Some comments on supermarkets here...

We do all of our shopping online as well.  I love it because -

a) I can do it my jammies Saturday morning
b) Big brawny men lug all ten tons of it up to our 2nd floor flat (that's 3rd floor in the US, mind!) and I don't have to do anything more than point and say, 'Over there please, boys!'
c) I don't have to battle the British masses or lug aforementioned ten tons of shopping home via bus and/or tube plus walking
d) Once I had my 'favorites' set up, it takes me about 10 minutes to do
e) It is *much* easier to shop within a budget because I can see my totals and take stuff off if I've gone too high.

We have had a hiccup or two with online shopping, but you can specify if you don't want them to substitue something or if they do have substitute, you can tell them what you want instead.  And if all else fails, you can give them the stuff you don't want back.  

The benefits far outweigh the problems we've had, I think.  I absolutely love it!  

Doesjka, I've never had anyone offer to help with groceries....and I've stuggled plenty of times and as far as I know, I don't usually give off irrate vibes.  Suzanne was just saying that it was her experience that people didn't help when she felt they should have.  We all have different experiences and differnt interpretations of experiences.  Luckily, this is a place where we can share those expriences and feel free to do so.

Yes, I suppose asking for help is one option, but my feelings are that if the cashier is doing his/her job well, you shouldn't have to ask!  (But that's probably me being a demanding American again.)  

They've offered bagging help in my local Tescos, also to take out to the car on rare occasions. I agree with Mindy, it's a breeze with faves set up, and there is a comment line next to each product to give your own wants/no wants/subs etc., not to mention the general overall "Yes" or "No" on across-the-board subs. I'm fortunate to be nearest to a large one, so I usually get the guy say with a slight chuckle "we had to substitute apples for...um, well, ummm, apples." Yes, quite odd to have a meat product subbed for a veggie one. D'oh, what are they thinking? !

Suzanne was just saying that it was her experience that people didn't help when she felt they should have.

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We all have different experiences and differnt interpretations of experiences.  Luckily, this is a place where we can share those expriences and feel free to do so.

Yes, I suppose asking for help is one option, but my feelings are that if the cashier is doing his/her job well, you shouldn't have to ask!  (But that's probably me being a demanding American again.)  

I love you Wish!  You're my very own Ms. Dy-na-mi-tee-heeeeee!  

I myself do use Tesco online, I had used the offline shopping software for almost two years, and then just used the website for it over the weekend and the website shopping is so much better. If you don't want stupid substitutions, use the note feature, you can say what you would like substituted only or no substitutes at all.

One more thing about Tesco Online that I should mention; although, I suspect it's old advice, not so much needed anymore. When I first started with them a couple of years ago, I had a terrrrrible time online and kept giving up in frustration. I'm a Mac user, you see. Not everyone tests for Mac compatibility and obviously Tesco had not. I wrote them an email explaining my usage problems, that I would love to order online, but I found the navigation difficult. They turned me onto their access site. Basically for those who are blind or are in other situations that make "fancy" web browsing difficult. I have since retried their regular site and it works great for me now. But I do heartily recommend using the access site if you have a slow connection. Not all the pretty moving pictures. Just straight text and easy clicky links.

http://www.tesco.com/access/

Wow, reading this topic really was an eye opener...  I had no idea you could shop online over there or even here with groceries that is...  I gues I live in all the wrong places...  LOL!

I also was surprised to see the comments on customer/cashier service.

My experience so far in England for grocery shopping has been great...  I have gone to Tesco, Asda and safeway... and one other one that sounds like iceland or something...  anyway...  every experience I have had has been delightful... with the exception of almost crying when I could not figure out how to substitute ingredients I needed to make my spaghetti sauce...
The cashiers were friendly and grant it some stores had a you bag policy...which is fine with me...  but others bagged for us.

Maybe it is a North/South difference here...  not sure...  but I will surely check on the online shopping when I move to see if it is available in the boondocks as well.

and I plan on purchasing that cookbook brought up here on forum that gives ingrediant and measuring exchanges  

Michele [smiley=sunny.gif]

Now that I know basically the layout of my local Sainsbury's and the larger one in Aylesford, and I know what foods to just not even look for because they're not available, I rather enjoy shopping here.  So many new foods to try out - and since I'm not working (yet), I'm able to cook like I never had time to in the States.

I miss Publix - but Sainsbury's is a very acceptable substitute.  I'm happy with their own brands of things (especially their "Be Good To Yourself" line - the yogurts are yummy!).  I'm excited by the things that "familiar" brands offer here that they don't in the States (at least, not in the area I'm from).

I have no problem bagging my own groceries - that way I can kind of "organise" them the way I like.  After watching them do it for me for decades, I think I've kind of got the hang of it myself.

All in all, aside from a minor breakdown when I finally realised I would not be able to find tins of black beans in a regular grocery store here, I've had nothing but positive experiences grocery shopping.

In my town, we have 3 supermarkets:  Sainsbury, Tesco & SOmerfield... all 3 of them ask you if you want help packing your stuff.
And i have never come into a supermarket to find empty shelves, but you do sometimes find the staff stocking up the shelves, and blocking the aisle, but hey... if they didnt stock the shelves, then they WOULD be empty!  Cant see how a person could complain about this.

The news does get better and better. I've been here almost five years...not a long time considering it's only about 10 percent of my life. But, in that time I have noticed more and more American food items become available here. Yes, more online "American Food to order" places, but standard grocery stores too and gourmet specialty shops. When I first came, just about the only thing you could find was Bisquick. Things have changed. They're getting more choices of salad dressings. Peedal, my store has black beans. Old El Paso has its own small section. George Foreman has his BBQ sauce. We get orange ketchup, for goodness sakes! Helman's in a squeezable bottle!

With me, my problem is not locating the stuff I crave. It's getting it and holding on to it for special occasion, then having it go off because nothing special comes up. Saltine crackers really taste bad when you treasure them for so long.

I should have been clearer - the Sainsbury's in Aylesford carries black beans - the dry ones that have to be soaked overnight, not black bean soup or tinned black beans already soaked and seasoned.  However, I have a lead on a place in London, when I have the time for a trip into the City...!

I should have been clearer - the Sainsbury's in Aylesford carries black beans - the dry ones that have to be soaked overnight, not black bean soup or tinned black beans already soaked and seasoned.  However, I have a lead on a place in London, when I have the time for a trip into the City...!

Where Peedal, Where ??

Blackbean soup and sourcream sounds soooooooooo good right now. Tim's off to London on Saturday.

Come on Peedal, tell us, please, please  

I could swear that I saw tins of black beans at the deli/small supermarket in Selfridge's on Oxford St. I'm sure the price matched the shop as well!

If you want to order them online, Made in America has the tinned Caribbean black beans for £1.64. (I know I keep talking about them...sorry.)

Local Caribbean restaurants (we have one in Melksham) call them "peas" which really had me quite confused! But, I can get takeaway curried goat (or jerk chicken), black beans (peas) & rice and plantains. Mmmmm. yummy.

Ya'll just think Melksham is back sticks, huh?  

The place in London I was told about is called Garcia's.  I keep meaning to look it up on the on-line yellow pages, but get so caught up reading all these postings...hee hee!  Anyway, I'm planning a "search for all American necessities possible" day in London very soon.  Need to know exactly what my mother is going to have to mail me in order to pull off my Turkey-day dinner in November!!

I never thought of looking for Caribbean places - of course, most of what's around us is Indian and Chinese.  Oh yeah, and the Pizza Hut, McDonald's, and Domino's.... :-/

Local Caribbean restaurants (we have one in Melksham) call them "peas" which really had me quite confused!

Now *I'm* confused!  I lived in London for 4 years and I'm almost positive that what they called 'peas' in the Caribbean shops/restaurants are what we called 'black-eyed peas' or 'black-eyed beans' in California.... not the same thing as black beans, which I think you can get in Chinese shops in the UK.    Is this what you're talking about?  Black-eyed beans, or black beans?  

(Hey I'm pretty impressed with Melksham now!   )