Vulcanoid

Grabbed some Earl Grey from SaveOn's Tesco aisle a couple of days ago. Wasn't paying $3.99 for a 75p jar of jam, though...

BristolUK

I appreciate the unwillingness to pay 2.5 the UK cost, but is Jam cheap in your neck of the woods then?

It's just that unless it's a 'cheap' store brand version, that size jam (say, ED Smith) is getting on for $4 anyway isn't it?

scrubbedexpat091

3.99 Seems pretty reasonable for jam to me.

Western Family (Save On's store brand) is 4.79 for 500ml and Smuckers is 4.19 for 250ml.

Vulcanoid

No idea how much 'branded' jam is - I just know that Tesco basics own brand is 35p in UK stores, and Tesco regular own brand is 75p in UK stores. That same jar of regular tesco brand strawberry jam was $3.99,so a dramatic markup on an identical product. That said, it appears to be normal here, I was surprised (shocked) when I first moved here on IEC and found Walmart own brand basic jam at the same price (when I was expecting closer to 50c to be comparable to the identical Asda product)

BristolUK

I stopped being shocked at Walmart pricing some time back. To me they have never been cheap. They're better since they went 'supercentre'; their bread is really good.

There's a Walmart 'cheap' brand of jam for about $2.70 I think I saw but ED Smith was $3.67 and that's quite good.

It makes me laugh (a bit) when they have cheap quality toilet paper in bulk sizes and customers snap them up when there is always better value for a better quality somewhere else or even the same store but they seem to assume it's more expensive.

Pizzawheel

You couldn't even type Freshco could you

dbd33

I can't go past Freshco's without looking for a hostage taking.

Pizzawheel

That's code for a rub & tug innit...

dbd33

It's not, it's a reference to Coronation Street, but I like the idea.

Pizzawheel

Eastender here, so I missed the Gratifying Northern Misery ref. Though I did go skiing with the lady who minded the PR of the corrie stars once, so I am a little bit cultured.

dbd33

One of Canada's oddities was "Big Screen Coronation Street". When I first lived in the Beach there was a pool hall just up the road from us (on Kingston Road, north side, west of the Feathers) that had been a cinema and still had a screen. On Sunday morning they'd put the multi-hour CBC Coronation Street recap on the screen, people would come dressed as characters from the show and, tangling their surrealism, throw toast. It's condos now, of course, but I like to think that somewhere in the east end of Toronto, Jack and Vera lookalikes are still sharing a joint in an alley.

Novocastrian

Did they put on Steptoe & Son in the interval, when the ice-cream trays went up and down the aisles?

Pizzawheel

Novo, I had some fine cornish brie today and some double Gloucester (the latter for old times sake) and thought of you struggling in the Fromidable -deserts of the North East. Does Primula really keep you going? Really?

Were I more considerate I'd have brought you a kingsize of Chedda Spredda over, but you live so far.

dbd33

They did not. No one dresses up as Steptoe or Son.

Novocastrian

Next time (first time?) you're in Newcastle check out the Grainger Market. It makes the St. Lawrence Mkt, look, well, a bit lame really.

Here in France yesterday I bought a cheese I'd never tried before, a Tomme Fruiteé, which looks as if its been rolled in farmyard excrement but tasted absolutely delicious. Of course you must eat the shit exterior to savour this gem to the full.