Hi Harry, just a quick fact-check for you. Chingford is in London. My dad lives in Highams Park, which is down the road from Chingford. Both Chingford and Highams Park have been in London since 1965. My dad even has a membership at Costco and I've been to the Costco in Chingford many times with him.
One of the best things about Costco was how much money we saved as a family on thd shopping - we always had the massive 30kg washing-up powder and the bulk bags of rice. As Joe says, though, if you're on your own in a wee apartment, it might not be the best. Love that hotdog story.
It's quite frustrating if you are a single person... there are A FEW items I need to buy in bulk maybe once or twice a year. Those are namely dishwasher packs, laundry detergent and toothpaste. I don't need 5 lbs of fish sticks. To put things in perspective, the 92 pack of Cascade Platinum is roughly $22. My local grocery chain at best charges $18 for a 52 pack. Paying $60 for a member would offset the savings on those few items. Something like an express membership would be amazing, where you have a spending limit.
Yea for cleaning and washing stuff it's a lot cheaper than other stores. Other things can seem more expensive though as you have to buy huge packs, but usually works out cheaper per unit.
Don't forget the $4.99 rotisserie chicken, such a steal for what it is. Also the best pre-made rotisserie chicken I've had so far in the US. As a comparison, just bought one from Walmart for $7.99 since I don't currently have a Costco membership, and it was not only smaller, but also dryer than a costco chicken. Seriously, those things are like crack. I've eaten at least half in one go before.
as a college student living with other financially troubled folks my age, those chickens are my saving grace. one of the guys i live with has a membership and i pay him to buy me a chicken once a week. i get a good 4 meals out of it almost everytime
A couple of points. In the UK Costco sell Parmigiano Reggiano Straveechio (36 month aged) for £17.99 per kilo. Lesser aged cheese in the supermarkets cost over £20/kilo and a specialist on line cheese seller has the 36 month version at £40 per kilo.Converting to lb and $ is an exercise for the student. The savings are not insignificant as implied in the video. On a fairly recent trip we spent a total of £339.74 but comparing like for like with items from Tesco, Ocado and Waitrose we saved £86.98 over what we would have had to pay in those supermarkets. And that was only for the items I could find direct equivalents for, about 2/3 of them.
Thank you, Joe and Harry, and to the Food Wars crew and production for creating this video on Costco US vs UK!! Now, once George returns from his "World Tour", could we have another Costco video for US vs Japan?!. Please, please 🙏!!
I think it makes some sense since originally, the warehouse stores, were supposed to be for businesses that needed emergency supplies in between their supplier's runs.
You can also get a Costco membership in the UK if the company you work for has an agreement with them. - that's how I was able to get my membership as I dont work as any of the listed professions.
@@zeddeka they are extremely cheap per serving. It’s a bulk store. For example you get 16oz of goats cheese for $7 but you get 3oz at the store for 4-5. Or the Dino nuggets it’s almost 5lbs and it’s $15 when the 2lbs box at the store is $9ish… it’s not expensive it’s cheap the stuff is huge, if you don’t buy bulk then it doesn’t make sense
18:02 Harry- that’s why Costco does it like that to make you browse the stores and get you to stay longer instead of just coming and getting what you need and leaving quickly certain times of the year they’ll even rearrange the isles to get you confused on where it is
Yep spot on, it is their smart way of making you look around. Most products don't change location so you can go in and get out in under 30 mins whilst you push your trolley full of coke, bog rolls and TVs around
@@roger4880Costco Uk merchandiser I put all the stock out and the foot print of the store does actually move around. Its more down to the whims of the regional manger and also what needs pushing. Some things are kept at a constant like clothing being in the centre of the store and tins being close to breakfast cereal etc.
Costco not really much of a thing in the UK, certainly nothing like as popular as in America. Unless you're buying petrol for your car, they really are noticeably more expensive in the UK than a lot of other retailers. It's just some people go mad with FOMO and think that because you have to join, you're getting something special when you actually aren't.
Costco's food is low key surprisingly good. You'd expect it to be designed to just be bulky and do the job but not much else but the pizza's are actually really good especially if you get the cook at home ones and put your own toppings on 👌. Thought I'd go there once or twice for the novelty but we end up going at least a few times a month now.
0:50 Thank you!! Costco literally up to spec that's a great standard to achieve. I just love how aggressive the CEO is on keeping the Hot Dog Combo a dollar 50 I strive to carry that energy
Now, this is the episode that I've been wanting. I'm more likely to go to Costco than out to eat at a restaurant. You can't beat $1.50 for a hot dog and drink!
Love Costco. One of my favorite 3 stores, and I love so many of the Kirkland brand products. Really good spices, affordable vanilla extract, really good olive oil, etc. And for non-food items great t-shirts, detergents, garbage bags, paper towels, etc. I just love it there, seeing what is new, etc. Just a shame the one nearest me is on the smaller end for Costco, and if I drive an extra 40 min, the next costco is much bigger.
Costco in Canada used to be the same that not everyone could have a membership but you could shop as a guest as long as you didn't spend more than $150. Kind of a strange business model as most people knew someone who you could go with anyway so really at the end of the day everyone could shop there.
I’m jealous 😉 I discovered poutine at Costco while visiting Canada…love the stuff! Too bad they don’t have it down here. But maybe that’s better for my waistline and health 🤔 😆
One of my pet peeves is that restaurants in the U.S. don't distinguish between Shepherd's and Cottage Pie. Shepherd's Pie on the menu but it's actually Cottage. I think I've only had it with traditional lamb once in the dozen or so restaurants I ordered it in.
Considering all the costcos during the pandemic in the UK had signs up that said the hotdogs had been substituted for sausages as the factory in the US was unable to supply them i'm fairly certain the UK and US hotdogs are the exact same thing.
Does anyone else here who follows Harry on Instagram think that he should have his own cooking show - and after the success if Food Tours, they should film it in LA so Joe can be in it too?
The pizzas at Cosco are unreal. You can get 2 slices of pizza if you don't want a whole box and the slices are humongous compared to the plate they're on. Also the Meat Lover's pizza is the only pizza I've had where I was just sick of it after one slice.
11:45 I tried to drain out the oil (which made it “liquidy”) to see if it made a difference, and it did because the PB was dry af. If anything, it makes it creamy and spreadable on bread or other carb product.
I know when going to Costco, I go because its: A) Reliably good. Nothing there is going to be garbage I have to replace in half a year. B) Cheap. Relative to going to Walmart, something of similar quality is almost always cheaper C) Convenient. Not necessarily *getting* the goods, as mentioned. Their sorting is kinda crap, things like food are reliably grouped up though; however their real thing is that **ALL** of it is in one store. Going there means you get everything you need at once, instead of having to go to other stores. D) Generally better business practices than their competitors. I can't fully explain to what they do, but overall they have happier employees from what I recall. E) Free samples. It just means that if you see some food you want to try before getting a whole box of it, you (sometimes) can. Yeah, not everything, but it's still a plus F) Bulk. Anything I buy there, there will be enough. Always.
@@shamirpatel3569 Nice. My dad lives in Highams Park and he's had a membership with Costco for as long as I can remember. I also knew Costco had a location in Croydon as well before watching this video. I didn't realise they had as many locations as they do that weren't in London or on the border of London.
The weird rules about joining Costco in the UK reminds me of a store we had in California called Fedco, where you had to be a federal employee to get a membership.
The discrepancy between the calories for a slice of cheese vs a slice of pepperoni is apparently because the food court adds a portion of cheese to a pizza before adding toppings, meaning that a cheese pizza effectively has an additional portion of cheese compared to the pepperoni.
I used to be able to get kirkland hazelnut spread from my local Costco in the states. I was really disappointed when they stopped carrying it. I liked that it didnt use palm oil, unlike Nutella.
The comments about UK membership requirements miss a point about US Costco: before the US locations became more widely available, they too had a stricter membership model. Back when it was "Price Club", my grandmother was able to get a membership because she was an RN (medical professionals were on the list), and yes she had to prove she was a current RN when she signed up, but that was 30 years ago. It isn't that the UK has a membership requirement, but that they still have one based on national law vis-a-vis retailers, where the US versions were able to relinquish their requirements years ago.
It's one of those things where people think they're missing out on something because they can't join. In the UK, Costco is often noticeably more expensive than other retailers
@@zeddeka it really varies, fuel is the major decider for me, I then shop around for bargains or items I want in bulk. Not everything is cheaper tho I must admit
@@zeddeka I would guess it's good for big families but when we go we end up spending way more because everything is in bulk while we only need small amounts therefore meat and the bakery items are probably the only things we buy plus ready made meals
In college my roommate and I shopped at the original Price Club location in San Diego when they had the restricted membership model. His dad was a contractor, so my roommate had a membership through the business. Around the time Costco and Price Club merged, you could get a membership by having membership in AAA. I can't remember when they decided that money was money and dropped the affiliation requirement.
Seems pretty universal too, I just watched the UK little Cesar’s episode and same issue pale under cooked, sad looking pizza… maybe crispness is too spicy for them 😂
14:48 It must suck that the UK doesn’t have Smuckers and Skippy anywhere but Costco. Peanut butter and jelly is an iconic kid’s sandwich here in the US.
Terribly sorry to correct you Harry. Goober is in fact a real word. In addition to its other meaning, It’s a regional US slang word for peanuts. The word dates to the mid-19th century. It can also be used in a similar way to numpty or thick in the UK.
Oddly enough there is a Costco in New Zealand of all places, its one of those actually rather rare instances of a foreign business managing to pierce into our small market.
The best thing about kirkland’s Waters & drinks is that it works to Bottle Deposit for ¢00.05 per drink here in NY. Also, Harry just basically explained my hometown Costco here in the City of New Hempstead (Uniondale/Westbury Section), Long Island, NY.
We did for a brief period (around 2014ish I think) actually have churros in the foodcourt at the Oldham branch of costco, not sure if they were anywhere else in the UK though
The reason the Costco UK membership is weird is because when they first wanted to open warehouses here the UK supermaket companies objected to it, so the compromise was to restrict membership. It's really strange because they allowed members of the armed forces and veterans to join, but War Widows, like myself, were not. I was able to join because I worked for my county council. I've been a member since 2009 and I've no complaints. There are great bargains to have, Skechers shoes are always at least £10 cheaper than elsewhere and the bakery goods are amazing. While meat is a similar price Costco's is better quality. Pet stuff is seriously cheaper, the saving on the flea stuff for my cats covers the cost of the membership alone. Another bakery good that is lush are the mince pies, unlike any mince pie anywhere else. I end up buying them for the freezer to have them in the summer.
Yes, that's the version of the membership rule I heard. I don't know if it's correct. Anyhow I think Costco will bend over backwards to try and fit you in. I retired from IBM (a qualifying company) back in 2002, but had no problem joining Costco in 2014 on the back of it. If that hadn't worked, my wife (also well retired) could have used previous employment with the RAF or the NHS as a way in or my daughter as a member of a university admin staff. As for products, nearly everything we buy is cheaper than equivalent items in the major supermarkets or Ocado (a UK on line only supermarket). You have to compare like-for-like, sometimes a supermarket will have an own-brand cheapie, but is it as good? The only place you have to look at closely is the price is fresh fruit and veg. Often these are no cheaper per kilo than a supermarket, but the quality is good, and sometimes here there are still bargains to be had - garlic is very cheap compared to anywhere else, but you do have to buy quite a lot of it. Not to worry, it freezes well and has the added bonus that, once defrosted, peels very easily.
Holy god!!! That's where the goobers went!!! Nobody even believes me that goobers exist. Also, Kirkland wines are on point with many others around the $10 price point. My warehouse brings 58% of our states wine and that's without counting our Kirkland division we deliver direct to Costco. They do have a knack for being on par with many great names in the realm of wine. Love the videos guys
5:55 when you buy their cottage pies from the pre made section (ready made meals 4 in a pack) omg so much cheese on the top and it’s so much mince in a rich gravy with a lovely mash on top. I freeze them defrost for 12 hours before use so good.
With the burger and the hotdog they have sauces you can add yourself, so it's less dry. Pizzas are hand stretched and after making the hundredth pizza, you may lose a couple centimetres. The sundaes, frappes, smoothis at UK Costos change throughout the year. Now they have the strawberry sundae, vanilla soft serve ice cream and some stores have gelato. I don't like the cottage pie for the same reason, stingy with the mince.
They show the pizza as a 50% decrease in the US but they don’t factor in that the uk pizza is cut into 6 slices, while the us one is cut into 12, and considering that the diameter is basically the same, the pizza is the same weight, just depends on how you slice it
Wish we could get the Kirkland dried mango here in uk. I LOVE dried mango but it often costs SOOOOO much for just a small bag here in uk. Then for the ones where it’s still got some moisture it even more expensive.
I have been buying parmigiano reggiano from Costco in the UK for 17+ years, in the exact same packaging and sizes, aged from between 18 months to 36 months. The 36 month aged cheese has been replaced somewhat recently by a larger 30 month aged brick.
Love working at Costco and seeing this !!!! Wish we had the menu options from all over the world. USA food court is good but every other country is crushing us !!!! Love working for this company !!!!
The peanut butter is organic and natural. It only has peanuts and salt unlike most other peanut butters like the Skippy. The Kirkland peanut butter is stored in the fridge and will get much more solid. I enjoy putting it in the freezer as well.
You should do Costco Canada Vs US. Our food court is very different with deep fried chicken buckets, chicken strips and fries, Poutine and ice cream. Our hot dog / pop combo is $1.50 CAD so $1.11 USD today.
Warehouse stores were originally created to supply businesses, hence the "bulk" sizes. It was a big deal when they started letting other consumers in (in the U.S.). Someone mentioned in another comment that laws restrict U.K. warehouse stores to a "membership only" model ("unfair" competition to the old way of doing things, I guess).
The thing that isn't really mentioned in this video is that Costco in the UK is often noticeably more expensive than the regular supermarkets for a lot of things (laundry detergent being one example), so they're not really doing anything special. The model they seem to have followed in the UK is of the old "cash and carry" - basically a wholesaler. Except a lot of their prices are worse.
@@zeddeka Huh. Can't think of amy reason they would charge more for some items, other than "We're American and we do what we want." (Heh-heh, not really, or ...?)
@@JDoors it's really not much more expensive, some items are great value, some aren't, the difference is you don't lose the quality compared to other shops "home brand", the fuel alone pays off membership value, if you have one nearby and travel enough, it pays off
Id argue they keep it cheap because its part of what draws people in and then they make up the profit when visitors buy things in store while being there
the grape thing is because blackcurrant is banned in the US, and many companies that do a purple sweet, like skittles, will use something that would be purple still, for theirs, so grape. If it was never banned, it would still be blackcurrant and their grape things today wouldn't really exist
Hm. Peanut butter is fairly popular in the UK. Just nowhere near as much as in usa I guess. It's great on toast, and the chocolate peanut butter bars are popular, like reeces and peanut butter kitkat chunky etc.
Harry the savings are more apparent on specialty items like if you’re buying honey sure it’s cheaper cuz you’re buying more, but specialty honey like manuka bigger price difference. Some items where discount might not be so apparent then savings probably come from quality. Item might similar price, but quality will be better. Third advantage to Costco is the warranties and guarantees and return windows
I dont know if theyre the same thing as animal crackers but in the UK we have Chocolate Animals, which look super simular to animal crackers but with a layer of chocolate on one side
@@Abi-bi6cb The American animal crackers from Costco are definitely a biscuit and are about as sweet as a digestive. At the same time, you can get sweeter animal cracker varieties in the US.
Real question? What do you guys do with all the food at the end? Do you share it with the whole crew there or do you like maybe donate it out elsewhere?
Costco is a good company. They have some good quality products for the price & they’re very on point with their logistics as well. I don’t have a membership anymore as a single person but if I had another person or two, I think it’s worth it. And their gas stations are always clean.
Based on this video and the recently uploaded Mythical Kitchen video, I get the impression that the Costco in Burbank must just be filled with food UA-camrs. Does Joe know Josh?
Last March, I was in Santa Barbara, CA. I asked an actual French person (who is also the Director of Languages at UCSB) where to get good bread. She said, hmm. Costco has really great baguettes. Quelle suprise.
peanut butter isn't popular in europe in general. like, we have it, i can go to the supermarket and its on the shelves, but it's like a small shelf with a few jars of it, and they're fairly small jars as well, they're usually surrounded by all the different types of jams, which take up way more space. so yeah, it's just not that big outside the u.s
What? No sundae’s? Maybe they are regional but some of there berry sundae’s and or chocolate sundae’s are really good! Also can’t go wrong with their hotdogs or Caesar salads!
In Canada (Ontario at least) it seems the norm that cottage pie is just called shepherds pie. Never really hear the term cottage pie, but probably 90% of “shepherds pie” are made with beef
I still think in the UK for an average family Aldi, lidl or Tesco are more than enough. Paying for a Costco membership card and buying everything in bulk is not worth it. As we had to buy everything in bulk and also make sure the membership is worth it we tend to buy stuff we don't need. So it's better to shop at your local Aldi/ Tesco.
You are correct, most of the time Lidl and Aldi are much more budget friendly. However, the real saving for most Costco members is access to their petrol pumps - useful if you're driving a lot.
In the UK, I think membership is more limited due to wholesale tax stuff Anyways, if you want a Costco UK membership, but don't currently qualify, open a free business bank account with Monzo (or others) and then go in with your Business Debit Card, and get a trade membership. Not only is it cheaper, but also circumvents the individual membership requirements
Why bother? unless you're buying petrol, Costco in the UK is often noticeably more expensive than a lot of other retailers. You're really not missing out on anything, it's just FOMO.
"I don't work for Costco, I'm just a truth seeker" - one of the best quotes this show has come out with, cheers Harry 😂😂
I thought he said treat seeker 😂🤦🏻♀️
It IS an amazing business!
I personally think we should have let Joe try all the wines
Y’all should do slim chickens for an episode
I mean trying all the affordable and higher end of beers/wines from each UK /US country would be fun like a party
Hi Harry, just a quick fact-check for you. Chingford is in London. My dad lives in Highams Park, which is down the road from Chingford. Both Chingford and Highams Park have been in London since 1965. My dad even has a membership at Costco and I've been to the Costco in Chingford many times with him.
Morrisons sells skippy
that UK version of pizza looked a little better if I'm being honest.
One of the best things about Costco was how much money we saved as a family on thd shopping - we always had the massive 30kg washing-up powder and the bulk bags of rice. As Joe says, though, if you're on your own in a wee apartment, it might not be the best. Love that hotdog story.
It's quite frustrating if you are a single person... there are A FEW items I need to buy in bulk maybe once or twice a year. Those are namely dishwasher packs, laundry detergent and toothpaste. I don't need 5 lbs of fish sticks.
To put things in perspective, the 92 pack of Cascade Platinum is roughly $22. My local grocery chain at best charges $18 for a 52 pack. Paying $60 for a member would offset the savings on those few items. Something like an express membership would be amazing, where you have a spending limit.
Washing up powder??? What is that?
Yea for cleaning and washing stuff it's a lot cheaper than other stores. Other things can seem more expensive though as you have to buy huge packs, but usually works out cheaper per unit.
Don't forget the $4.99 rotisserie chicken, such a steal for what it is. Also the best pre-made rotisserie chicken I've had so far in the US. As a comparison, just bought one from Walmart for $7.99 since I don't currently have a Costco membership, and it was not only smaller, but also dryer than a costco chicken. Seriously, those things are like crack. I've eaten at least half in one go before.
as a college student living with other financially troubled folks my age, those chickens are my saving grace. one of the guys i live with has a membership and i pay him to buy me a chicken once a week. i get a good 4 meals out of it almost everytime
Yeah but you're eating a chicken that had the worst suffering its entire life and is processed and full of poison
I didn’t even know the UK had a Costco
Neither did I
They aren't common - I don't have one in my city.
I think there is one near Lakeside
We have a good one in the Edinburgh area, insanely busy, like always.
@@smallrossy we too have one here in Milton Keynes, always super busy
A couple of points. In the UK Costco sell Parmigiano Reggiano Straveechio (36 month aged) for £17.99 per kilo. Lesser aged cheese in the supermarkets cost over £20/kilo and a specialist on line cheese seller has the 36 month version at £40 per kilo.Converting to lb and $ is an exercise for the student.
The savings are not insignificant as implied in the video. On a fairly recent trip we spent a total of £339.74 but comparing like for like with items from Tesco, Ocado and Waitrose we saved £86.98 over what we would have had to pay in those supermarkets. And that was only for the items I could find direct equivalents for, about 2/3 of them.
Was looking for this comment! We regularly buy that parmigiano reggiano, as it's good quality and £/kg cheaper than supermarkets.
you got too much time on your hands
@@BounceyBallYT Man likes a deal. Can't hate it.
@@BounceyBallYTInvestment of a little bit of time to save a substantial amount of money is a good investment.
I couldn't understand his comment on the lack of savings. I make enormous savings on a lot of things.
Thank you, Joe and Harry, and to the Food Wars crew and production for creating this video on Costco US vs UK!! Now, once George returns from his "World Tour", could we have another Costco video for US vs Japan?!. Please, please 🙏!!
I think the most eye opening thing in this episode is that Costco in the UK is only for certain professions.
I think it makes some sense since originally, the warehouse stores, were supposed to be for businesses that needed emergency supplies in between their supplier's runs.
You can also get a Costco membership in the UK if the company you work for has an agreement with them. - that's how I was able to get my membership as I dont work as any of the listed professions.
You're really not missing anything. They're often quite a bit more expensive than other places.
Yeah that is really strange. I'm in NZ and anyone here can get a membership just by signing up and paying the $60.
@@zeddeka they are extremely cheap per serving. It’s a bulk store. For example you get 16oz of goats cheese for $7 but you get 3oz at the store for 4-5.
Or the Dino nuggets it’s almost 5lbs and it’s $15 when the 2lbs box at the store is $9ish… it’s not expensive it’s cheap the stuff is huge, if you don’t buy bulk then it doesn’t make sense
18:02 Harry- that’s why Costco does it like that to make you browse the stores and get you to stay longer instead of just coming and getting what you need and leaving quickly certain times of the year they’ll even rearrange the isles to get you confused on where it is
Yep spot on, it is their smart way of making you look around. Most products don't change location so you can go in and get out in under 30 mins whilst you push your trolley full of coke, bog rolls and TVs around
@@roger4880Costco Uk merchandiser I put all the stock out and the foot print of the store does actually move around. Its more down to the whims of the regional manger and also what needs pushing. Some things are kept at a constant like clothing being in the centre of the store and tins being close to breakfast cereal etc.
Costco not really much of a thing in the UK, certainly nothing like as popular as in America. Unless you're buying petrol for your car, they really are noticeably more expensive in the UK than a lot of other retailers. It's just some people go mad with FOMO and think that because you have to join, you're getting something special when you actually aren't.
We appreciate this series. Keep it up.
Costco's food is low key surprisingly good. You'd expect it to be designed to just be bulky and do the job but not much else but the pizza's are actually really good especially if you get the cook at home ones and put your own toppings on 👌. Thought I'd go there once or twice for the novelty but we end up going at least a few times a month now.
0:50 Thank you!! Costco literally up to spec that's a great standard to achieve. I just love how aggressive the CEO is on keeping the Hot Dog Combo a dollar 50 I strive to carry that energy
"If you raise the price of the f*cking hot dog, I will kill you" is the level of power I want to have over a company
Nonono not over my dead body it will be over yours.
Now, this is the episode that I've been wanting. I'm more likely to go to Costco than out to eat at a restaurant. You can't beat $1.50 for a hot dog and drink!
Exactly, you can’t beat it! But I can beat you…
You can't beat the price. But a restaurant or food festival stand will definitely beat on taste.
@@Jimmy_Jones oh 100% but then again a hungry stomach will make everything taste great. So 1.50 combo sounds good to me.
Love Costco. One of my favorite 3 stores, and I love so many of the Kirkland brand products. Really good spices, affordable vanilla extract, really good olive oil, etc. And for non-food items great t-shirts, detergents, garbage bags, paper towels, etc. I just love it there, seeing what is new, etc. Just a shame the one nearest me is on the smaller end for Costco, and if I drive an extra 40 min, the next costco is much bigger.
Sounds worth it tho
You save money shopping and then have a slice of amazing pizza for 1.99 on your way out. Costco is a happy place
Very different in the UK. They're often quite noticeably more expensive than many other retailers
Me and my family used to go there a lot when we were kind s. The price is good for feeding a family of, 5
I love the Kirkland Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
Costco in Canada used to be the same that not everyone could have a membership but you could shop as a guest as long as you didn't spend more than $150. Kind of a strange business model as most people knew someone who you could go with anyway so really at the end of the day everyone could shop there.
I’m jealous 😉 I discovered poutine at Costco while visiting Canada…love the stuff! Too bad they don’t have it down here. But maybe that’s better for my waistline and health 🤔 😆
It was during the Price club era; I remember my uncle had to sponsor my father.
One of my pet peeves is that restaurants in the U.S. don't distinguish between Shepherd's and Cottage Pie. Shepherd's Pie on the menu but it's actually Cottage. I think I've only had it with traditional lamb once in the dozen or so restaurants I ordered it in.
Considering all the costcos during the pandemic in the UK had signs up that said the hotdogs had been substituted for sausages as the factory in the US was unable to supply them i'm fairly certain the UK and US hotdogs are the exact same thing.
Does anyone else here who follows Harry on Instagram think that he should have his own cooking show - and after the success if Food Tours, they should film it in LA so Joe can be in it too?
I would watch 😜
@harrykersh Hello Harry - thanks for replying, and for a new Food Wars.
The pizzas at Cosco are unreal. You can get 2 slices of pizza if you don't want a whole box and the slices are humongous compared to the plate they're on. Also the Meat Lover's pizza is the only pizza I've had where I was just sick of it after one slice.
As an Italian, Costco pizza is an abomination to pizza
@@Ncharlop As an american we don't care
@@Ncharlop As an Italian, I'm sure you think that about all American pizza.
@Ncharlop You are correct. If Italians didn't make your pizza its not pizza. Ciao bello
@@Ncharlop As a human, I do not care.
11:45 I tried to drain out the oil (which made it “liquidy”) to see if it made a difference, and it did because the PB was dry af. If anything, it makes it creamy and spreadable on bread or other carb product.
if you mix it well then refrigerate it the peanut butter a lot thicker, it also says to do that on the bottle
The Krikland brand is named after Kirkland Washington USA. Where Costco was founded 9:18
I love how many shots they had with those hot dogs and never bit into it while trying everything else.
I know when going to Costco, I go because its:
A) Reliably good. Nothing there is going to be garbage I have to replace in half a year.
B) Cheap. Relative to going to Walmart, something of similar quality is almost always cheaper
C) Convenient. Not necessarily *getting* the goods, as mentioned. Their sorting is kinda crap, things like food are reliably grouped up though; however their real thing is that **ALL** of it is in one store. Going there means you get everything you need at once, instead of having to go to other stores.
D) Generally better business practices than their competitors. I can't fully explain to what they do, but overall they have happier employees from what I recall.
E) Free samples. It just means that if you see some food you want to try before getting a whole box of it, you (sometimes) can. Yeah, not everything, but it's still a plus
F) Bulk. Anything I buy there, there will be enough. Always.
Very different here in the UK. Costco here is often noticeably more expensive than other retailers.
Harry is so hilarious. Protect him at all costs!
Ah, another installment in the "Wait, we have that in the UK?" series
We have the parmesan cheese in the uk
We've had Costco for decades in the UK. There's one in Chingford near where my dad lives.
@@leonbanks5728 same that’s my local
@@leonbanks5728 next year will be 30 years
@@shamirpatel3569 Nice. My dad lives in Highams Park and he's had a membership with Costco for as long as I can remember. I also knew Costco had a location in Croydon as well before watching this video. I didn't realise they had as many locations as they do that weren't in London or on the border of London.
The weird rules about joining Costco in the UK reminds me of a store we had in California called Fedco, where you had to be a federal employee to get a membership.
The discrepancy between the calories for a slice of cheese vs a slice of pepperoni is apparently because the food court adds a portion of cheese to a pizza before adding toppings, meaning that a cheese pizza effectively has an additional portion of cheese compared to the pepperoni.
I used to be able to get kirkland hazelnut spread from my local Costco in the states. I was really disappointed when they stopped carrying it. I liked that it didnt use palm oil, unlike Nutella.
Oh no! I didn’t realize the stopped selling it 😭
The comments about UK membership requirements miss a point about US Costco: before the US locations became more widely available, they too had a stricter membership model. Back when it was "Price Club", my grandmother was able to get a membership because she was an RN (medical professionals were on the list), and yes she had to prove she was a current RN when she signed up, but that was 30 years ago. It isn't that the UK has a membership requirement, but that they still have one based on national law vis-a-vis retailers, where the US versions were able to relinquish their requirements years ago.
It's one of those things where people think they're missing out on something because they can't join. In the UK, Costco is often noticeably more expensive than other retailers
@@zeddeka it really varies, fuel is the major decider for me, I then shop around for bargains or items I want in bulk. Not everything is cheaper tho I must admit
@@zeddeka I would guess it's good for big families but when we go we end up spending way more because everything is in bulk while we only need small amounts therefore meat and the bakery items are probably the only things we buy plus ready made meals
@@TheMcspreader The law isn't about selling products, it's about zoning, a wholesale location can be in location where a regular store can't be.
In college my roommate and I shopped at the original Price Club location in San Diego when they had the restricted membership model. His dad was a contractor, so my roommate had a membership through the business. Around the time Costco and Price Club merged, you could get a membership by having membership in AAA. I can't remember when they decided that money was money and dropped the affiliation requirement.
The lack of browning on the pizza in the UK is depressing those browned cheese spots are amazing
I can only assume it was just a lazy cook as ive never seen it so pale
Seems pretty universal too, I just watched the UK little Cesar’s episode and same issue pale under cooked, sad looking pizza… maybe crispness is too spicy for them 😂
14:48 It must suck that the UK doesn’t have Smuckers and Skippy anywhere but Costco. Peanut butter and jelly is an iconic kid’s sandwich here in the US.
Thank You! I'd love to see an Ikea virsion!!
Thanks for doing this video finally! I have been requesting this video on almost every poll y'all posted 🤣
No idea we had Costco in UK. Also, we need to see Alcohol Wars. That would be amazing
They have 29 locations
There's a few in London
Terribly sorry to correct you Harry. Goober is in fact a real word. In addition to its other meaning, It’s a regional US slang word for peanuts. The word dates to the mid-19th century. It can also be used in a similar way to numpty or thick in the UK.
Oddly enough there is a Costco in New Zealand of all places, its one of those actually rather rare instances of a foreign business managing to pierce into our small market.
They also have one in Iceland
The best thing about kirkland’s Waters & drinks is that it works to Bottle Deposit for ¢00.05 per drink here in NY. Also, Harry just basically explained my hometown Costco here in the City of New Hempstead (Uniondale/Westbury Section), Long Island, NY.
We did for a brief period (around 2014ish I think) actually have churros in the foodcourt at the Oldham branch of costco, not sure if they were anywhere else in the UK though
As a Brit the buggest surprise to me is we even have Costco in the UK. First time ive ever heard of it.
There are 29 locations in the U.K.
They have mince pies in the UK at Christmas! They are great! They have a sponge top, which is different
Sponge? No. Mince pies are made with shortcrust or puff pastry. Some have an iced topping, in case they're not already sweet enough
@@dellzincht I know what a mince pie is, the ones at Costco have a sponge like lid on top of shortcrust pastry
11:05 I wouldn’t have that cheese in a wine and cheese party it’s more for grating over pasta with ragu sauce or a spaghetti bolognaise
Did harry actually say Chingford is just outside London 🤦🏾♂️ 3:28 😅
yeah it in london E4
It’s probably in china town
1:47 '50% decrease' on the weight of the pizza slice: duh??? One was cut into sixths and one into twelfths
The reason the Costco UK membership is weird is because when they first wanted to open warehouses here the UK supermaket companies objected to it, so the compromise was to restrict membership. It's really strange because they allowed members of the armed forces and veterans to join, but War Widows, like myself, were not. I was able to join because I worked for my county council.
I've been a member since 2009 and I've no complaints. There are great bargains to have, Skechers shoes are always at least £10 cheaper than elsewhere and the bakery goods are amazing. While meat is a similar price Costco's is better quality.
Pet stuff is seriously cheaper, the saving on the flea stuff for my cats covers the cost of the membership alone.
Another bakery good that is lush are the mince pies, unlike any mince pie anywhere else. I end up buying them for the freezer to have them in the summer.
Yes, that's the version of the membership rule I heard. I don't know if it's correct. Anyhow I think Costco will bend over backwards to try and fit you in. I retired from IBM (a qualifying company) back in 2002, but had no problem joining Costco in 2014 on the back of it. If that hadn't worked, my wife (also well retired) could have used previous employment with the RAF or the NHS as a way in or my daughter as a member of a university admin staff.
As for products, nearly everything we buy is cheaper than equivalent items in the major supermarkets or Ocado (a UK on line only supermarket). You have to compare like-for-like, sometimes a supermarket will have an own-brand cheapie, but is it as good? The only place you have to look at closely is the price is fresh fruit and veg. Often these are no cheaper per kilo than a supermarket, but the quality is good, and sometimes here there are still bargains to be had - garlic is very cheap compared to anywhere else, but you do have to buy quite a lot of it. Not to worry, it freezes well and has the added bonus that, once defrosted, peels very easily.
Oil separation from peanut butter happens even when it's a peanut and salt only mix. The remedy is stirring it into the jar after opening.
After this episode, My respect and brand value for costco has 📈📈!!
Alright 🎉🎉 i was wondering when the new episode was going to drop just made my work day a little bit better
It takes like half an hour waiting in line at Costco so i feel I have to get atleast 4 hot dogs to justify the wait time
10:00 we do have Cadbury animal biscuits, which are just so nostalgic
Yesssss! Now I want some 😂
Holy god!!! That's where the goobers went!!! Nobody even believes me that goobers exist. Also, Kirkland wines are on point with many others around the $10 price point. My warehouse brings 58% of our states wine and that's without counting our Kirkland division we deliver direct to Costco. They do have a knack for being on par with many great names in the realm of wine. Love the videos guys
5:55 when you buy their cottage pies from the pre made section (ready made meals 4 in a pack) omg so much cheese on the top and it’s so much mince in a rich gravy with a lovely mash on top. I freeze them defrost for 12 hours before use so good.
Peanut butter is definitely popular in the UK!
@Alex it's not anywhere near as popular as in America.
@@zeddeka 10 years ago maybe but for the younger generations it is
@@zeddekaor Canada. Us Canadians eat more pb per capita than any other nation in the world
those specific blueberry muffins are a staple. must buy every time you go to costco.
With the burger and the hotdog they have sauces you can add yourself, so it's less dry.
Pizzas are hand stretched and after making the hundredth pizza, you may lose a couple centimetres.
The sundaes, frappes, smoothis at UK Costos change throughout the year. Now they have the strawberry sundae, vanilla soft serve ice cream and some stores have gelato.
I don't like the cottage pie for the same reason, stingy with the mince.
They show the pizza as a 50% decrease in the US but they don’t factor in that the uk pizza is cut into 6 slices, while the us one is cut into 12, and considering that the diameter is basically the same, the pizza is the same weight, just depends on how you slice it
Wish we could get the Kirkland dried mango here in uk. I LOVE dried mango but it often costs SOOOOO much for just a small bag here in uk. Then for the ones where it’s still got some moisture it even more expensive.
In my costco they had dried mango and other dried fruit . I was a little confused as I have recently purchased them
We do, I buy it regularly
I have been buying parmigiano reggiano from Costco in the UK for 17+ years, in the exact same packaging and sizes, aged from between 18 months to 36 months. The 36 month aged cheese has been replaced somewhat recently by a larger 30 month aged brick.
that calorie count blew my socks off, insane amount for a slice of pizza in the UK, did not expect it tbh
The UK one is a double-sized slice (6 per pizza) compared with the US version (12 per pie). That’s why the calorie count is so high.
Love working at Costco and seeing this !!!! Wish we had the menu options from all over the world. USA food court is good but every other country is crushing us !!!! Love working for this company !!!!
The peanut butter is organic and natural. It only has peanuts and salt unlike most other peanut butters like the Skippy. The Kirkland peanut butter is stored in the fridge and will get much more solid. I enjoy putting it in the freezer as well.
You should do Costco Canada Vs US. Our food court is very different with deep fried chicken buckets, chicken strips and fries, Poutine and ice cream. Our hot dog / pop combo is $1.50 CAD so $1.11 USD today.
Didn’t expect that. I wanna go now
I'm so glad we have the churros in Australian Costco 😊
CRUNCHY PEANUT BUTTER ALL THE WAY..... Love from England ❤
This video was a testament to the power of creativity and storytelling, it left me in awe
Warehouse stores were originally created to supply businesses, hence the "bulk" sizes. It was a big deal when they started letting other consumers in (in the U.S.). Someone mentioned in another comment that laws restrict U.K. warehouse stores to a "membership only" model ("unfair" competition to the old way of doing things, I guess).
The only time I've been in one is buying props for a theatre.
The thing that isn't really mentioned in this video is that Costco in the UK is often noticeably more expensive than the regular supermarkets for a lot of things (laundry detergent being one example), so they're not really doing anything special. The model they seem to have followed in the UK is of the old "cash and carry" - basically a wholesaler. Except a lot of their prices are worse.
@@zeddeka Huh. Can't think of amy reason they would charge more for some items, other than "We're American and we do what we want." (Heh-heh, not really, or ...?)
@@JDoors it's really not much more expensive, some items are great value, some aren't, the difference is you don't lose the quality compared to other shops "home brand", the fuel alone pays off membership value, if you have one nearby and travel enough, it pays off
Costco, like In & Out, have refused to increase the prices for their food, even despite “inflation”. Good on em
Id argue they keep it cheap because its part of what draws people in and then they make up the profit when visitors buy things in store while being there
@@princess-zw6rw very true
Skippy and goober is available in most largish supermarkets, though it is in the US section, along with reeses and others
the grape thing is because blackcurrant is banned in the US, and many companies that do a purple sweet, like skittles, will use something that would be purple still, for theirs, so grape. If it was never banned, it would still be blackcurrant and their grape things today wouldn't really exist
Love these videos
Hm. Peanut butter is fairly popular in the UK. Just nowhere near as much as in usa I guess.
It's great on toast, and the chocolate peanut butter bars are popular, like reeces and peanut butter kitkat chunky etc.
nah to toast its best in a sandwhich with cheap soft white highly processed bread and a good helping of blueberry or strawberry jam
@@GreatSageSunWukong that's the American way.
For me that is waaaaay to sweet.
Peanut butter crunchy on toast for breakfast is perfect.
@@GamerBully well they got it right, its the best way, toast needs butter and a slim touche of marmite.
love the videos of food from us to uk or other locations. canadian costco has hot dogs and pizza but we have poutine (fries and cheese and gravy) 👍👍
Cheese curds
Costco’s food counter is god tier in cost, portions and taste.
Insider need to do a Costco Korea edition. Insane.
I'm with Joe - I'm all about the harsh bubbles 🌊💙
Harry is spot on about the bbq chicken pizza
I thought the membership thing was a worldwide requirement. I'm gobsmacked that anyone can just walk into Costco outside of the UK.
WAIT REALLY????
@@user-gw3hq4mb7m apparently so
I don't know about that, but at my Costco in Vermont (US), you definitely need a membership to shop there.
Harry the savings are more apparent on specialty items like if you’re buying honey sure it’s cheaper cuz you’re buying more, but specialty honey like manuka bigger price difference.
Some items where discount might not be so apparent then savings probably come from quality. Item might similar price, but quality will be better.
Third advantage to Costco is the warranties and guarantees and return windows
I dont know if theyre the same thing as animal crackers but in the UK we have Chocolate Animals, which look super simular to animal crackers but with a layer of chocolate on one side
Chocolate animals are biscuits, I assume the animal crackers are more like mini cheddars or Ritz crackers.
@@Abi-bi6cb The American animal crackers from Costco are definitely a biscuit and are about as sweet as a digestive. At the same time, you can get sweeter animal cracker varieties in the US.
16:18 Those cookies are here in the US I think. So good
Real question? What do you guys do with all the food at the end? Do you share it with the whole crew there or do you like maybe donate it out elsewhere?
Interesting! Canadians can get a membership for around $80 a year. It's always busy. Almost nothing is cheaper than elsewhere
I work in a high-end restaurant, and we serve Aberdeen Angus. Kudos to Costco.
Costco is a good company. They have some good quality products for the price & they’re very on point with their logistics as well. I don’t have a membership anymore as a single person but if I had another person or two, I think it’s worth it.
And their gas stations are always clean.
Based on this video and the recently uploaded Mythical Kitchen video, I get the impression that the Costco in Burbank must just be filled with food UA-camrs. Does Joe know Josh?
Thank you for reviewing Costco.
Last March, I was in Santa Barbara, CA. I asked an actual French person (who is also the Director of Languages at UCSB) where to get good bread. She said, hmm. Costco has really great baguettes. Quelle suprise.
We don’t have a large French population in the US. Maybe try the expensive French Laundry way up in Northern California
"This is journalism if any one asks" **AS they are presenting their research & knowledge to the public**
peanut butter isn't popular in europe in general. like, we have it, i can go to the supermarket and its on the shelves, but it's like a small shelf with a few jars of it, and they're fairly small jars as well, they're usually surrounded by all the different types of jams, which take up way more space. so yeah, it's just not that big outside the u.s
14:59 I am sure people buy it but we just buy the welch's jelly or another brand than peanut butter separately
I had their hot dog a while back and was surprised of the size considering the price.
I work my hours to end. Everybody does it their own way. Glad you hit goal!!
What? No sundae’s? Maybe they are regional but some of there berry sundae’s and or chocolate sundae’s are really good! Also can’t go wrong with their hotdogs or Caesar salads!
Really liking this series
As an American, I fail to see British objections to peanut butter when Marmite is, without a doubt, the most disgusting food item ever invented.
In Canada (Ontario at least) it seems the norm that cottage pie is just called shepherds pie. Never really hear the term cottage pie, but probably 90% of “shepherds pie” are made with beef
I still think in the UK for an average family Aldi, lidl or Tesco are more than enough. Paying for a Costco membership card and buying everything in bulk is not worth it. As we had to buy everything in bulk and also make sure the membership is worth it we tend to buy stuff we don't need. So it's better to shop at your local Aldi/ Tesco.
You are correct, most of the time Lidl and Aldi are much more budget friendly. However, the real saving for most Costco members is access to their petrol pumps - useful if you're driving a lot.
This series is one of my favorite things
In the UK, I think membership is more limited due to wholesale tax stuff
Anyways, if you want a Costco UK membership, but don't currently qualify, open a free business bank account with Monzo (or others) and then go in with your Business Debit Card, and get a trade membership. Not only is it cheaper, but also circumvents the individual membership requirements
Why bother? unless you're buying petrol, Costco in the UK is often noticeably more expensive than a lot of other retailers. You're really not missing out on anything, it's just FOMO.
6:50 I wish we had that in the US Costcos