alongside Pop Tarts and Lucky Charms, all crammed into a tiny, old-fashioned shop in Amsterdam, definitely had a somewhat surreal effect.
These shops are life savers for an expat in need but you have to be very needy as the cost is astronomical!
I can imagine! Just as a special treat when you really miss crumpets!
Hey, you know the need!
:)
wowm you sure notice beauty in small things. I love Bovril over Marmite!
Thank you! I have to say I’m a ‘hater’ when it comes to both of those!!
SO TRUE!! It makes everything British feel so much more unique when you see it in a foreign setting. But its only mustard, really weird!! LOVE IT!! xx
Totally agree with you Natalie! A shelf full of beans is totally normal in my local Tesco, completely out of place in a shop in Amsterdam!!
As a former British colony, so many of the foods we deem “local” are actually British. Happy to see Nandos sauce the British store in your last pic!
Mum, Nandos! Are there any nandos restaurants in Amsterdam?!
I doubt it, but it is South African, so seeing the bottles of Nandos sauce on the shelves makes me super happy!
Oh of course it’s not even British! We have so many of them here I forget. Although I thought they were meant to be Portuguese…
Aha, Portugese chicken, made at a South African franchise, sold at a British store – globalisation at its best!
It’s a small world after all!!
The times that I could find Vegemite while I was in Canada were far and few between. And when I did find the odd jar it would be far too logical for it to have been in the spreads aisle. No, no. It was normally hidden away with the gravy and stock cubes.
One of the joys of overseas food shopping – it is the same but always just that little bit different…
Hi Paul, thanks for commenting! Same but different describes it perfectly!!
Wish I could find one of these in Fethiye. Who knew I’d miss Cadbury’s Chocolate Fingers so much :)
Ha ha I can imagine – there’s a stack of things (mainly chocolatey) that I know I’m going to miss when I move away next year!