Tasty treats coming to a Publix store near you As a self-confessed chocoholic (and fan of Brit cooking sauces too) imagine how excited I was when UK Imports of Florida sent me some brand new products to try for the first time! Although UK Imports cannot sell directly to the public, they do supply American grocery giants (the "British Ethnic Foods" section at your local Publix store is largely thanks to these lovely folk). YummyCombs My precious parcel included two large pouches of YummyCombs, which are a lot like little bite-size Crunchies but with dark choc instead of milk. These tasty treats are a unique blend of sweet and sour flavors that really pack a punch. One of the things I loved about YummyCombs was the texture; there's a satisfying crunch that adds an extra layer of enjoyment. Plus, the comb shape nuggets are both fun and easy to eat. Another thing worth mentioning is the packaging. YummyCombs come in a resealable bag, which is great for keeping them fresh and taking them with you on the go. Super convenient. Bottom line: If you like both Crunchies and dark Belgian chocolate, you will love this combination in YummyCombs. A fun and tasty option that's sure to satisfy any sweet tooth. Serenata Twin bars Although the Serenata brand is new to me, this fine European chocolate company was established in Greece over 45 years ago, and is now available for the first time in the USA. Using only the best non-GMO ingredients, Serenata creates delicious milk chocolate, dark chocolate, light crispy wafers and cocoa filled treats with real ingredients and authentic flavors. The Serenata twin chocolate wafers above reminded me of good old Kit Kats, albeit even better; these are lighter, sweeter, and creamier, and really do melt in the mouth! Serenata Choco Bar Think "Kit Kat meets Yorkie bar". This chocolate coating is really thick and chunky, and with the crunch of the wafers inside, I absolutely loved this one! And the British Banter in Atlanta winner is: Serenata Triplo Bars Out of all the lovely samples from UK Imports, these little Triplo bars get my top vote. Just the right size for a quick snack, premium European milk chocolate is layered between two waffles and filled with rich hazelnut cream in a soft caramel bubble top ... what's not to like? My new favourite treats, I will certainly be making a trip to Publix just for these! Also available in the US for the first time is the unique range of MAHI Sauces. Spectacularly spicy, award-winning and all-natural, these hot sauces & marinades are perfect for jazzing up your next Ruby Murray (curry to our American friends) or even just for dipping. British brand MAHI is has built a strong reputation in the UK for the quality of their products. A popular choice of health-conscious cooks, MAHI takes pride in using only the best ingredients and avoiding artificial preservatives, colors, or flavors. This attention to detail has earned their naturally authentic sauces a loyal following across the pond. Honest opinion: MAHI's sauces certainly do add a bold kick and these tasted a little too strong for me (but then again I am a total wimp when it comes to spicy food). However, hubby loved the ones we tried - Cayenne & Mint and Tamarind & Mango. He highly recommends them as his new favorite hot sauces! Have you tried any of these new items from Publix? Let us know what you think by commenting below.
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Time for Tea - much more than just a cuppa in Metro Atlanta Quaint, charming, dainty and oh so pretty. This was the unanimous verdict when I recently visited The Ginger Room for afternoon tea with my dear friends Barbara and Paula. I’d been hearing great things from fellow Brits in Atlanta about The Ginger Room, so decided it was time to check it out for myself. And inviting Barbara and Paula, two lovely Georgia Southern Belles, to join me ensured the perfect American perspective on the whole “British tea” experience too. The Ginger Room was established in 2018 by Londoner (and avid tea drinker) Dr. Karl Walbrook and his partner Angela. Located in downtown Alpharetta (look for the red phone box outside - you can’t miss it), the building dates back to 1856 and is the oldest house in the city. Reminiscent of a traditional British Tea House, the tiny property is packed with charm, crystal chandeliers, vintage artifacts and eclectic antiques. Upon entering, we found ourselves immediately in The Parlor being greeted by Angela, who proved to be a friendly and attentive hostess. We were shown to our table, which was beautifully decorated with white linen, fresh flowers, dainty doilies, and of course, several pretty teapots. On the wall, an ornate painting of Scarlett O'Hara and Rhett Butler provided a gentle reminder that we were, in fact, in America's Deep South and not the English countryside after all. Our most difficult decision of the day was deciding which brews we fancied from a choice of over 30 blends of national and international tea. Barbara picked strawberry, elderflower and rosehip. Paula went for the wonderfully named “Sundae Funday”. And boring old me stuck with good old English breakfast tea. All of this was served in three individual teapots, so we could all try out the different flavors in our cute china teacups. And next the glorious cake stand arrived, absolutely packed with delicious offerings: Bottom tier sandwiches- cucumber dill, egg & watercress, smoked salmon, coronation chicken (plus pimento cheese sarnies to add a little Southern flavor into the Brit mix). Middle tier - homemade scones with clotted cream, jam, and lemon curd. Top tier - ginger cake, macaroons, shortbread biscuits, and a selection of petit fours. Just when we thought there was no room for any more, our server presented one last treat - a warm Bakewell tart adorned with a union jack flag. Everything tasted delicious, but the freshly-baked scones were the biggest hit with us all. Barbara was a little hesitant about trying clotted cream for the first time, but she loved it. And the specially-imported Fortnum & Mason lemon curd was to die for. Before we left, we took a sneak peek inside the beautiful Walbrook Room (which can be booked for private events), as well as browsing the little gift shop. What a treat to enjoy traditional British afternoon tea right here in Metro Atlanta. As my two friends and I agreed, The Ginger Room is the perfect place for a special occasion or an elegant ladies lunch. Tea time doesn’t get much prettier than this. Book your Afternoon or High Tea at
The Ginger Room Proper fish & chips in Atlanta - finallyThe authentic taste of Blighty without flying 4000 miles Ever since we moved Stateside 15 years ago, hubby and I have been dying for proper fish and chips. Proper as in flaky, moist cod in crispy, golden batter with a generous portion of fluffy, deep fried chips, smothered in salt and malt vinegar, piping hot, wrapped in paper and traditionally eaten with greasy fingers on a day trip to the seaside or on the way home from the pub. Of course, there’s nothing more British than fish and chips. Cheap, easily accessible, tasty, filling and comforting, this dish is a national institution beloved by Brits since the 1860s when fried fish was first introduced to England by Jewish refugees from Portugal and Spain. Charles Dickens wrote about "husky chips of potato, fried with some reluctant drops of oil" in A Tale of Two Cities and "fried fish warehouses" in Oliver Twist. By the 1930s there were over 35,000 chip shops across the country. Italian immigrants spotted the queues outside and, sensing a business opportunity, soon set up chippies in Scotland, Wales and Ireland too. Fish suppers sustained morale through two world wars and helped fuel Britain’s industrial growth. The government bent over backwards to safeguard the supply of fish and chips, which Winston Churchill referred to as “the good companions” and were one of the few foods not subject to wartime rationing. When working-class diets were bleak and unvaried, fish and chips provided a tasty break from the norm. George Orwell in The Road to Wigan Pier declared fish and chips first among the home comforts that helped keep the masses happy and "averted revolution". Even today, fish and chips are the quintessential British dish. “Proper” ones, that is. Not skinny frozen fries with an equally skinny lump of catfish, oven-baked (or even, heaven forbid, microwaved) and touted as “British-style” in too many eateries on this side of the pond. Having had our hopes dashed so many times by this fake news, hubby and I had pretty much given up on ever finding the real deal Stateside. That was until Chantelle Wright came to Georgia. Originally from Wales and a lover of chips, mushy peas and gravy since her childhood days (she’s now vegetarian, so doesn't eat fish) Chantelle moved overseas with her family in 2015, finally settling just north of Atlanta. When her husband gave her a deep fat fryer for Christmas, amazingly she didn’t kill him. Instead her mission to bring authentic fish and chips to America was born. “There are so many UK expats living here, we soon became aware of a niche for British food,” she explains. “I bought the restaurant in early January this year, expecting to open by mid February. It seemed everything was against us. One of my sons fell ill and needed emergency surgery. Once he recovered, we were ready to move along with the business; then boom - Covid-19 hit the world! This dramatically delayed our shipments from the UK, and also trebled our shipping costs. It certainly hasn’t been an easy ride”. Despite the stress and setbacks of a global pandemic, Wright’s family chippy finally opened its doors in July, and their timing could be surprisingly spot on. The UK’s fish frier’s federation reports that the ’Rona has boosted business as people seek comfort food in tough times. It seems a chip supper is just the thing to cheer us up right now. “Our opening day was crazy!” Chantelle reports. “We had queues around the building, across the road and in the next car park. The support from fellow Brits and Americans has been incredible. And so many people thanking us for bringing a taste of the UK to America”. Rave reviews soon reached hubby and I, and with our summer trip home to the UK already cancelled, we were craving a Brit fish and chips fix more than ever. We ventured to the north Atlanta suburb of Cumming to try it out for ourselves and discover if Wright’s chippy really does do it "proper". Just off the busy Highway 9 from Atlanta, a huge Union Jack flies proudly alongside the huge Stars and Stripes flag outside the restaurant, which is housed in a former bakery building. There is a covered patio area with tables and chairs for those willing to brave the Georgia summer heat and humidity. Inside, the dining room is modern, clean and well organized for social distancing. In front of the counter, there’s a selection of Brit sweets and treats (Cadbury chocolate bars, crisps and biscuits etc.) for sale. But the main attraction, and the motivation for our 25 minute drive is the hot food menu, which includes steak & kidney pies, battered bangers and of course, classic cod & chips. Side items such as mushy peas, prawn crackers, pickled onions, curry sauce and gravy are also available. I would have loved a cuppa, but unfortunately they had run out of milk and sugar, so we opted for cold drinks instead as we waited for our food to be freshly fried. And so to the million dollar question - are they “proper” fish and chips? Well finally, after too many false promises and disappointments over the years, both hubby and I were absolutely thrilled. Everything about our “cod & chips twice” was perfect, and it all tasted just like home. Portion size was not huge, but it was good enough for me. It would have been lovely to see it served on nice china plates, with silver cutlery and even accompanied by a little pot of tea like I enjoyed in Luton last year, but due to Covid restrictions and much to Chantelle’s frustration, she can only offer disposable boxes and little plastic forks for now. The Wright family certainly has a passion for “getting everything Wright”, as they like to say. Chantelle and son Kelzey trained with The National Federation of Fish Fryers in the UK, they use genuine British equipment and cook from scratch with only top grade ingredients. “Our selected varieties of potatoes and fish are the best of the best! I am a registered importer so all our chippy products are produced in the UK,” Chantelle tells me. She also has big plans for the future: “My vision is to open a new restaurant for each of my sons in the next 12-18 months. After this, we will roll out the business model across America for franchising opportunities”. As we cleared our plates (erm, I mean polystyrene containers), hubby announced his official verdict - the best fish and chips he’s had in America. He even went back and queued up for a second helping! Praise indeed. Thanks to Wright’s chippy ticking all the right boxes, our quest for proper Brit fish and chips in the USA is finally over. The Wright Chippy
101 Colony Park Drive Cumming GA 30040-2726 United States http://www.thewrightchippy.com Atlanta’s |
AuthorLiving and loving life Archives
February 2023
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