Ireland and choice

Shenshen

Hah, you thought this was going to be about procreation, didn't you?
Sorry to disappoint.

No, this is about the choices, or rather the limits of them, for Irish customers.

I'm not originally from Ireland, but please don't misunderstand this thread as a complaint. It's about a puzzling phenomenon I've observed as a consumer here, a distinct and rather inexplicable lack of choice.

Take cheese, for example. It's fair to say that the Irish are a nation of dairy-lovers. They are seriously into their dairy.
Yet when it comes to cheese, it's cheddar. Lots and lots of different brands, but still, all cheddar. It's only quite recently that some other kinds of cheese are making their appearance on regular supermarket shelves, both international and Irish ones. But they still aren't anywhere near as prevalent as the cheddars.
So, why the obsession with just one type of (English!) cheese? What happened there?

Also, it's equally obvious that the Irish love their drink. People will give you directions using only pubs as landmarks. They may not know the name of the street they're on, but they will know the names of the 5 pubs on it.
Yet, nearly every single pub the length and breadth of this country will serve the same handful of drinks : the same 5 or 6 types of beer, the same 2 types of red and 2 types of white, the same cider and the same whiskeys.
As someone used to pubs and bars differing vastly in what drinks they have (in my home town, no two bars are likely to serve the same kinds of beers on tab), I'm finding this strange. Supermarkets and off licenses offer a little more choice, but still essentially the same drinks.
When did that happen? I know it's getting a little better, with breweries like the Porterhouse and the Franciscan Well, but I still can't really understand when 4 million people decided that all they wanted was Guinness and Heineken?

Does anyone have an explanation, an idea? Or any thoughts? Or has this never ever struck you as odd?

Scioch

The Irish are a people of simple tastes and needs. No interest in experimenting just happy to settle with something they like. Whether its cheddar cheese or whats on tap in the local.

Most people have a "If it aint broke dont fix it" attitude. We dont like pushing our luck once we find something thats "not that bad".

Tombi!

Gotta be honest, I'm in the mood for a drink now, thanks

But if I like one brand and everyone around me likes that brand... why stock other brands? They stock what sells (usually). Why change that?

Feeona

If we had a bigger choice, we would've started to think for ourselves, and then we would've realised that the pope is living in a palace surrounded by gold and lawyers while all the time we were stuck here in Ireland with Calvita.

summerskin

Shenshen wrote: »

Hah, you thought this was going to be about procreation, didn't you?
Sorry to disappoint.

No, this is about the choices, or rather the limits of them, for Irish customers.

I'm not originally from Ireland, but please don't misunderstand this thread as a complaint. It's about a puzzling phenomenon I've observed as a consumer here, a distinct and rather inexplicable lack of choice.

Take cheese, for example. It's fair to say that the Irish are a nation of dairy-lovers. They are seriously into their dairy.
Yet when it comes to cheese, it's cheddar. Lots and lots of different brands, but still, all cheddar. It's only quite recently that some other kinds of cheese are making their appearance on regular supermarket shelves, both international and Irish ones. But they still aren't anywhere near as prevalent as the cheddars.
So, why the obsession with just one type of (English!) cheese? What happened there?

Also, it's equally obvious that the Irish love their drink. People will give you directions using only pubs as landmarks. They may not know the name of the street they're on, but they will know the names of the 5 pubs on it.
Yet, nearly every single pub the length and breadth of this country will serve the same handful of drinks : the same 5 or 6 types of beer, the same 2 types of red and 2 types of white, the same cider and the same whiskeys.
As someone used to pubs and bars differing vastly in what drinks they have (in my home town, no two bars are likely to serve the same kinds of beers on tab), I'm finding this strange. Supermarkets and off licenses offer a little more choice, but still essentially the same drinks.
When did that happen? I know it's getting a little better, with breweries like the Porterhouse and the Franciscan Well, but I still can't really understand when 4 million people decided that all they wanted was Guinness and Heineken?

Does anyone have an explanation, an idea? Or any thoughts? Or has this never ever struck you as odd?

You can also walk into most Irish restaurants/pubs and not need to look at the menu:

Chicken curry
Bacon and Cabbage
Irish stew
Seafood chowder
Roast of the day
Spaghetti bolognese
Steak.

And all the "kids menu" is sausage and chips, nuggets and chips, chips and bloody chips etc.


Drives me mental, nothing different unless you go Chinese/Indian etc. (all of which I like, but not everyone does)

Would it be so hard for them to have just a little variety?

Shenshen

LordSmeg wrote: »

The Irish are a people of simple tastes and needs. No interest in experimenting just happy to settle with something they like. Whether its cheddar cheese or whats on tap in the local.

Most people have a "If it aint broke dont fix it" attitude. We dont like pushing our luck once we find something thats not that bad.

Hmm, very possible.
But that would mean that all cheese made here before cheddar was introduced by the English was vatly inferior?
And all beer brewed in small breweries inferior to Guinness and Heineken?

It's possible, but I'm not sure

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

Shenshen wrote: »

Take cheese, for example. It's fair to say that the Irish are a nation of dairy-lovers. They are seriously into their dairy.
Yet when it comes to cheese, it's cheddar. Lots and lots of different brands, but still, all cheddar. It's only quite recently that some other kinds of cheese are making their appearance on regular supermarket shelves, both international and Irish ones. But they still aren't anywhere near as prevalent as the cheddars.
So, why the obsession with just one type of (English!) cheese? What happened there?

It's because that's what Mammy fed us.

Also, it's equally obvious that the Irish love their drink. People will give you directions using only pubs as landmarks. They may not know the name of the street they're on, but they will know the names of the 5 pubs on it.
Yet, nearly every single pub the length and breadth of this country will serve the same handful of drinks : the same 5 or 6 types of beer, the same 2 types of red and 2 types of white, the same cider and the same whiskeys.
As someone used to pubs and bars differing vastly in what drinks they have (in my home town, no two bars are likely to serve the same kinds of beers on tab), I'm finding this strange. Supermarkets and off licenses offer a little more choice, but still essentially the same drinks.
When did that happen? I know it's getting a little better, with breweries like the Porterhouse and the Franciscan Well, but I still can't really understand when 4 million people decided that all they wanted was Guinness and Heineken?

Does anyone have an explanation, an idea? Or any thoughts? Or has this never ever struck you as odd?

The Irish don't like change, simple as. We like what we were brought up with, we like tradition, we like what we know and that's all there is to it. Change means something we may not like.

How many Irishmen does it take to change a lightbulb?
None - the Irish will sit in the dark rather than change something. (And sure, the old bulb did fine for months - stick with it!)

Snakeblood

It's only in the last 20 years that Ireland became moneyed (however long that lasted) and cosmopolitan (although everyone's buggering off back where they came from sadly). Not really sure why it's odd that an insular, poor nation couldn't afford to import foreign delicacies they they hadn't been previously exposed to.

Carles Puyol

There wouldn't be much of a market for all the minority brands, at least not in the towns and villages. There's plenty of variety in Galway, Dublin, Cork and Limerick.

Shenshen

Shenshen wrote: »

Does anyone have an explanation, an idea? Or any thoughts? Or has this never ever struck you as odd?

I'm lactose intolerant and rarely drink (and then mostly cocktails)


so... no

hooradiation

summerskin wrote: »

You can also walk into most Irish restaurants/pubs and not need to look at the menu:

Chicken curry
Bacon and Cabbage
Irish stew
Seafood chowder
Roast of the day
Spaghetti bolognese
Steak.

And all the "kids menu" is sausage and chips, nuggets and chips, chips and bloody chips etc.


Drives me mental, nothing different unless you go Chinese/Indian etc. (all of which I like, but not everyone does)

Would it be so hard for them to have just a little variety?

Nobody ever went broke by giving the majority of people what they want.

Shenshen

Brutal Deluxe wrote: »

Gotta be honest, I'm in the mood for a drink now, thanks

But if I like one brand and everyone around me likes that brand... why stock other brands? They stock what sells (usually). Why change that?

Well, there's nothing wrong with that.
I'm just struggling with the concept of 4 millon people silently agreeing to 1 kind of cheese and mostly 2 kinds of beer... I'm from a town with 70 000 inhabitants who currently support 11 breweries in the town alone (every village around has at least 1 brewery of their own). I'm finding the uniformity of taste rather puzzling, especially since it doesn't seem to repeat itself anywhere else that I know off.

summerskin

hooradiation wrote: »

summerskin wrote: »

You can also walk into most Irish restaurants/pubs and not need to look at the menu:

Chicken curry
Bacon and Cabbage
Irish stew
Seafood chowder
Roast of the day
Spaghetti bolognese
Steak.

And all the "kids menu" is sausage and chips, nuggets and chips, chips and bloody chips etc.


Drives me mental, nothing different unless you go Chinese/Indian etc. (all of which I like, but not everyone does)

Would it be so hard for them to have just a little variety?

Nobody ever went broke by giving the majority of people what they want.

But why the fcuk would anyone want to go to these places when you can make all of those easily at home? Surely dining out should be a chance to eat something you wouldn't have in your own home?

Maybe I just don't get it as I was raised to try as many different foods and drinks as possible. Can't see how anyone could enjoy eating or drinking the same things over and over again.

Shenshen

Snakeblood wrote: »

It's only in the last 20 years that Ireland became moneyed (however long that lasted) and cosmopolitan (although everyone's buggering off back where they came from sadly). Not really sure why it's odd that an insular, poor nation couldn't afford to import foreign delicacies they they hadn't been previously exposed to.

Oh, but I'm not talking about imports!
As I said, with the amount of dairy in this country, surely there must at one point have been local traditions of making cheese?
And surely there must have been local breweries with different beers? Arthur didn't invent it, after all, nor was he the first to serve beer to the Irish?

What happend to those local cheeses and beers? When and why did they die out?

Tombi!

Shenshen wrote: »

Well, there's nothing wrong with that.
I'm just struggling with the concept of 4 millon people silently agreeing to 1 kind of cheese and mostly 2 kinds of beer... I'm from a town with 70 000 inhabitants who currently support 11 breweries in the town alone (every village around has at least 1 brewery of their own). I'm finding the uniformity of taste rather puzzling, especially since it doesn't seem to repeat itself anywhere else that I know off.

It's just how we are. It's not that we're xenophobic, we just don't want that non-Irish tripe in our country. :P

But yeah we're just raised and used to the same things. Look 3 generations back, you'll still see them liking the same stuff.

jester77

Good post OP, I agree. You could also add tea to that list. I can guarantee that if you were to visit the majority of Irish households you will be offered tea, but it will nearly always be a black tea and most likely either be Barrys or Lyons and always with a drop of milk.

Shenshen

hooradiation wrote: »

Nobody ever went broke by giving the majority of people what they want.

So you think it's mostly down to the small population and isolation?
That may well be, and it might explain why the same can't be observed anywhere else in Europe...

Roadend

Brutal Deluxe wrote: »

It's just how we are. It's not that we're xenophobic, we just don't want that non-Irish tripe in our country.

Right on, if its not Bud or Heineken its foreign tripe

ejmaztec

On the whole, with the Irish consumers being a captive audience, they get what the suppliers can get away with giving them.

ArmaniJeanss

Shenshen wrote: »

Also, it's equally obvious that the Irish love their drink. People will give you directions using only pubs as landmarks. They may not know the name of the street they're on, but they will know the names of the 5 pubs on it.
Yet, nearly every single pub the length and breadth of this country will serve the same handful of drinks : the same 5 or 6 types of beer, the same 2 types of red and 2 types of white, the same cider and the same whiskeys.
As someone used to pubs and bars differing vastly in what drinks they have (in my home town, no two bars are likely to serve the same kinds of beers on tap), I'm finding this strange.

To twist it around a little, when I go to Europe (and I've no idea what country you are from) I'm always a little surprised how often a bar will only sell one or two beers on tap.
Go to the next bar and again only one or two beers on tap. Fair enough its quite likely two different beers than the first bar which is definitely variety of a kind.
But I'm not such its that much better a system than every bar having the same seven or eight beers on tap like in Ireland.

Tombi!

Roadend wrote: »

Right on, if its not Bud or Heineken its foreign tripe

You're right there!
Now if you'll excuse me I have to get me English fish and chips and then go bitch about the Queen. Followed by some lovely curry and bitch about the Inidans. All while playing on my Asian made laptop.

Scioch

Shenshen wrote: »

Hmm, very possible.
But that would mean that all cheese made here before cheddar was introduced by the English was vatly inferior?
And all beer brewed in small breweries inferior to Guinness and Heineken?

It's possible, but I'm not sure

Not really, I'd say it would be mostly down to whatever your exposed to. I dont know the history of cheese but I assume cheddar would have been easy to make so most people would just grow up with it and be safe in the knowledge they like cheddar so wouldnt be too interested in seeking out new tastes. As far as drinks go I think we all agree when you start drinking its all rank. So whatever is popular amongst friends/family or in the pub will be whatever ya try and more than likely whatever you acquire a taste for. Once ya have something ya like ya stick with it.

If things do change it doesnt have to be because something else is vastly superior just has to be easily available, not too expensive and not that bad.

The Recliner

Shenshen wrote: »

I'm from a town with 70 000 inhabitants who currently support 11 breweries in the town alone

Bamberg by any chance?

Fuppin love that place, great beer and food, beerhalls and cafes

stevenmu

Like most things about us Irish it comes back to begrudgery.

If you want a different cheese, then it must be because you think it's better than the cheddar that I have. Therefore it also means that there's something wrong with my cheddar. And, if you want better cheese, then you also must think that you're better than I am. Who the f*ck do you think you are lording it over us with your posh camembert, there's nothing wrong with a bit of cheddar, I've been eating it all my life and it never did me any harm. What's that? Brie? Brie is it now, it's far from Brie you were reared!


Well, personally I love lots of different cheeses, and I really love trying all types of beers, but you get the point.

hooradiation

summerskin wrote: »

But why the fcuk would anyone want to go to these places when you can make all of those easily at home? Surely dining out should be a chance to eat something you wouldn't have in your own home?

Convenience? The idea that the person cooking this knows what they're doing as opposed to you just half-arsing it?
And as for why people eating out will stick to favourites - well if you're paying to eat at a restaurant and your hungry why take the chance that you'd order something you might not like. If it goes wrong your out of pocket AND hungry.

But basically, there's a fairly sizeable demand for things as they are and it's not that hard to see why.

Shenshen wrote: »

So you think it's mostly down to the small population and isolation?
That may well be, and it might explain why the same can't be observed anywhere else in Europe...

I don't think you can make any real comparison between Ireland and anywhere in Europe. Despite superficial similarities with relative isolation and population sizes there's nowhere I can think of that'd have the anything close to a similar history or culture.

Fighting Irish

stevenmu wrote: »

Like most things about us Irish it comes back to begrudgery.

If you want a different cheese, then it must be because you think it's better than the cheddar that I have. Therefore it also means that there's something wrong with my cheddar. And, if you want better cheese, then you also must think that you're better than I am. Who the f*ck do you think you are lording it over us with your posh camembert, there's nothing wrong with a bit of cheddar, I've been eating it all my life and it never did me any harm. What's that? Brie? Brie is it now, it's far from Brie you were reared!


Well, personally I love lots of different cheeses, and I really love trying all types of beers, but you get the point.

you're pushing it a little, i think

wonderfulname

There is choice, but only catering to a certain demographic, a lot of Irish people like to stick with what they know.

There are an awful lot of Irish cheeses aside from cheddar, but they don't go in sangwiches, and a lot of Irish people only eat cheeses in sangwiches. It's not only an Irish phenomenon, I was in a co-op in London last week and 99% of the cheese was cheddar and it took up two fridges.

And with drink, we're getting in to the whole craft brewery thing, there are a small number of pubs that do draughts other than diagio, contracts with which I am led to believe is why choice can be so limited. If you look at whiskey instead you'll see we drink a healthy variety, granted most stick to paddys, powers or Jameson, but the choice is there and frequently availed of.

mikemac1

Why are the Corkonians so fond of Barrys Tea but Lyons is a bigger brand for the rest of Ireland

Must Cork always be different?

Shenshen

The Recliner wrote: »

Bamberg by any chance?

Fuppin love that place, great beer and food, beerhalls and cafes

Spot on

I miss the beer, and sometimes the food. But mostly, I do miss the beer.
Don't get me wrong, I like Guinness. But having been here for 8 years now, it does get rather same-y...

Dravokivich

Ikky Poo2 wrote: »

How many Irishmen does it take to change a lightbulb?
None - the Irish will sit in the dark rather than change something. (And sure, the old bulb did fine for months - stick with it!)

This is scarily true for me, went from mid Feb - mid April without changing the lightbulb in my room recently.

mikemac1

Obsession with Toyota cars

They could out heaps of junk but Toyota can do no wrong in Ireland

Snowie

OP i understand ( well I think I do )

Its something thats always annoyed me, is the lack of good food all cheeses are almost a rubber, filled with ??? preservatives and colorings...
The problem is Irish people don't see things like that they don't under stand that good cheddar is crumbly, that you have it with a nice pikialili and on some good bread...

Everything in ireland is more or less processed! As for taste Ive never meet an irish person who describe in detail a syphoneys of flavor, Now I'm not some hipster i just spent a lot of time in kitchens... I think it boils down to this Irish people rant ignorant they just haven't been educated in food... Persoanlly I think this could be improved but you need a small army to do it...


In every french village theres a patisserie you rarely see people being sliced pans... Irish people don't love food they love having a full belly, they've no interest in eating wonderful food. They don't care whats in it as long as it fills them up How ever it is improving but I think as a nation education in food needs much improvement..

But with out them being patronized bye some food critic how ever there are some great fvcking chefs in this country who make some stunning food.

Sky King

Yet, nearly every single pub the length and breadth of this country will serve the same handful of drinks : the same 5 or 6 types of beer

Up until very recently virtually all draught beer sales were controlled by Heineken (Heineken, Coors, Murphy's Beamish) and Diageo (Guinness, Smithwicks, Carlsberg, Budweiser) and C & C (Bulmers).

This is historically as a result of beer being brewed and traded under licence nationally and kept under the control of the cartel breweries (Coors, Bud etc) as well as the fact that many breweries were bough out / merged with compeitiors (smithwicks in Kilkenny, Beamish and Crawford in Cork etc etc).

Luckily there is a growing thriving craft brew and micro brew / brew pub scene here which is turning the tables somewhat and people who like beer should do their best to support local brewing and keep the fledgling scene alive.


Also, regaring your cheese comment - go into Aldi / Lidl.

charlemont

Shenshen wrote: »

So you think it's mostly down to the small population and isolation?
That may well be, and it might explain why the same can't be observed anywhere else in Europe...

I would think so too, A lot to do with our history also when most of what was produced was sold abroad, Sure look at the famine here Potato was the stable food yet Ireland was producing huge quantities of food, Our people never had plenty so made do with what we have whereas look at the Mediterranean they were able to develop their culinary skills as they had access to a larger variety of foodstuffs.

Your right about our pubs, The beer is horrible.

who the fug

mikemac1 wrote: »

Why are the Corkonians so fond of Barrys Tea but Lyons is a bigger brand for the rest of Ireland

Must Cork always be different?

No just more refined.


You could say the same thing about lack of choice in the UK. Go into any high street pub and there is very little choice, ditto supermarkets

BraziliaNZ

You can get tonnes of different types of cheeses in Ireland, what are you on about OP?

charlemont

Sky King wrote: »

Up until very recently virtually all draught beer sales were controlled by Heineken (Heineken, Coors, Murphy's Beamish) and Diageo (Guinness, Smithwicks, Carlsberg, Budweiser) and C & C (Bulmers).

This is historically as a result of beer being brewed and traded under licence nationally and kept under the control of the cartel breweries (Coors, Bud etc) as well as the fact that many breweries were bough out / merged with compeitiors (smithwicks in Kilkenny, Beamish and Crawford in Cork etc etc).

Luckily there is a growing thriving craft brew and micro brew / brew pub scene here which is turning the tables somewhat and people who like beer should do their best to support local brewing and keep the fledgling scene alive.


Also, regaring your cheese comment - go into Aldi / Lidl.

Smoked cheese, Delicious.

The Recliner

Shenshen wrote: »

Spot on

I miss the beer, and sometimes the food. But mostly, I do miss the beer.
Don't get me wrong, I like Guinness. But having been here for 8 years now, it does get rather same-y...

It sure does

That is why my first trip to Germany (in Bamberg) was such a revelation

Such a variety of beer and such a lovely friendly people

Ah the Schlenkerla Urbock, what a beer

Tabnabs

Shenshen wrote: »

Take cheese, for example. It's fair to say that the Irish are a nation of dairy-lovers. They are seriously into their dairy.
Yet when it comes to cheese, it's cheddar. Lots and lots of different brands, but still, all cheddar. It's only quite recently that some other kinds of cheese are making their appearance on regular supermarket shelves, both international and Irish ones. But they still aren't anywhere near as prevalent as the cheddars.
So, why the obsession with just one type of (English!) cheese? What happened there?

You go to Holland, the people love their Edam cheese (never seen so much of the stuff), Norway, they love brown goats cheese (and delicious it is too), the UK are chedder lovers too and this probably influences our taste.

Your local supervalu/centre will have a limited choice of cheese varieties, but go to any decent sized supermarket and there's a wide choice to be had. It really isn't too different from most other countries.

As for pubs, go to the UK where the selection is lousy and you'll appreciate the choice we have here.

Variety is based on demand and as another poster pointed out, the philosophy is 'give the people what they want'. Add to that a country with a small population and therefore limited sales when compared to most other countries.

Shenshen

Sky King wrote: »

Also, regaring your cheese comment - go into Aldi / Lidl.

I do, and I love them for it.
But 8 years ago, even their choice was severly limited. It's definitely good to see more choice, and most particularly, more choice of actual Irish products.

seamus

Been like that for quite a long time.

One or two flavours of crisps when in the UK you could get practically any flavour crisp. Most Irish kids experienced a bit of culture shock on their first school tour on the boat to Wales when they discovered that there was more than one type of Monster Munch.

As others say, it's the result of small and relatively captive audience. Probably also something of a hangover from the days of being very poor. Back then, it was meat & two veg, along with your tea and milk. Imported goods were expensive. So manufacturers and distributors either produced or imported large amounts of a small number of goods in order to make them economically more worthwhile.
Even imported goods which managed to sell here, still weren't big cash generators. I was 17 before I tasted a meal that had garlic in it. My mother never bought garlic because she had never learned to cook with it.

To introduce something new to the Irish market meant that you produced/imported it in smaller numbers, therefore you had to sell it for slightly more, and devoid of much disposable income, the Irish consumer might try it once but ultimately would stick to what they know because it was more affordable. It was always quite difficult to introduce something new into the Irish food market unless it filled a gap which wasn't already occupied.

The UK with 15 times the population, and a wealthier population, was always better able to support niche markets.

The Celtic Tiger has let us be more open-minded about this kind of stuff, but there will always be a certain respect afforded to the meals of our parents. Hence why we still buy tae, cheese, ham and bread in monumental quantities.

That's not to say we're still bad though. The variety we see in a normal supermarket would have been unheard of 20 years ago. Different varieties of tea? I thought it was only Lyons or Barry's? Multigrain whatsits and wheat-free bajingos and non-alcoholic drink. All things which would never have survived in the Irish market in the 80's.

I think while we still buy the old traditionals in huge quantities, there's a lot of niche and specialists shops which are doing a good trade on people's new discoveries.

You're talking about changing the dietary and spending habits of an entire nation, which takes a few generations.

I think it's also quite bizarre that we see the same restrictions on our cars. Compare the range of vehicles for one car brand between their Irish and UK websites and you'll see a couple of vehicles missing. You'll also find that you can't get certain options in Ireland for no particular reason.

celtictiger32

BraziliaNZ wrote: »

You can get tonnes of different types of cheeses in Ireland, what are you on about OP?

your right op you can get square cheddar, triangle cheddar and even roundy cheddar you can get them all in that shop down the road from murphys bar ye know the one across from o neils which is beside the central bar:D

Shenshen

Tabnabs wrote: »

You go to Holland, the people love their Edam cheese (never seen so much of the stuff), Norway, they love brown goats cheese (and delicious it is too), the UK are chedder lovers too and this probably influences our taste.

Your local supervalu/centre will have a limited choice of cheese varieties, but go to any decent sized supermarket and there's a wide choice to be had. It really isn't too different from most other countries.
As for pubs, go to the UK where the selection is lousy and you'll appreciate the choice we have here.

Variety is based on demand and as another poster pointed out, the philosophy is 'give the people what they want'. Add to that a country with a small population and therefore limited sales when compared to most other countries.

Thanks for mentioning the Dutch : Edam, Gouda, Tilsit, Masdaam... There is a lot of variety for a relatively small country.

And a journey to the Uk actually sparked the ide to this thread : Wensleydale, Leichester, Glouchester, Cheshire, Stilton. My husband is from England, and the fact that you can get such choice in every Tesco's over there, but basically only cheddar here is something that has been bugging him for some 10 years now.

seamus

To be fair, Tesco over here is **** compared to Tesco in the UK. Tesco Ireland is basically an expensive and poorly stocked Lidl.

If you want more selection in cheeses, there are smaller specialist grocery shops that do this, and most Superquinns also have a a large cheese selection.

biko

Shenshen wrote: »

Yet when it comes to cheese, it's cheddar. Lots and lots of different brands, but still, all cheddar.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uexC5wK9rM

Shenshen

mikemac1 wrote: »

Obsession with Toyota cars

They could out heaps of junk but Toyota can do no wrong in Ireland

*lol Not just that, but they only come in 5 colours: 70% silver, 10% black, 10% dark blue, 5% red and 5% white...

I recently bought a car and nearly despaired, cause I wanted a colour that would allow me to find the car again easily on a big car park.

Wibbs

We're quite a homogenous culture which must be part of it. Have been for quite the while too. Compare that to your average European country where there have been mass movements/invasions/emigration back and forth for thousands of years. That brings along different cultures and with it choice.

Paparazzo

Tabnabs wrote: »

As for pubs, go to the UK where the selection is lousy and you'll appreciate the choice we have here.

:eek:
Complete opposite in my experience. From the superpubs in the centre of london, to city centre pubs in Newcastle, to working mens pubs in industrial towns in Yorkshire to one off country pubs you can always get a few strange beers. Cask ales, local brew, bottles of strong belgian beers are always available as well as the usual stella/kronenberg/fosters you get on tap everywhere.
You have to go to a specialist pub in Ireland to get what's available in every pub in England.

BraziliaNZ

Tabnabs wrote: »

As for pubs, go to the UK where the selection is lousy and you'll appreciate the choice we have here.

In London anyway they have a crazy amount of choice when it comes to beers, more than anywhere else I've ever been in the world

who the fug

BraziliaNZ wrote: »

In London anyway they have a crazy amount of choice when it comes to beers, more than anywhere else I've ever been in the world

It was better twenty years ago

Tabnabs

Shenshen wrote: »

Thanks for mentioning the Dutch : Edam, Gouda, Tilsit, Masdaam... There is a lot of variety for a relatively small country.

And a journey to the Uk actually sparked the ide to this thread : Wensleydale, Leichester, Glouchester, Cheshire, Stilton. My husband is from England, and the fact that you can get such choice in every Tesco's over there, but basically only cheddar here is something that has been bugging him for some 10 years now.

And in a large provincial town in the Netherlands they had a street vendor selling Edam by the cartload and doing roaring trade, it was the only cheese I can remember them selling in any significant numbers. I worked there for a year and it's all we were ever offered in hotels etc.

And despite your selection of cheeses in Tesco UK, chedder is still their favourite... (and any large supermarket here will have the same selections if you actually go looking for it).