For anyone that has ever lived abroad, you would always bring along a stock of your favourite foods from your home country. And you feel a sense of familiarity and glee when you see a shop or a restaurant in your adopted country serving food from home. For myself as a Canadian, I indeed have been accompanied by a box of Timbits on a flight to the UK.
Ahead of the Canadian Thanksgiving weekend, I round up some of the places you can snag some Canadian grub in the UK.
For years, I have had to explain to people abroad – “yes, Canadian thanksgiving falls a month before American thanksgiving” and “yes, Canadians also celebrate Thanksgiving too” and answered questions about the significance of celebrating Thanksgiving.
Tim Hortons
Tim Hortons is a quintessential Canadian fast food chain. Well known for their breakfast sandwiches, donuts, and coffee. Particularly: childhood favourite, Timbits, which are basically donuts holes and also their double-double coffee (double cream, double sugar). Timmy’s can essentially be found on any block within Canada.
In the UK, you can find locations around Glasgow, Northern Ireland, Manchester, Birmingham, Leicester, and Cardiff.
The Poutinerie
Poutine is a Canadian dish that is fries with gravy and cheese curds. The dish originates from Quebec and most would say it is a pretty nationalistic Canadian dish. Canadians are also particular about poutine in that you cannot just use any old, ordinary cheese but you must strictly only use cheese curds.
The Poutinerie is a street food trader who is from Canada that operates in London at street food markets like Spitalfields and Brick Lane. If you want to taste Canada without actually getting on an Air Canada flight, check out the Poutinerie.
When Covid hit, they started to sell their kits online with delivery nationwide. You can order a DIY poutine kit that includes a double portion of chips, gravy, cheese curds, and their famous chip seasoning. Note that you need order a week in advance!
Black Bear Burger
Black Bear Burger was inspired by the founders’ ski season in Whistler. They serve burgers, chicken nuggets, shakes, fries, poutine, and more at Boxpark Shoreditch and Brixton Village in London. They were also on Million Pound Menu. IMHO, one of my top burgers in London. A big plus to their food is that in addition to tasting absolutely delicious is that their meats are consciously sourced with animal welfare in mind.
Blue Caribou Canteen
Black Bear Burger was inspired by the founders’ ski season in Whistler. They serve burgers, chicken nuggets, shakes, fries, poutine, and more at Boxpark Shoreditch and Brixton Village in London. They were also on Million Pound Menu. IMHO, one of my top burgers in London. A big plus to their food is that in addition to tasting absolutely delicious is that their meats are consciously sourced with animal welfare in mind.
