Always Something There to Remind Me

 When Erika was 14 she took a trip to London (and Paris) with other students from school.  With breakfast and lunch provided by the hotel, everyone was on their own for lunch. The first place most of these middle schoolers wanted to go was McDonald’s. McDonald’s, of course, is both familiar and a way to size up some of the differences from home. 

Apparently when you are in your 50s that place is not Mc Donald’s, but Costco.  Costco is Guido’s happy place. So it’s no surprise that we had to stop at one while in the UK. 

Tucked away in a business park on the way out of Chester, we instantly recognized the minimalist corporate design both inside and out. Every store customizes products in its area, and this one certainly was a mix of familiar Kirkland brand products and items from international and UK brands. Rotisserie chickens were £3.99, coming in at just over $5 based on today’s exchange rates. Unlike the US, you could buy a 3 kg bucket of Nutella - that’s over 6.5 pounds of sugary goodness. 

In the food court there were several core items, including the £1.50 hot dog and soda, pizza, and chicken bakes.  Guido tried the double fried chicken breast sandwich and Erika the jacket potato with baked beans. Erika liked hers more. We also picked up a store-made tikka masala and rice in the grocery section to eat for dinner. That’s not something we find at home and, like many such Costco items , it provided a perfectly serviceable meal despite having been prepared for all palates. 

Shopper behavior was more reflective of local culture as well. No one mobbed the samples, instead patiently waiting their turn for a bite of potato salad or swallow of ginger beer. At checkout the trolleys bore much lighter loads than our carts at home. 

Going into Costco was exactly what we expected, a flavor of home, and a window into the similarities and differences between the US and UK.