We also escaped from The Septic Isle 30 years ago almost to the day (July 10, 1986), from one corporate sector to another. The US sector turned out to be even more evil (MUCH more evil) than the UK version -- as the Chairman of the U.K. Conglomerate had warned me when I gave them my notice. As a child of only 40 at the time (take note, all the kiddies on this board), I knew better, of course, and accepted a salary increase of 250% from the US conglomerate, for a slightly lower position. Just 6-ish months later, the U.K. Conglomerate eliminated almost all of its senior technical positions, including my former position, exporting the work to our Indian friends (who made a complete mess of it, but at a lower cost -- apart from the very much more expensive re-work) then the UK conglomerate dropped out of a field in which it had previously been a global leader. The U.K. Chairman had been left totally unaware of what was about to happen. He retired shortly afterwards, and almost immediately died. The story put around over here several months ago was that Hershey's were trying to block the sale of CDM over here. What's happened is that the major retailers are instead buying and shipping large consignments of CDM direct from England (or wherever, in Europe). The stuff my wife consumes by the cartload is the original formula, with the extra milk, definitely nothing like the Hershey's crap. I have no intention of morphing this into a doctoral thesis.
Export 'grey market' confectionery has always been the case. Oddly a lot of stores in the UK have started selling US confectionery. Same for Stella Artois which is imported into the UK from Belgium as consumers believe the Belgian brewed stuff is better than the UK brewed Stella. I have worked in the confectionery industry for the last 12 years.
Independence seems over rated after the last four weeks. We should have a 'stay on the sinking ship' day instead.
Believe the Belgian brewed Stella is better? It is better. No comparison between the Belgian Stella and the grassy, chemical laden travesty brewed in this country.
But Belgian water tastes more like piss than English water generally does. The water in Ull, of course, tastes like chalk.
A butterfinger once made it into one of my online Tesco orders as a product replacement. Tasted like one of king tuts mummified turds. I imagine. Only chocolate bar I had to bin.
Maybe things have altered but when I first had a Belgian Stella it was a very smooth drink, went down like a bitter. The head has a whiff of nutmeg about it due to them using perfumed hops. The U.K. version is gassy CO2 laden, brewed quickly as opposed to the original Stella which was left for weeks. I remember back in the early 80s there was a French restaurant open for a while on Princes Avenue. He used to bring back barrels of Stella. Decent restaurant, good food but I remember the owner saying a lot of people when ringing up to book wanted to know if there was any Stella on. It was nothing like the vile UK brewed concoction. Maybe things have changed since the original Leuven brewery stopped being used. But last time I had a Belgian Stella it was completely different to the brewed under licence ****e sold here. Always is worse when brewed here. Oranjeboom is another now brewed under licence which tastes nothing like the original.
Stella was a premium beer back in the mid 80s, even if you could get it in Cheese. Now it's the wifebeater's choice Budvar is another one that got bought out and went industrial.
