# Buying Irish products in London



## grit (Feb 10, 2010)

Hey,

My girlfriend has been adjusting to life in London. However the main gripe seems to be the lack of Lyons tea as its manufactured in Ireland and not available here. 

With the amount of us Micks/Paddys/etc in the big smoke there must be somewhere to buy this stuff (or Irish products generally), any suggestions?

Thanks


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## marty21 (Feb 10, 2010)

probably Willesden and Kilburn, there's still enough of the older Irish to buy them


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## snackhead (Feb 10, 2010)

Try The Irish Shop on Lordship Lane in Dulwich or Asda on Old Kent Road, it's got an Irish food aisle.


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## telbert (Feb 10, 2010)

My local Asda do a few irish bits. Galtee cheese& black pudding,Tayto crisps,Erinsoups &chef sauce,&the biscuits that my wife likes(cant remember the name   might be Kimberly)


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## xes (Feb 10, 2010)

www.theinternet.com

(I wonder if this link will go anywhere  )


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## grit (Feb 10, 2010)

xes said:


> www.theinternet.com
> 
> (I wonder if this link will go anywhere  )



Its not a easy task when what we are looking for is called Lyons Gold Blend and its only available in Ireland. Searching Lyons tea london and other similar words shows no results matching what I'm actually looking for.

Its all about this tea called Lyons we dont really care about anything else tbh.


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## xes (Feb 10, 2010)

They must have a website surely? 

Do you mean this one? bish bash bosh
http://www.amazon.com/Lyons-Gold-Label-Tea-bags/dp/B000FAB4GE


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## Garek (Feb 10, 2010)

Surely it'll taste different anyways coz of the water?


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## grit (Feb 10, 2010)

xes said:


> They must have a website surely?
> 
> Do you mean this one? bish bash bosh
> http://www.amazon.com/Lyons-Gold-Label-Tea-bags/dp/B000FAB4GE



Thats the american amazon (and I'd found that already).


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## xes (Feb 10, 2010)

Might be an ideato contact the website and ask if they have any UK retailers.
http://www.lyonstea.ie/


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## marty21 (Feb 10, 2010)

telbert said:


> My local Asda do a few irish bits. Galtee cheese& black pudding,Tayto crisps,Erinsoups &chef sauce,&the biscuits that my wife likes(cant remember the name   might be Kimberly)









they are nice, I used to eat them a lot as a kid, my Aunty Theresa used to send them to us, or bring them over, a huge tin of them


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## grit (Feb 10, 2010)

xes said:


> Might be an ideato contact the website and ask if they have any UK retailers.
> http://www.lyonstea.ie/



Aye going to ring tomorrow. I've posted on their facebook page hoping one of the marketing droids will see an opportunity and send me a load of free tea so I reply how great they are.


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## xes (Feb 10, 2010)

Good luck


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## Sir Belchalot (Feb 13, 2010)

Always wanted Brunch ice lollies to be sold over here, sure that they'd sell well. Can live without Galtee cheese though!


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## Yelkcub (Feb 13, 2010)

Mandy's in Willesden was my parent's place to get Irish stuff when we were kids. I believe it is still there.


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## twistedAM (Feb 13, 2010)

When my aunt lived in Birmingham she got my mum to post over Punjana tea. It got a bit ridiculous when she started wanting wheaten bread and soda farls from the local bakery sent via Parcelforce.

Anyway, there's still a postal service isn't there?


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## Cadmus (Feb 13, 2010)

xes said:


> www.theinternet.com
> 
> (I wonder if this link will go anywhere  )



www.ryanair.com 

seriously, why doesn't she just have it shipped over by someone?


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## N_igma (Feb 13, 2010)

marty21 said:


> they are nice, I used to eat them a lot as a kid, my Aunty Theresa used to send them to us, or bring them over, a huge tin of them



My primary school teacher used to taunt us with them, pretending to give one to us then eating it in front of our eyes. Cunt.


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## Pickman's model (Feb 13, 2010)

grit said:


> Aye going to ring tomorrow. I've posted on their facebook page hoping one of the marketing droids will see an opportunity and send me a load of free tea so I reply how great they are.



and did you phone?


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## revol68 (Feb 13, 2010)

The best tea is Punjana, I dunno if you can get that in Babylon or not.


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## twistedAM (Feb 13, 2010)

revol68 said:


> The best tea is Punjana, I dunno if you can get that in Babylon or not.



No way you can get that over here. Seems a purely Norn Iron thing. Surprised it's still going what with competition from supermarket own brands and international brands like PG Craps.

If i wanted some though I'd get my mum to post it or ask someone whose coming over to bring me some.


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## weepiper (Feb 13, 2010)

Punjana is widely available in Scotland too.


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## twistedAM (Feb 13, 2010)

weepiper said:


> Punjana is widely available in Scotland too.



Ah right, like Regal cigarettes which are not that easy to get down here.


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## Badgers (Feb 13, 2010)

I had some Irish drink in a pub yesterday. Pint of the stuff, was not bad.


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## dessiato (Feb 13, 2010)

xes said:


> www.theinternet.com
> 
> (I wonder if this link will go anywhere  )



It goes to a page reading:

Please check back shortly, TheInternet.com is going to be sold.

Buy it

I couldn't resist looking.


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## N_igma (Feb 13, 2010)

twistedAM said:


> Ah right, like Regal cigarettes which are not that easy to get down here.



Seriously?


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## revol68 (Feb 13, 2010)

I'm quite shocked at the amount of stuff I assumed was available in England but apparently isn't.

No Kimberly biscuits, wtf is that about?

And Irish tea kicks the shit out of piss weak english shite like Tetley.


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## revol68 (Feb 13, 2010)

weepiper said:


> Punjana is widely available in Scotland too.



Makes sense it's Norn Irish.


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## subversplat (Feb 13, 2010)

twistedAM said:


> No way you can get that over here. Seems a purely Norn Iron thing. Surprised it's still going what with competition from supermarket own brands and international brands like PG Craps.
> 
> If i wanted some though I'd get my mum to post it or ask someone whose coming over to bring me some.



Oddly enough I noticed a pack of Punjana tea here in the heart of Buckinghamshire's concrete cess pit. In Morrison's if anybody was wondering.


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## twistedAM (Feb 13, 2010)

subversplat said:


> Oddly enough I noticed a pack of Punjana tea here in the heart of Buckinghamshire's concrete cess pit. In Morrison's if anybody was wondering.



I found some Mother's Pride Plain Loaf in a crappy shop in Crystal Palace. Got excited and bought it but it was medium cut instead of the usual thick. It did admittedly say "Scottish Plain" on it but I thought they'd have the sense to have thick slices too for toasting.


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## twistedAM (Feb 13, 2010)

N_igma said:


> Seriously?



You can get them but have to look around. I'd say that out of ten shops in my neighbourhood that sell cigarettes only two do Regal and even then they're tucked away in a corner. They're probably only there because one regular customer of Scottish or Northern irish extraction asked them to get them in.
I'm going out to get some now



revol68 said:


> I'm quite shocked at the amount of stuff I assumed was available in England but apparently isn't.
> 
> No Kimberly biscuits, wtf is that about?
> 
> And Irish tea kicks the shit out of piss weak english shite like Tetley.



They usually have Kimberley and Mikados in Poundland oddly enough. 

My local Sainsbury's carries soda farls, wheaten bread and potato cakes (they are Irwin's but rebranded as Rankins so come in at over a quid) and for a while they were stocking scones and wheaten from a bakery in Magherafelt!

Black pudding isn't a staple in most shops and white pudding is harder to find.

All you need to do is look in suburban and see the kind of nouvelle shite people eat over here.


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## FridgeMagnet (Feb 13, 2010)

There's been a distinct downturn in black pudding. I'm sure I used to remember a time when you could regularly find it in corner shops. Now, the only local place I know that has it is, er, the Irish butcher down the road.

On the other hand you can find assorted Polish sausages everywhere, so swings and roundabouts eh.


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## Oswaldtwistle (Feb 13, 2010)

Ironic that Lyons was once *the* mega brand in the UK, now you can't get it here!

(It also appears to be owned by Unilever, which has British roots)


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## Oswaldtwistle (Feb 13, 2010)

OK, after a little digging I see that Unilever also own PG tips. Worth a try, may be the same stuff.

Failing that, there are loads of US suppliers listed here http://www.thefind.com/food/browse-lyons-tea

Email round and see if any will ship to the UK- hell of a long way round but if you want it that much......


Kimberly Biscuits, on the other hand, were a piece of piss to find http://www.theirishshop.co.uk/ (although they are currently sold out)


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## Oswaldtwistle (Feb 13, 2010)

And bingo


http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/LYONS-TEA-BAG...ptZUK_Home_Garden_Food_SM?hash=item33594de552


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## 8den (Feb 14, 2010)

Mandy's in Tooting. Icecreams (ice burgers, brunches) crisps, the works.


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## ShiftyBagLady (Feb 14, 2010)

My mother always brings me back Emerald sweets and Macaroon bars(the ones with the paper wrappers) and I don't like either of them. I do love Taytos though


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## Biglittlefish (Feb 14, 2010)

Asda leyton has an Irish section selling all this crap. And red lemonade. When I was kid I was proud of the fact red lemonade was only available in Ireland. Like we had a jump on the rest of the world. FFS.

Has anyone made a joke about it "being breakfast time back home" yet?


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## Oswaldtwistle (Feb 14, 2010)

This has been an interesting thread to particpate in. I never realised Irish and English foods were so different.

What is so special, in particular, about Irish Tea?


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## boohoo (Feb 14, 2010)

Oswaldtwistle said:


> This has been an interesting thread to particpate in. I never realised Irish and English foods were so different.



English food across the regions can be different.


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## Oswaldtwistle (Feb 14, 2010)

boohoo said:


> English food across the regions can be different.



Sure. Although our branded products like Tea and Biscuits and Lemonade are largely the same across the country.


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## boohoo (Feb 14, 2010)

Oswaldtwistle said:


> Sure. Although our branded products like Tea and Biscuits and Lemonade are largely the same across the country.



I'd think so. But it's interesting the different food places iin different places. Such as bakers - Percy Ingles in East and South East london and Sayers in Liverpool - they all do something different I like, that you can't get elsewhere in the same way.


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## twistedAM (Feb 14, 2010)

Biglittlefish said:


> Asda leyton has an Irish section selling all this crap. And red lemonade. When I was kid I was proud of the fact red lemonade was only available in Ireland. Like we had a jump on the rest of the world. FFS.
> 
> Has anyone made a joke about it "being breakfast time back home" yet?



We had brown lemonade in the north! Always seemed better than white.


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## ethel (Feb 14, 2010)

people in london think that i've made up brown lemonade 


asda stock irwins plain bread


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## revol68 (Feb 14, 2010)

twistedAM said:


> We had brown lemonade in the north! Always seemed better than white.



it is better than white and shitty red!

Brown lemonade was always for sunday dinner, oddly.

Also brown lemonade heated up in the microwave is good, always got it when I was sick.


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## revol68 (Feb 14, 2010)

sarahluv said:


> people in london think that i've made up brown lemonade
> 
> 
> asda stock irwins plain bread



they said the same about the potato famine too, the shower of fucks!


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## sleaterkinney (Feb 14, 2010)

I can't ever remember brown lemonade down south. 




> What is so special, in particular, about Irish Tea?


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## clicker (Feb 15, 2010)

Anyone seen Barrys tea in London...my mum had it posted over until the post-ee died last year....would like to buy a bulk purchase for her...mothers day would be good.

Our local costcutter does mikado and kimberley and galtee ugh cheese....I loved the sweets over there as a kid...beanos (the irish smarties) and packets of silver mints....


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## twistedAM (Feb 15, 2010)

revol68 said:


> Also brown lemonade heated up in the microwave is good, always got it when I was sick.



YES 
My mum always gave me that too when she couldn't be bothered paying the extra for Lucozade or Fergusade (do they still have that?)

And, yeah it is miles better than red



clicker said:


> Anyone seen Barrys tea in London...my mum had it posted over until the post-ee died last year....would like to buy a bulk purchase for her...mothers day would be good.



Yes, you can. My boss gets it from somewhere in Dulwich/Peckham. Quite reasonable priced at just over £3 for 80 bags. I can find out for you where it is if you PM me.


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## Iguana (Feb 15, 2010)

A lot of Asdas have "Authentic Irish" shelves in their World Food sections.  Also available for online delivery.
http://groceries.asda.com/asda-esto...me=Products&headerVersion=v1&_requestid=39828 (for some reason there is a chow mein ready meal tacked on to the end?)

Mandy's in Willesden and Tooting also have good selections including sweets and ice-creams.


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## Chz (Feb 22, 2010)

It's hard enough getting McCann's steel cut oats. I can't imagine what it's like getting other things.


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## hipipol (Feb 23, 2010)

Chz said:


> It's hard enough getting McCann's steel cut oats. I can't imagine what it's like getting other things.



Steel Cut Oats?????

What else would you use to cut them?

Are you inplying that the UK is somehow in the Bronze Age???


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## hipipol (Feb 23, 2010)

subversplat said:


> Oddly enough I noticed a pack of Punjana tea here in the heart of Buckinghamshire's concrete cess pit. In Morrison's if anybody was wondering.



Love Punjana, proper old skool tea, get it in the Morrisons in Peckham

Pretty much the only thing that makes me return to Rohypnol Land - never seen a place like Morrisons, people enter the door normal, leave dribbling spit from the corners of their mouths......


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## twistedAM (Feb 23, 2010)

Iguana said:


> A lot of Asdas have "Authentic Irish" shelves in their World Food sections.  Also available for online delivery.
> http://groceries.asda.com/asda-esto...me=Products&headerVersion=v1&_requestid=39828 (for some reason there is a chow mein ready meal tacked on to the end?)
> 
> Mandy's in Willesden and Tooting also have good selections including sweets and ice-creams.



MMmmm white and black pudding  twin pack £3.


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## Black Halo (Apr 8, 2010)

Sorry to bump this old topic but there was some discussion of this on another site which has been down for the last while and is now back:
http://www.boardsgroup.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=30887


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## clicker (Apr 8, 2010)

Bewley's Tea is proving to be the holy grail in London.....anyone??


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## ernestolynch (Apr 8, 2010)

clicker said:


> Bewley's Tea is proving to be the holy grail in London.....anyone??



Morrisons


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## Ax^ (Apr 8, 2010)

Must admit to secret want to get ahold of some spice burgers but not a chance in london..

:/


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## Farmer Giles (Apr 12, 2010)

8den said:


> Mandy's in Tooting. Icecreams (ice burgers, brunches) crisps, the works.



This. HB, Galtee etc, etc.


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## slainte (Apr 12, 2010)

Hmm probably morrisons is the best bet. Although how come you haven't had barry's tea..you bloody philistines   

That turns up now and then in Morrisons..and when it does it mine oh yes!
fight you for it etc.

Anyway Im sure a quick google online should help surely ?

the only damn thing I cannot get here is YR sauce...


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## krtek a houby (Apr 13, 2010)

Mandy's in Tooting, as already mentioned. Morrison's in Acton.


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