Halloween Hat from Waitrose.
Angela Lansbury in a Halloween hat from Waitrose, 2021.
Shopping and eating are becoming more and more international each year. In the UK in October I see goodies ready for Christmas. From Germany we get stollen.
From Italy we get panettone. The name comes from panetto, with the letter t twice, like the English word letter. Panetto, like pain, French for bread, means bread, a small bread. The end one means large.
Panettone pleases my Spanish speaking friends and a Spanish-speaking friend from Venezuela in my London Toastmasters' Harrovian Speakers group.
From the French croissants for breakfasts have spread worldwide in supermarkets and cafes in supermarkets and cafes alongside. We also get pain au chocolat. At Christmas we see Yule log cakes called Buche de Noel.
The stores and supermarkets themselves have gone international. I see branches of Harrods and Tesco and Marks & Spencers in Singapore.
What about Waitrose? The two places to go would be a company's own website for up to date information, and Wiki. Since the increasingly sophisticated websites know where I am and want to send me local information, to find out what's going on worldwide I often find it handy to check up in Wikipedia. Wiki also gives the history about 'they' who started a company, as well as 'we' who now own it.
My search is rewarded. I can now tell you:
Wiki: 'Waitrose & Partners (formerly Waitrose) is a brand of British supermarkets, founded in 1904 as Waite, Rose & Taylor, later shortened to Waitrose.'
Well, who knew! Not me, nor my family in the UK.
'It was acquired in 1937 by employee-owned retailer John Lewis Partnership, which still sells groceries under the brand. Its head offices are located in Bracknell and Victoria, England. Waitrose & Partners has 332 shops across the United Kingdom, including 65 "little Waitrose" convenience shops, and a 5.1% share of the groceries market, making the company the eighth-largest retailer of groceries in the UK. They also export products to 52 countries and have locations in the Middle East.'
Ah. Not just Britain. Of interest to visitors to the UK, but also to travellers worldwide.
'The chain has been described by The Daily Telegraph and The Guardian as having an "upmarket" reputation, although former managing director Mark Price suggested prices are competitive to Tesco, a mid-market chain.'
And for some fun stuff:
'The company has a royal warrant to supply groceries, wine, and spirits to Queen Elizabeth II and, as of 1 January 2011, to Prince Charles.'
Useful Websites
www.waitrose.com
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waitrose
stollen
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stollen
panettone
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panettone
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borscht#As_a_ritual_dish
About the Author
Angela Lansbury was born and bred in Britain, and has lived in the USA and Singapore. Her family has worked in or lived in Spain and Switzerland.
She is the author of several books on public speaking and quotations.
She is a member of Toastmasters Clubs meeting on Zoom with visitors from the UK and USA, India, Sri Lanka, Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Australia. Through the Toastmasters mentoring program Angela has connected with individuals in Vietnam and Romania, and Belize, a different connection each month. Please come to the next BHA Toastmasters meeting on the 3rd Saturday afternoon every month.
Angela is a member of Harrovian Speakers, London (two Monday evenings each month (BST or GMT) currently part in person and part on Zoom, and VP PR for BHA (1st Monday evening and 3rd Saturday afternoon Singapore Time; and TCA, one Tuesday evening a month, both currently on Zoom, as well as secretary for Singapore Online Dynamic which is online only and always, Friday evening 9.30 pm Singapore time.
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