British Expatriate Network

Hi...
This is to the folks in the UK who read this board.

My wife and I are starting a web based business selling non-perishable American food to people primarily in the UK and the rest of the world.

Would you use this service? And what would you want to see available?

Jeff & Amy
D

no mate, I'll just go to Walmart.

Hi Jeff, love the Cortina avitar.

Most of the people on this forum live in the US. I have been living in Spain for the last year and if you want an idea of what American ex-pats are looking for over here try http//www.multimadrid.com/ultimatespainboard/index.htm there are a lot of British and American ex pats on this board.

No I would not. There is no (non-perishable) American food that we miss.

Have you posted this on the American expats site?

Hi Jeff and Amy,

I can't speak for repat Brits reading this, Ameriscot seems to have covered that, but many Americans in the UK miss regional items. Because, for the most part, you can get many big name American products there. Or you learn to substitute. I know it's a gross generalization, but once you've lived in the UK for about a year, the frantic search for Jiff peanut butter tapers off. And if you really need it, there are American stores in the UK for the things you can't get at the regular grocery. About the only thing that I think would really appeal to most American's living in the UK is a good Mex/Tex-Mex restuarant nearby. You might want to post to Kerry's site.

Sorry I haven't been very encouraging.

Cheers,
David

Mountain Dew. I don't think that's available in the UK. I hope it is otherwise if I ever go I am going to be jonesing like Indiana.

You can get Mountain Dew in the UK, but why bother when Irn Bru is freely available?

The only US things I might be interested in are Peanut Butter M&Ms and Cheetos (crunchy not puffs).

I can't think of one American foodstuff I would miss if I moved back to the UK.

I'm sure Americans can though. My husband would pine for SpaghettiOs and the "homestyle" baked beans.

As with Brits living here, there will always be Americans there who crave foods from home.
Even if there are supermarkets where some foods are available it will never carry all foods and it won't be in every town.

Think how many Brits come here saying the breads not the same, the beans arent the same, the sausage, the tea, the coffee and a whole host of other things.

Some people adapt easily, others do not and will always want what they grew up with rather than whats available locally.

I have read posts on American expats sites asking where they can get foods from the US.
Brits who have lived or visited here may also buy US goods.
I know my brother found foods he would buy. His wife was nuts about the Bisquick pancake mix in the small bottles that you just add water, shake and pour. He'd never had Mountain Dew in the UK so it can't be that widely available and he live near London not way out in the country.

Don't let others put you off your idea Jeffs. Go over to the American sites and find out what they miss and what they would be willing to buy.

Thanks for the replies guys... I know it's not the best idea but I'm thinking most sales woulkd be to Brit tourists on a one time basis. We'll see. The outlay is almost nothing so who knows!

Yeah, my Mum would buy key lime pie mix after having it years ago in FL. She loves the stuff and I can't find it up here.

Go for it mate.

As an American who lived in Britain at one time, the two things that I remember missing off the top of my head was American barbeque sauce and Tastykakes (I grew up in the Philly area, and Tastykakes are a bit of an institution there.)

I remember talking to someone at some point in my stay in Liverpool who had an air of anti-Americanism about her. Fair enough. She asked if there was any food things I missed. I said that if I had to say one thing it would be Tastykakes. She became irate and started repeating that "we have tastykakes here." She said that about ten times. I was awestruck and was like, you do?! Yay! Obviously, once she started naming pastries and cakes, it became clear she thought that I was commenting on the state of British bakeries and not feeling homesick for a particular brand. roll

Ironically, after all that, I haven't eaten a Tastykake in about a decade.