Fall 2007
Heather J. McCuaig and Seth T. Marshall
Food Article
Food
shopping in Kilburn, London can be done easily as well as cheaply, as long
as you know where to shop. Tesco Express, a small convenience store just a
few minutes walk from the flats, is similar to a Sheetz in the U.S. Though
it is the closest place to buy food it is also among the most expensive.
Along with being costly, it also has a very small variety. If you walk
five minutes farther you will reach a Sainsbury supermarket. It is very
similar to a Weis and it has a larger variety of foods at cheaper prices.
This is where you want to do the majority of your grocery shopping while
in London. You can buy almost anything you would find in your local
grocery store in the States. Remember the exchange rate though! It is
about two US dollars for every British pound you spend. So as long as you
shop in bulk and look for sales it can be done on a tight budget. Here are
some average prices in British pounds:
Milk (gallon) 1.60
Eggs (15) 1.5
Chicken (5 or 6) 2.5
Frozen Pizza (14) .88
Bread 1.14
If you are willing to do a bit of traveling to find cheap food, visit
ASDA. It is the European Walmart, and it is where you will find the best
deals. You will have to take the tube to get there, and there is a bit of
a walk from the tube station. So make sure you take something to carry
your groceries! The total commute time is about 1 hour each way.
You can buy fresh fruit at stands along the Kilburn High road. They offer
good deals and quality produce. You can get 5 apples, bananas, or oranges
for a pound
Eating out in London is considerably more expensive than grocery shopping.
The cheapest places to eat are at fast food joints along the main road
near the flats. There are a number of fish n' chips and chicken places in
Kilburn. The best place to get fresh authentic fish n' chips in Kilburn is
at the Queen's Arms, right next to the flats. If you want to splurge on a
nice meal out, head to Picadilly Circus, Oxford Circus, or Covent Garden.
Though it is easier and more convenient to eat out, we highly recommend
shopping for your food. You will save a lot of money. It's not hard, and
after just a week or two in London, you will have your routine down.
When
first arriving in London, you become aware of your culinary skills almost
immediately. To the cooking guru, making an inexpensive stew or stir fry
is cheap and easy. All that you need is a few raw vegetables and some
meat. For those of finer tastes, it becomes more difficult as costs per
meal quickly add up. One alternative to finding yourself with another hole
in your pocket is buying in bulk with house mates. This simple method can
reduce cost without sacrificing meal quality. It also blends the different
skills of each person in the cooperative effort to squeeze out delicious
dishes. It is important, though, that you get people of similar appetites
to share the food, as some of us found that we were consuming twice the
volume of others. Issues like this will arise but can be easily resolved
through proper communication.
Each flat has a stove, microwave, and fridge. The cheapest meal starts
with frozen pizza but you can go as high as your wallet allows. We baked
loaves of bread costing under a pound. Omelets are cheap and easy to make
as well as rice and beans. However, no matter what your tastes and budget,
there are various means of eating properly.
Eating while on group or independent trips outside of England can get very
expensive. However, if you are willing to put in the effort you can eat
great yet stay within budget. The cheapest way to eat while abroad is to
find a grocery store or convenience store near your hostel or hotel. You
and your travel partners will be able to buy food for your entire trip.
Usually, sandwiches are easiest and cheapest. The groups we traveled with
often bought bread, Nutella, peanut butter, cheese, and bananas. It may
sound weird, but these were cheap and filling. Also, most hostels and
hotels provide breakfast. Another more costly option is to eat at fast
food places. In all major cities you can easily find American fast food
joints such as Subway, McDonalds, and even KFC.
Even though you will probably be on a tight budget, we highly recommend
you try some of the national specialties. For example, we sampled Haggis,
or sheep bladder in Scotland, Irish stew in Dublin, crepes in Paris,
brownies in Amsterdam, and rabbit in the Czech Republic. However, we chose
to pass on the national dish of sheep's head in Iceland.
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