American in UK visits Sainsbury's and is floored by 'absurd' item

Daily Mirror

11-07-2025

Paige Wester, who moved to the UK from the United States, has visited a Sainsbury's supermarket for the first time and has shared what she thinks of the shopping experience compared to back home
An American woman who visited a Sainsbury's supermarket has taken to social media to share with her compatriots the many stark differences to similar shops in her native country. Paige Wester detailed her shopping experience in a TikTok video, which she began by declaring that there are "things in a UK grocery store that would send Americans into a coma".
The first items that caught Paige's eye were eggs as she highlighted that in the UK they are "never refrigerated". However, she also acknowledged how cheap they are compared to back home, pointing to a box of 10 from the Sainsbury's Stamford Street budget range priced at £1.64. "You just cannot get that in America," she said.
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Paige then headed to the cereal aisle where she held aloft a box of Kellogg's Frosties. "They have frosted flakes here, but they're not called frosted flakes," she continued. "They're called Frosties!"
Tea was next for scrutiny, meanwhile. "This aisle is absolutely insane to me," Paige confessed. "It is an entire aisle just dedicated to different types of teas. I didn't even know this much tea existed in the world."
Paige then moved on to coffee as she confessed that she hadn't realised so many Brits are "obsessed" with instant granules. "I hadn't had instant coffee until I moved here - and I must say it's not that good," she exclaimed.
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The American then headed to the freezer section, where she informed her followers that people in the UK "love to make anything into a pie". Noting the Pukka and Birdseye brands in particular, she revealed: "We've got steak pies, chicken pies, veg pies... don't get me wrong, I love a good pie, but not everything needs to be inside of one.
"Also British people love a cottage pie - I don't even know what that is, but apparently it's really good."
Paige then warned that this is "where things get really scary" as she grabbed a packet of black pudding. "This is a staple in most people's households," she claimed, before informing her fellow Americans what it "actually is". She said: "It's pigs' blood and people eat it for breakfast - this package says 'from breakfast to fine dining,' and that is absolutely absurd to me.
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On to fresh produce, Paige explained that in the US when you are picking out fruit and vegetables there are plastic bags to put them in. However, she noted: "In England, you either have to pay for a bag or just raw dog them into your car."
"This is something I will never get on board with, but British people love their baked beans," Paige added. "There are so many different kinds and aisles of baked beans in the grocery store." She closed by informing her American followers: "People eat them for breakfast, lunch... they'll eat them for dinner. There are a million different brands of them."
Paige closed by expressing her frustration that UK shoppers have to pay for grocery bags. "Yes we are saving the planet by bringing our own, but if you are like me and forget them all the time, then you are screwed."
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One British TikTok user joked in response: "What's weirder than a tea aisle is an aisle dedicated to 50 kinds of Oreos, and 50 kinds of Pringles."
A second person told Paige: "You don't need plastic for fruit or veg, just wash it when you get home or use a paper one. The plastic doesn't get re-used and is so bad environmentally."
A third quipped: "How you view the tea aisle is the same as when I go into an American supermarket and go down the salad dressing aisle."
Whilst a fourth offered a recommendation: "Cottage pie is the most heartwarming meal in UK! It's soooo good, I dare you to dislike it!"