Lakersdarge

The good thing about Fresh N Easy I've found is that they regularly send $3 off $25 coupons in the weekly circulars in the mailbox, and will sometimes send even better coupons like $5 off $25 (or even off $20) if you sign up on the website. Little bit of saving like that makes a trip to F&E more appealing. British products wise I have bought baked beans, marmite, salad cream and some of the canned puddings from them.

PS. I've noticed they're the only people that sell McCain potato products. Never thought I'd see McCain chips outside the UK! Round here it's all about Ore-Ida...

Steve_

McCain's is a Canadian company, based in New Brunswick. I think there might actually be more varieties of them in Canada than the UK, not sure, but there are a lot. Anyway they do have a US division.

Bob

Don't see much of anything down my way...miss those naff microwave chips and pizza's they used to have, great student snack

MrEmjoy

From an email I received!

dnolan1337

I like in Lake Charles, LA. I am about 20 min from the Texas border on i-10, and less than 45 min from Beaumont Texas.

Anyone know of any good, decent locations between Houston and baton rouge that sell fish and chips, and English groceries?

There's an "English style" pub in Lake Charles, that does fish and chips, scotch egg, etc. But its far from good. The egg was coated in jimmy D breakfast sausage and fish fry, the fish batter was dark and tasteless, and the "chips" were home made crisps. Morons. They do however stock a decent range of English and continental beers, none of that sissy crap the Americans like.

meauxna

Let me guess, you've been having a hard time fitting in here and don't understand why you can't make any friends.

dnolan1337

I cant have an opinion on another nations beer without everyone taking it as an attack on their entire culture? I don't know where you are from, but I am from East London, I am a cockney arsehole and I am very outspoken. Besides, American beer is much like their tea, a noble effort but it doesn't compare.

I moved to the US for a reason, I love where I live, and, for the most part, love the people around me. But, I am missing fish and chips, stew and dumplings, meat and kidney pies, and a couple other things terribly.

Anyone know where I can get "pie and mash" liquor and vinegar?

MrEmjoy

Seems a bit below the belt? Are we missing something?

dnolan1337

It doesn't bother me any, was a rather nice welcome.

Would I have got the same reaction if I said I found some Cadburys recently, but it was just that repackaged hersheys crap and was completely foul?

Lets face it, everyone loves what they were raised on, and to them, its the best in the world and nothing else compares.

I miss guinness, pie and mash, chip shop curry sauce, fish and chips, real sausage rolls, black pudding, scotch eggs, pork pies, steak and kidney pies, Channel 4, Football, the spice girls, capital FM, the tube system, public transport, big city living, real wages, workers rights, the ability to use a swear word in every sentence without people looking at me weird.

Wow I miss a lot.

Steve_

Off-topic, but the main thing I remember about Lake Charles is the smell of sulphur and it seemed to be having a negative impact on the people living there.

dnolan1337

You got that right. It smells like shit (but give it a couple days and you forget the smell), and everyone has summer teeth.

Summer there, summer missing.

I liked Houston a whole lot more than Lake Charles, but this is where my wife's family are at.

meauxna

Yeah, it's the slam on Budweiser that I noticed.

Steve_

I dimly recall the taxi driver saying that the rain was so acidic during hurricane season that he had to repaint his car every year or so.

dnolan1337

All the gasoline plants in the area do that. That, and running through the city is a major shipping route and a country spanning interstate that sees tons of traffic.

I just wax my truck as often as I can, it keeps the paint looking good.

The pub is called MacFarlane's Celtic Pub, its north lake charles, and while they have a great selection of beer, the chefs and owners have obviously never actually eaten fish and chips, a scotch egg, or bread pudding. I dont mind the food, but its not even remotely English/UK based, so their advertising is a little misleading.

On a side note, for anyone else in the area, on Common Street, in Lake Charles, there's a little Indian grocery right close to the university training fields that sells branson pickle, smarties, some cadbury chocolate bars, and curry sauces in jars.

I was also able to find some Pearl Barley at Kroger a couple years back that made some real nice stew base.

Egg and Cress

At least they're trying! If you are able, maybe you could show them how to improve the quality of their efforts. LA is known more for Cajun & French foods - I feel certain a Londoner is out of their field of experience, in many ways.