We chose Nordestetics for reasons I’ll go into below. I did most of the research into the clinic beforehand, and we took lots of pictures and notes when we were there.

Now we’re back home in the UK, we’ve decided to write up a complete review and guide to Nordesthetics (or “Nords” as many people call it), with the full story on how it all went, in case it’s useful for those considering going to have similar procedures.

Disclaimer: Everyone’s body is different, and these results aren’t necessarily indicative of how the same procedures might affect another individual. This isn’t medical or financial advice – this article is for informational purposes only.

This is a LONG read, so grab a cuppa – and you’ll probably want a pen and paper or your phone to take notes! We did tons of research on every aspect of the trip, so hope it helps if you’re about to do the same.

Plastic Surgery Abroad: Why Lithuania? [and Not Turkey]

When Sam first started researching tummy tucks abroad (including the all-inclusive “mummy makeover” packages) she looked at Turkey first. It’s been in the press a lot, some celebs have done it, and prices seemed cheaper than anywhere else.

There are a LOT of companies and clinics selling plastic surgery in Turkey. It’s incredibly difficult to wade through them and assess their quality. Many have a slick marketing operation with websites that look legit, but don’t give much ‘real’ information.

A lot of online reviews can’t be trusted, unless the person can prove they actually attended the clinic (which is why we’re writing this first-hand account!).

Remember, anyone can fill in a 5-star review form online, and anyone can put what they like on a website (which is why we’re including all our own pictures and reports here).

How We Made a Shortlist of Clinics (and How You Can, Too)

After sending initial emails out to a handful of clinics (including Nords), it was easier to make a shortlist. If you’re thinking of having plastic surgery abroad, you should do this too – get a few quotes, and assess the quality of the responses you get. Do lots of research.

Things you should check are:

• Full CVs of surgeons with membership of internationally-recognized medical associations (not just local ones, or associate memberships) – for example, can you call the association and see if the surgeon really is a member? Who are their colleagues? Who can vouch for them? Where are they professionally recognized? Where have they practised? Are they board certified?
  
• Are they a “real” business that you can call and get through to – not just a mobile/Whatsapp number and PO box? Is there a reception you can speak to, or a representative?
  
• Do the reviews and pictures online seem legit? Are they photoshopped? Do they appear on other sites or Instagram feeds?
  
• Are there first-hand accounts of people’s visits there, and their results?
  
• Finally, if it’s too good to be true – it usually is. Medical care is not something to be taken lightly. This is your body, and your life in their hands.

Nords was one of the few clinics that said that Sam should try and get her BMI down first, to achieve better results and to lower the risk of complications. This, to me, was a good thing – it indicated that they prioritised medical responsibility over securing the surgery booking.

In contrast, almost all of the Turkish clinics said yes, they’d do the procedure, with no reference to risks, BMI or anything else. Many were cash only (big red flag, in my book) and one couldn’t even spell ‘medicine'(!). It’s a minefield out there.

We eventually shortlisted clinics in Lithuania and Prague. EU countries also have an advantage here, since they have their own higher standards and laws if you want to practise medicine in the EU. Despite Brexit, the UK still maintains a reciprocal health agreement with all EU countries (more on this later).

Why We Chose Nordesthetics

In a nutshell, after a lot of research, here are some of the reasons we chose Nords:

• Certified and experienced surgeons who had practised in many other European countries, many of whom were members of respected medical societies or associations (and I checked)
  
• The parent company (Artmedica, UAB) is licensed by the Lithuanian Ministry of Health and adheres to European standards for practising medicine (yep, I checked this as well)
  
• No extreme reviews that indicated any sort of serious negligence or death – whereas there was a handful of these for other clinics. Bear in mind there ARE negative reviews, and there ARE things that go wrong, as with any surgical clinic, but these are for mixed reasons – more on this later. Every plastic surgery clinic will have someone unhappy with their results, or people who get infections, but wilful medical negligence is a whole different thing.
  
• Majority positive reviews across many channels (Trustpilot, TrueSelf, Facebook, Google My Business) with many that seemed genuine.
  
• A real physical office / business with multiple forms of contact – not just a “PO Box” or rented office space (watch out for this with some clinics).
  
• A community Facebook group for either men or women to discuss their journey at Nords and help each other out.
  

A note on the Nordesthetics Facebook Groups

Joining this “surgical journey” group was very important to Sam, since she wanted to speak to others who had already been for surgery, and see how it was going afterward.

It’s also a good idea to join if you’re at the planning stage, so you can see people’s stories and results. Here’s a link to the women’s group, and here’s one for men.

The Facebook group is moderated by Nords, but on the whole they seem to leave most posts up – even ones that could be viewed as negative or complaining. To me, this is a good sign – they could just delete or suppress anything negative. It’s much more preferable to keep an open dialogue and address problems in public.

There are also private, unofficial Whatsapp groups that people tend to join for their surgery month – just to make it easier to connect with people having surgery at the same time.

There are pros and cons to the Facebook and Whatsapp groups:

Pros

• Extremely supportive and helpful community
  
• You can ‘make friends’ with other people having surgery at the same time and then meet up in real life for support whilst you’re in the clinic (and after!)
  
• Reassurance when you need it from those who have ‘been there’
  
• Plenty of before and after (and during!) pictures of other women’s results
  
• The chance to ask niggling questions day or night to sympathetic ears
  
• Recommendations for useful things like what to pack, or things like scar cream and other bits and pieces you need to buy later on

Cons:

• Well-meaning but unqualified medical advice. I’ve seen some recommendations for things like supplements, pills, or creams that aren’t scientifically proven. I’m sure they may work for some, but it’s not wise to dish out medical recommendations to people, even if they’ve had the same surgery.
  
• There can sometimes be drama and frightening/graphic photos. Infections seem quite common (more on this later as Sam experienced this too) and depending on how they’re dealt with, can make others anxious and upset.
  
• For example, Sam nearly didn’t have liposuction because one woman said it gave her unbelievable pain. As it turns out, it was the least painful procedure and Sam very nearly didn’t have any lipo because of this one dramatic comment.

This circles back to my original point – everyone is different, and you have to do what’s right for YOU, and you should make that decision in conjunction with proper medical advice.

If you DO decide on Nords, or just want to hear what happened next, then read on:

When to Go for Surgery, and for How Long

This, of course, depends if you have the choice – lots of people can only get time off work/childcare and so on at a given date.

If you have the option, you might want to consider that swelling and the compression garments are likely to be uncomfortable when you’re hot, so if you’re flexible, go in a cooler month.

We went in November, which was fine – but very cold. Icy paths outside are probably a bad idea to tackle, but it certainly helped with managing the inevitable heat/itching/swelling issues.

Depending on the amount of surgery you’re having, you might have to stay longer than you think in Lithuania. The clinic will clear you medically for flying home, and give a minimum of about 5 days’ stay depending on your surgery.

I would STRONGLY recommend that you take much more time. Flying is the main risk, here, and you want to be in the best position possible to let your body recover and reduce the risk of blood clots. If you’ve ever had clotting problems then talk to your GP as well as mention this to Nords.

For example, if you were having a tummy tuck in the UK, they normally recommend not flying for at least 5-10 days, depending on how complex it is (source: NHS).

After consulting with the surgeon, which we’ll talk about later, he told us we’d done the right thing by staying ten days after Sam’s surgery. Bearing in mind she had more than one procedure plus liposuction, so it was more complex.

At the time of writing, people are concerned about Lithuania being close to Russia. Don’t worry – it’s perfectly safe. Lithuania is a member of NATO and the EU and the prospect of anything “bad” happening there is very slim indeed.

Kaunas, where Nords are located, is Lithuania’s second city. It’s modern, pleasant, and the people were friendly. Many people worry about going to Eastern Europe for surgery, but there’s no need. The city is easy to get around, and the accommodation reflects the usual choices in any major European city.

Going Alone vs Taking Someone With You

One of the strongest plus points with Nords is that a very strong community has built up around those having a similar “journey”.

This is both in the private Facebook groups but we also joined a private Whatsapp group for all the women having surgery in the same month. This means that you can make friends, reassure each other, and ask how everyone is doing. It certainly helps you feel less alone.

This means that some women decide to go alone – some, because they want to, and others for childcare reasons or just because their partner/relative/friend can’t spare the time off.

Many women go on their own and are just fine. I would say it depends on the amount of work you’re having, how you normally manage pain and/or inconvenience, and how independent you naturally are.

My sister is definitely a strong independent woman but she admitted she would have struggled on her own. Not so much the hobbling around and recovering, but all the other things – I had to help her wash and dress, and did all the shopping, cooking, cleaning, and wound care.

On top of that, being in a foreign country where not everyone speaks your language can also be trying, even if you’re not recovering from surgery. There are also a lot of medications to manage and if you’re feeling ‘out of it’ this can be a challenge, too.

Bonus tip: If you do take someone with you, have them do a first aid course (even one of the online simple ones). It’s super useful to have anyway, and it makes you feel more confident.

I was already Red Cross qualified but I took this refresher course on Udemy – there are loads on there and they’re less than 20 quid. For peace of mind, I think it’s a good idea.

WARNING: From this point on, there are pictures of the surgery. They are not gross or indecent, but some people might be squeamish about scars and so on. Just so you know if you keep scrolling!

Step 1 – Booking the Surgery [Pre-Surgery Pics]

Nordestethics will assign you a ‘rep’ when you make your initial inquiries. These representatives act as your main point of contact for almost everything, from booking the surgery through to logistics and aftercare questions to the surgeon.

Our rep was changed halfway through because I think the first lady left, but they are all very polite, friendly, speak/write excellent English and are really helpful.

First, Sam was asked to send photos of herself, front, back and side – and to complete a questionnaire.

The Before Photos (Taken at Home)

When Sam and I were thinking about putting this article together we thought we’d also share the photos – because so many people want to know a “real-life” story. Here is one of the ‘before’ ones Sam sent to Nords:

The email she received back indicated that she ought to lose weight before having the surgery. This is for two reasons:

• Better results. If you lose weight after the surgery you’ll have sections of loose skin again and may need more work. The best option is to get your weight down to a level you’re happy with before having any sort of skin-tightening procedures like a tummy tuck or boob lift.
  
• Lower risk of complications. People who are very overweight or obese may have more issues under anesthetic.

This is not a post about weight loss, of course – that’s a whole different story. But I am very proud that Sam worked hard to lose a couple of stones through a better diet and exercise.

I saw some posts in the forum about women lying about their weight in their application forms. This isn’t a good idea – you’ll definitely have an in-person consultation before you’re operated on and if the surgeon thinks it’s too risky, then you’ll have travelled all that way for nothing.

Surgeons can, and do refuse to operate if they think it’s unsafe to do so. If you want the best results, honesty is the best policy.

After the above pictures Sam was offered – on the condition of getting her BMI below 30 – the “mummy makeover”. This was a tummy tuck, breast lift and liposuction to the back and sides.

Sometimes, you will get other RECOMMENDED procedures, so bear in mind you don’t have to take everything you’re offered. You will talk more about this with your surgeon in person, and your final plan is decided before you pay for it all at the clinic, so you may end up paying a bit more or less, depending on what procedures are decided.

Why No In-Person Consultations Before Bookings?

Many cosmetic surgery clinics (especially in the UK) will give you an in-person consultation way in advance of the surgery and before any plan or booking is made. Some people feel uncomfortable with the Nords way of doing things, which is to have the consultation a day or two before going into surgery.

For this reason, some people may feel undue pressure to go ahead, when they’re not sure, just because “I’ve come all this way” and it’s already booked in.

It’s your body, and your life – you should ask any and all questions to make yourself feel comfortable with what you’re about to have done. Surgery is not to be taken lightly, so if you want to fly out for a consultation, that may be possible.

I know that Nords probably don’t do video consults and the like because they are simply too busy (they do 2000 ops a year, according to their site), and I imagine this is to prevent timewasters who will never book.

The best thing is to ask as many questions as possible, before you make a decision.

Step 2 – Paying a Deposit for the Surgery

Nords asked for a £500 deposit to secure the booking date. At the time of writing, if you cancel more than 3 weeks before your surgery, you’ll get half (£250) back. Less than 3 weeks and you forfeit the deposit.

If you postpone once, it’ll knock £100 off your deposit. If you postpone twice, you have to pay a new deposit. These rules are subject to change, so it’s best to read the official Nords Payment Policies on their site to see what they currently are.

These sorts of terms and conditions will be emailed to you. Read them thoroughly so you know where you stand. We read a couple of stories of lost deposits because people didn’t realise the cut-off date or the accepted reasons for changes or refunds.

That said, Nords were reasonable and will refund a full deposit if someone had a genuine reason to cancel, such as the death of a family member or other things out of their control. It’s best to speak to them about your individual situation.

The deposit is paid in Pounds Sterling, into a UK bank account belonging to Nords, so there’s no issue with currency conversion or anything like that, at the beginning.

You pay for the rest in person at the clinic, so there’s more detail on that later, including how to avoid paying ridiculous bank exchange rate charges, too!

Step 3 – Flights and Accommodation

Before we set off, we had very thorough emails from our rep, noting all the flights etc. we had booked, when we were being collected, and she double-checked our mobile numbers. I couldn’t fault their politeness and efficiency with the organising.

You also get a “pre-surgery” email describing all the things to do (or not to do) before surgery. For example, you shouldn’t smoke, take aspirin, use self-tan etc a couple of weeks before surgery.

I’m not repeating the full list here, because this may well be different for others, and you may get bespoke advice based on the surgery you’re having, as well as any medical issues unique to you. Again, your rep will tell you everything you need to know in advance.

Flights

We flew Ryanair both ways, direct from Manchester. If you can, I’d strongly recommend getting a direct flight rather than changing anywhere – the less time spent flying after surgery, the better.

Depending on the work you’re having done, and the days you’ve allowed for recovery, you’ll very likely need airport assistance booked for your return flight. You can do this at the same time as the booking.

Some airlines (like Wizz) like you to call their call centre to ask for it. One thing for sure though – you MUST book this in advance. You can’t just rock up and ask for a wheelchair. We heard that one lady had left it until the airport, and was turned down.

One advantage (on Ryanair at least) is that you’ll get automatic seat allocation together with a companion, if you’re taking someone with you, so you don’t pay extra to choose a seat.

That wasn’t a problem on our flight anyway -it was pretty empty!

Another thing to bear in mind is that Kaunas is a far better airport to fly back from if you can. It’s a 30-min ride between the clinic and the airport, whereas Vilnius, the capital, is over 1.5 hours away. Although Nords will provide transport, it’s a long journey if you’re still feeling every little bump, as Sam was, even on the way home.

Try to travel light. The less you’re carrying, the easier your return flight is going to be. Sam and I shared a suitcase and hand luggage so I could carry the whole lot on the way back (and I did). There was no way she was going to pull a suitcase.

Tips on What to Pack

We put this together based on what other people said in the various groups before we went, and what we realised we actually used afterwards. I’ve included links to each item on Amazon, too:

UK to EU adapter (Lithuania is 220v/2 pin European plug) – we got this one because it also had 2 USB points on it. It saved us buying separate adapters for our phones. If you have a lot of accessories like hair dryer, straightener etc and your accomodation won’t have them, I’d say get two adapters.

A long USB lead for your phone so it can go from pretty much any power point to your bed or sofa – like this one for iPhones or this one for USB-C powered Android type phones (Nords rooms do have USB points though, so you don’t need to take the mains adapter into surgery!) – before you buy, check it’s the right connector for your phone.

A foldable walking stick – like this one. We took a trekking pole and it didn’t work very well! So take a proper one with a wide base. The clinic does have sticks you can borrow, but they’re not given out routinely.

Earplugs – whether you’re a light sleeper or not, the surgery and its surroundings can’t be 100% quiet all the time, with people coming and going. That, and you might have street noise outside your apartment or hotel. I swear by these wax earplugs rather than the foam or silicone ones, and Sam LOVED them.

Throat lozenges – whatever your favourite brand is – Sam had a bag of these honey and lemon ones. This is because your throat hurts after having breathing/ventilation tubes during the surgery, and your mouth can get pretty dry anyway with all the stress, medication etc. You can always buy them there, too.

TAKE TEABAGS if you drink tea! Lithuania has much more of a coffee culture than tea, and the typical strong British brew is very hard to find. You can find green and herbal tea more easily.

Your own sleeping pills (if you’re able to have them prescribed) or something that will help, like these Kalms, for example. Nords give you a couple, but many people we spoke to needed help getting off to sleep for a night or two after. Always check if it will interfere with your post-surgical medication.

Something for constipation – which is one of the main side-effects of anaesthesia/surgery. Yes, Nords will also provide a couple of things to “get you going” but when Sam got through those with no luck, I had to go out on the high street and try to describe suppositories and constipation to a Lithuanian pharmacist in their second language.

They were lovely, but it was a bit embarrassing and stressful. So take something with you – these type of ones worked fine for Sam after a few attempts.

Compression socks (proper medical-grade ones). Blood clots are an elevated risk when flying after surgery so it’s a very good idea to wear these. Sam borrowed some from a nurse friend, but if you haven’t got any – it’s this type of sock and NOT the cheap, thin ones. They should go up to your thighs.

Any favourite films, books, music etc with headphones, loaded onto your phone. It can get boring pretty quickly. Sam had me, but she also had Beyonce to get her through it all

PJs, tracksuit or other loose-fitting clothes that you’re really comfy in – it’s really all you’ll be wearing until you fly home, and they’ve seen it all before in Nords, so don’t feel you have to dress to impress…

Shoes/boots (like Uggs) that are easy to pull on and off. I had to help Sam dress and undress so make it as easy as possible if you can.

A spare small old towel or a puppy pad. This is because if you’re having lipo, the fluid will leak for a bit after the drains are removed (more on this later) and if you’re in a hotel or Airbnb it can be alarming when it gets on the bedsheets.

Anything (e.g. a meditation or anxiety app) that will help support your mental health. I use Headspace, though there are plenty of others, including free apps. Or anything else that will keep you centred and help you cope with the emotional rollercoaster that some people experience.

What NOT to Pack

In the spirit of travelling light, there are some things you won’t need and shouldn’t bother with:

Don’t take loads of clothes changes. Not needed because you’ll be in a compression garment so can wear the same clothes over it, and wash the garment instead.

Avoid bringing any tight-fitting clothes… the swelling is significant and you probably won’t get into them anyway. The same goes for any clothes with complicated zips, laces, fastenings… it’ll just suck your energy and time trying to put them on.

For ease and speed of getting through the travel part, I’d try to go with hand luggage only, rather than check-in baggage, but I realise some people prefer it and want to pack more, so that’s fine too – but remember you’ll likely be unable to carry anything much on the way home.

Note: If you have more than one piece of luggage, or more than one person accompanying you, Nords will charge extra for the transport logistics. When we went, it was 30 Euros per extra person (e.g. if you brought a second person or more) for the airport transfer, one way, and 20 Euros per extra item of luggage, one way. Another reason to travel light!

Accommodation

The Nords clinic has its own apartments in the same building where the huge advantage is being just one or two floors away from the surgical team and nurses.

Nords has a working relationship with several hotels in Kaunas, and your rep will email you all the prices and can also book on your behalf. They’re happy to make enquiries for you as well, which is really helpful.

We were originally going to book a room at Nords but their ‘large’ apartment (or at least the ones available) had only one bedroom and a sofa bed, so we decided on an Airbnb instead so we could both have a bedroom with a bed. Choose somewhere quiet – you’ll need your rest!

We had a lovely little apartment in the old town, with two bedrooms and a full kitchen, washing machine, etc. It had one flight of stairs which was just about manageable – again, think ahead and don’t get somewhere with more than a flight of stairs or without a lift. It wasn’t much to look at from the outside, but it was pretty cosy.

I’d recommend staying a 10 min ride (or less) away from the clinic. If you go back for a lymphatic drainage massage, a check-up, or your tapes changed – it’ll be much easier. Sam felt every cobble, speed bump and pothole in the car and although the in-house Nords drivers are very careful because of this, the regular taxi drivers aren’t!

Some people also choose to stay in hotels. We didn’t, because I could do all the self-catering stuff, but if you were on your own, getting takeout from all the apps (more on this later) would be just fine since you won’t feel like much cooking. Or in the better hotels, there might be room service. Another advantage of hotels is that it’s likely at least a couple of staff members will be trained in First Aid, too.

I used Booking.com to look for hotels and self-catering apartments. See their Kaunas page here.

A note on Travel Restrictions

I’m not mentioning the restrictions here because they change so rapidly. It’s best to check the most up to date information for both Lithuania as a country (which will largely follow the EU guidance), and also Nords own rules. Here’s the link to the UK Foreign Office’s page on Lithuania, which usually tells you any restrictions.

For example, their requirement at the time was that Sam had to have a PCR test before her surgical consultation, and I was only allowed to visit her after I showed proof of being vaccinated. There were also the in-country rules like needing extra paperwork before flying, and showing your NHS vaccination pass before going in shops, and so on. This is very likely to have relaxed by now.

Your Nordesthetics representative will also tell you what their own rules are for the time you’ve booked.

Step 4 – Arriving in Lithuania

Our first night was at the Kaunas Airport hotel because we arrived very late – 1am in the morning, local time. If you have a similarly late flight I’d recommend it – it’s just outside the airport doors, across a small car park.

It was clean and comfortable but basic – a bit like a decent Travelodge or Premier Inn. Here’s the link to it on Booking.com if you want to book.

The following morning we were picked up by one of Nords’ drivers in a marked minivan.

A word on the Nords drivers – they’re all really lovely, helpful and speak good English. Despite some of them being quite young, they drove safely and carefully. We were really impressed with them.

We arrived three days before the scheduled surgery (I think the minimum is two), but the extra day was great for settling in to the apartment. First, Sam had to go have a PCR test done – and wait for the results before seeing the surgeon the next day.

This may or may not still be a requirement, so it’s best to check what rules are in place at the moment.

Tips on Food, Culture and Making Yourself at Home

Next, we went shopping and got supplies for the week ahead. Being a food dweeb I tried out most supermarket chains (much to Sam’s annoyance) and the best ones were Maxima followed by SILAS. Here’s a pic inside one – they’re pretty good!

Sam wanted the same familiar brands she had at home, which are fairly common – and I went for the local food.

Tips: What looks like milk (pieno) is often sour cream (grietine). Some people were upset when they poured it into their tea! I used the Google translate app camera feature to figure out what most things were.

Stock up on high fibre foods. Constipation is a “thing” after surgery – and eating fresh fruit, veggies and other high-fiber foods can really help move things along. Plus, eating healthier options also helps your immune system and wound healing.

Although Sam hated being dragged around the supermarkets, it was so much easier doing all this when we could both carry the shopping home and lug a trolley around.

Note that you don’t HAVE to do self-catering. Much of Eastern Europe has a food app called Wolt which is just like Deliveroo, Uber Eats and so on. Lithuania was full of delicious food options, and prices are much cheaper than at home.

Here’s a link to the Wolt app on the App store and on Google Play. I found it really easy, and it will auto-translate menus into English, too. Use the referral code GDDE5T3 and you can get 2.50 Euros off your first two orders.

On our first night Sam had a steak and I had some traditional Lithuanian potato dumplings with pork crackling (delicious). You could also get almost any other cuisine, so if you’re on your own, don’t want to cook or can’t be bothered – have the food delivered. The Nords clinic/apartments even has a hot box in the lobby for all the food deliveries that get sent there.

After Sam’s PCR test came back negative (thankfully!) we went to go to her surgical consultation the next day with Dr Ghassan.

Step 5 – Paperwork and Payment

I was looking forward to seeing the Nordestethics building in person. A good website is one thing, but I wanted to check things all out for myself – especially after I felt partly responsible for choosing the clinic, too.

Sam received some texts from the logistics team, telling her when we’d be picked up, so another driver came and we went off to the clinic.

First impressions were good. Our temperatures were taken, masks were offered (we already had some) and we were taken to the reception.

The clinic is clean, airy and modern:

The atmosphere was one of calm professionalism, which was also reassuring. The surgeons and medical staff were moving in between reception and consultation rooms, and everything seemed professional and above board.

There were ladies in reception (presumably waiting to be discharged) and some who had just arrived, like us. Sam immediately recognized a couple of names from the Facebook and Whatsapp groups and started to have a chat – especially to the two ladies there who had just had their surgery. They were really reassuring and made her feel so much better.

Next, we had to pay for the surgery:

Tips on Paying For the Surgery (And Avoiding Fees)

If you travel abroad often you might already have accounts, apps or cards in place to make it easier to make payments in foreign currencies like Euros.

Sam sent British Pounds Sterling to me and I did all the payments and conversions because I already have them all set up.

Whatever you do, don’t use your high street bank (Halifax, Lloyds, Santander, TSB, etc.) to do a bank transfer to Nords in Euros – you’ll be wasting a lot of money on fees, and it takes a few days to get there. Same goes for any high street debit card. These days there are far better ways of sending and spending money abroad.

To send money abroad, like Sam’s deposit, I used Wise (formerly known as Transferwise). They often arrive the same day and have small fees). You can sign up here with my referral link.

Do a test transaction (maybe 20 Euros or so) first to make sure everything works properly and you’ve got the right details for the Nordesthetics bank account.

You pay the rest after your consultation with your surgeon. Since this is usually a large chunk of money, you’ll also save a lot by using a currency-friendly card or app. The best three (and I own all of them) are:

Wise – I use this and my Revolut card (below) the most. Sign up using my referral link and your first transfer will be fee-free (up to £500)

Revolut – I used my Revolut card for everyday items while we were in Lithuania like shopping, and paying for taxis and takeaways. You can have both virtual or physical cards (I have one of each and use the virtual one for online purchases). Here’s my link to sign up to get a Revolut Account (it’s free). Do this ahead of time, as they may need to check your ID, etc.

Monzo – Sam had a Monzo account with a small amount of money loaded on it so she could buy things when she was in the clinic and I wasn’t, like booking a lymphatic drainage massage and buying an extra compression garment. Alternatively, you can get an extra card with Wise or Revolut, above.

Halifax Clarity – a credit card, so you’ll need to be approved, but they also let you spend in Euros at a good conversion rate, with no fees. However, you have to apply like any normal credit card.

If you use a “normal” debit card, you’ll often get stung with anything up to 3% fees per transaction and then a rubbish currency conversion rate on top of that. If you’re paying a few grand for surgery and a couple of weeks travel, this can really add up.

A Note on Paperwork

We were given a large amount of paperwork to sign when at Nords, just before the surgical consultation. You can request this beforehand by email so you’ve got a chance to read it all when you have time to look through it and digest it properly.

I strongly recommend that you do this because essentially it’s the legal agreement about revisions and dangers and risks and so on.

I noticed some ladies were just chatting and signing their documents without reading them, which I’m not sure is a good idea! Or maybe they’d already read them. You could probably ask Nords to send you these as a sample even before you’re considering your surgery, just so you know what the terms and conditions are.

The most common thing I’ve seen people miss are the clauses on revision surgery – very often people think they’re entitled to a revision but they’re not, and they’d already signed the document agreeing what does and doesn’t get you a revision.

As a general rule revisions are for when Nords are at fault for something that needs revising, for example with another surgical procedure. Whereas after the event, things like you being unhappy with your look or if you get an infection – that doesn’t automatically get you a revision.

That said, you can ask any questions you like when you’re there, and before you pay up.

Step 6 – The Surgical Consultation

After paying for the surgery and filling in all the forms, we went to see Dr. Ghassan in a private room. Like many of the surgeons, he was very pleasant and reassuring.

Sam was nervous about being naked in front of a surgeon (he needed to take pictures and have a close look at the work needed) so she asked me to come to the consultation with her. Nords said that this was OK, so I joined in.

We talked to Dr. Ghassan for about half an hour. It didn’t feel rushed and he took his time to explain all the work he planned on doing. He took pictures of Samantha from many angles so she had something to compare it to for the after photos. I believe they use these on Instagram as well, anonymised, with your permission.

Samantha told Dr. Ghassan about her fears regarding liposuction but after he had explained it in detail she decided to go ahead with the recommended procedures. We discussed recovery time – many told us that we’d done the right thing by allowing 10 days after the surgery for to recover.

Overall we were quite happy with the consultation. The only thing that struck me as a bit strange was that he said we could contact him via Instagram which seemed odd to me. This could be because so many people use Instagram to message each other these days but I was surprised that method was recommended. In the end we did contact him, but via the Nords reps.

After all the paperwork, payment and discussion we were driven back to the apartment and had a relaxed evening.

Tip: Sam had set up a WhatsApp group of her friends and I also spoke to her husband privately so everyone had a single point of contact (me). It was so much easier writing one message that went to a whole group, instead of answering each individual person!

Step 7 – Surgery Day

The next morning I wasn’t allowed to come with Sam to the surgical wards, so said goodbye as the driver came to pick Sam up in the early morning – and take her to be drawn on!

She sent me pictures of her room which looked really nice:

Then she saw Dr Ghassan again who drew all the surgical areas to be adjusted:

Because of the multiple procedures, Sam was due to be in surgery for around 5 hours. Believe me, when you’re waiting, it was a very long 5 hours! I felt much better about being a ten-minute taxi ride away, though, and was happy with what I’d seen of the surgery the day(s) before, so trusted Nords to do their job.

I distracted myself with work, and I asked the rep how long it takes for someone to wake up. Interestingly the rep said it varies from person to person, so we couldn’t really pinpoint a time when we would next hear from Sam.

After about 5 hours I got a selfie from Sam which she doesn’t remember taking, lol. She was still all drugged up and apparently had thrown up (as is common after anesthetic). Since she had managed to somehow operate her phone I presumed that all had gone well although she couldn’t really tell me.

A little bit later after she’d had a sleep she told me she would rather recover on her own that day and I would come and see her the following morning.

The WhatsApp group was, again, a really good idea at this stage because Sam didn’t have the energy to text more than 2 people – and that was her husband and me. If you have a lot of people at home or even in Lithuania with you it’s a good idea to just have one person relay all the messages.

Everything went well and the surgeon took a picture of Sam in surgery so she could see what she would look like. This is really motivating because you can see what your results are expected to be like before the swelling begins and you have a compression garment on, though you’re covered in iodine and surgical tape!

Step 8 – Initial Recovery Period at Nords

The following morning I went to go see Sam, and after proving I was vaccinated I was allowed to visit her in her room. I have to say I was quite impressed with the standard – it was very clean and very modern.

Sam had a roommate for one night but that lady only had some minor surgery and had already checked out by the time I got there.

Sam knew after her C-section that she didn’t do very well with anesthetic so she wanted to ask about an extra night. We were told that you can request this, but it’s €150 per night if you want to stay more than the 2 prescribed nights that are included. In the end, she decided the two nights were enough, after all.

One of the nurses came in while I was there and she was very friendly and nice. Everything I’ve heard about the nurses has been wonderful. Yes, they get you up and about as soon as possible and try to encourage you to eat – but that’s the best thing to do.

A lot of people have made comments about the good food. Nords order it from an outside restaurant, so the standards are extremely high. Here’s the menu Sam got:

In the end, Sam felt she would rather relax and recover at the apartment instead of having an extra night at Nords. This was also because there tends to be a lot of movement around the surgery, even at night and so it’s not that great for sleeping (and that’s where the earplugs came in really handy!)

Step 9 – Recovery in Kaunas

We were driven back to the apartment when Sam checked out. The drivers at Nords are very careful to not bump you on potholes or cobbles which is nice because you can feel every bump!

Sam was given some paperwork stating the procedures that had been done, a bag of medication, and full instructions.

Before we left I suggested we buy an extra compression garment so she could always have one clean to put on. You can buy these from reception from Nords when you’re there. I think it was about 30 Euros and well worth it.

When we got back to the apartment I made the bed as the nurses had told us to. Sam had to sleep with her legs raised and also slightly propped up because of the risk of blood clots.

Unfortunately, we had a mini scare within an hour of getting back to the apartment. Nobody had mentioned that when you have drains removed from your liposuction “holes”, the fluid continues to leak out for a while, and it looks really terrifying because it’s pink. Sam woke from a brief nap and panicked because she thought she was bleeding.

It didn’t look like blood to me, but nevertheless, I called the emergency number that Nords give you, which was also on a wristband that they gave Sam to wear. They answered straight away.

The nurses seemed quite calm and didn’t seem panicked, but to be super safe I insisted they send a driver to come and collect Sam to be checked over. Her compression garment was soaked through with the liquid. I didn’t want to undo it and expose her wounds so early.

Sam really did not feel like going back to the clinic but I just thought it was the best thing to do. When we got there we saw a couple of nurses who were brilliant. They got Sam into a room, got her out of her compression garment, repacked her wounds, cleaned her up, and then we put the new compression garment on.

They also gave us some absorbent pads in case it happened again although it looked like most of the lipo fluid had come out by then. Although they handled it really well, I wish someone would have mentioned this beforehand so we needn’t have worried unnecessarily.

Then the proper recovery started. I have to admit I was not prepared for just how immobile Sam was – she needed help with everything. On top of that, I had to set several alarms on my phone for all the different medications at different times.

This is something to consider if you’re going to go alone and do recovery on your own. Sam was on painkillers and antibiotics, and the brain fog meant I doubt she would have followed the instructions easily if I wasn’t there.

Nords will send you home with a leaflet on what to do regarding washing and in washing and showering. For example, I had to help Sam wash and after a couple of days, washed her hair for example. We tried to keep everything as dry and as clean as possible.

What people don’t tell you is that one of the most important things after surgery is to have a poo! Sam could go to the toilet on her own and lower herself onto it but she was really worried about post-anesthetic constipation.

She quickly ran out of the constipation suppositories Nords had given her to get things going, so I had to go out to a pharmacy and get some more. If you want to save yourself the embarrassment of trying to ask for them in a foreign language, bring some with you! (they’re on the “to bring” list above).

Sam’s solution to this stress was to play Beyonce full blast and lock herself in the bathroom for half an hour – it seemed to work!

One of the advantages of staying for the 10 days after the surgery was that Nords could do the first tape change which is sometimes left for you to do if you go home after 5 days. This is because it typically happens on the 7th day after surgery.

I was relieved that it would be done by the nurses in Nords and not me trying to do it!

Sam was really anxious about the tape change not just because of the pain, but because she didn’t really want to see her wounds just yet either. The driver came to pick her up as usual and it all went really well.

We had also booked two lymph drainage massages so Sam went for one of those as well and it helped keep the swelling down. More on this later because we had a problem finding a masseuse who would do this at home. There was a small fee for the second one onwards – I seem to remember it was about 20 Euros.

Fortunately, the apartment was big enough for Sam to walk around because it’s important to keep moving and avoid blood clots when you’re recovering. If you’re in a small hotel or something similar bear this in mind.

Tip: Bring lots of things to entertain you like DVD’s or your laptop or a good book because it gets very boring when you can’t really move much. I connected Sam’s laptop to the TV in the apartment and I don’t know what we would have done if we couldn’t have watched that. Lithuanian TV is fine but none of it is in English, obviously!

After a few days, Sam decided that she didn’t feel very well on the Codeine so I called a doctor friend to see if she could be taken off the strong painkillers.

Also, she was only given 2 sleeping tablets. Although it’s not recommended to use them for a long time, if you have anything else that helps you sleep like tea or lavender then bring that (they’re on the list above too).

Step 10: Flying Home

When the time came to fly home Sam was really nervous about the flight but we had booked assistance beforehand.

Tip: Always book it assistance way in advance. Ideally, when you book the flight. We had heard one lady being turned down for it at the airport because she asked for it there and then!

The driver was really pleasant, taking us all to the airport in a minibus. There were several people picked up from various hotels, but all Nords patients – some had gastric surgery, some nose jobs… it was an interesting mix!

Sam was given a wheelchair to be wheeled through the airport, a bit like a fast track system. I was allowed to go with her as her companion.

I strongly recommend booking airport assistance it was well worth it and the staff were lovely. It doesn’t cost anything extra and you automatically get to sit together without the daft seat booking fees.

Sam wanted to spend one night in the airport hotel just to prepare psychologically for seeing her husband and children again- this might be a good idea if you want some headspace after getting home, or understandably some people might just want to go home.

Step 11: Post Op and Complications

Now I handed over the baton to Sam’s husband to do all the care. Sam still couldn’t drive of course, and could only walk short distances. With kids, it’s also hard – she had to explain to her 5 year old why he couldn’t jump into her arms, for example. A lot of people tend to relax once they’ve been home a couple of weeks and the wounds have closed, but this is when you should be the most vigilant.

The fact you’re on your own for recovery once you get back to your home country is the single drawback about Nords. There’s only so much you can do when your surgeon is busy in another country. Yes, you can still text and ask questions but it’s just not the same as having the post-op care nearby.

I ought to mention that Sam tried to get a local masseusse to come and do a drainage massage but she was told because it was surgery done abroad, it would invalidate the indemnity insurace of the masseuse. So bear this in mind – I found a solution by taking an online self-massage course which was a lot cheaper anyway. If you want to do the same, then the one I took is here. Sam was able to self-massage or share the videos with her husband so he could also do a massage as well.

About 4 weeks after the operation Sam noticed a little bump and a red mark on her scar, and it hadn’t closed properly. She sent me pictures and I wrote to her surgeon at Nords, via the rep by email. Again, this is a disadvantage because you wait a day or two for a response, even longer if it’s over a weekend.

The surgeon replied saying she should go have an ultrasound to see if it was an infection, but how can you do this without going privately?

I’ve heard mixed stories about how the NHS handles complications like this. I totally understand why they want nothing to do with surgery done abroad – it’s not their surgeons and the results aren’t their problem. In this case, the issue was taken out of our hands – before Sam could get a doctor’s appointment the hole ruptured and started leaking pus, and she had to go to A&E.

It was an infection, thankfully a minor one. These are common – you have to be super, super careful with being totally sterile when you replace the tapes and dressings yourself. We bought these vinyl gloves, these sterile dressings and also some wound cleaning spray.

Thankfully that was the only issue and it resoved pretty quickly. Several women recommended Mepiform silicone scar dressings like these which help to reduce scarring and produce better results. Don’t be fooled by cheap Chinese knock-off fake ‘scar tape’ – it’s NOT the same. Mepiform is a proper medical brand – only buy the official stuff.

Step 12: Enjoy Your New Body!

I’ve always been lucky in that I’m happy with my figure but I know Sam’s was distressing her and making her self-conscious for a long time. She was absolutely determined to get this done, and it really improved her self-esteem and the way she felt. Here’s one of her ‘after’ pics, a couple of months later:

Was it worth it? Absolutely – but we wished we knew a bit more before we set off on this adventure.

Hopefully, this article will help you in your journey, too. Good luck!

In the UK, we now have specialist American Candy shops and websites that import certain candies, but they often come at a higher price point. Some candies mentioned on this list may be available at these stores, but they are not widely available. 

So, whether you’re headed on holiday to the States or are just curious as to what’s available in America, read this blog post for 15 candies and sweets that aren’t widely available in the UK!

Baby Ruth Bars

Despite being a favourite candy in America since the 1920s, Baby Ruth bars have never made it over international waters. The bar itself is made of peanuts, caramel and milk chocolate flavoured nougat, covered in milk chocolate. 

If you’re wondering what to compare it to over here in the UK, the most similar chocolate bar is probably Snickers. Both are made of very similar ingredients, but the nougat featured in a Baby Ruth does not contain any peanuts. 

Flavoured M&Ms

We have M&Ms over here in the UK, including milk chocolate, peanut, crunchy and salted caramel. But, that’s nothing compared to the flavours they have in America! 

Walking into your typical supermarket, you’ll be overwhelmed with the amount of different M&Ms on offer. Without being able to count every single flavour in store, it seems that they have around 50 flavours throughout the year including Christmas, Halloween and Easter limited editions. 

American flavours include:

• Peanut butter
• Almond
• Dark Chocolate
• Mint
• Fudge Brownie
• Birthday Cake
• Coconut

And that’s just naming a few! Whatever flavour you can imagine, you’ll be more than likely to find it over in America. Unfortunately, there isn’t really an equivalent for many of these flavours in the UK. But, searching some specialist American candy stores may help you find a few flavours. 

Peeps

Peeps are a seasonal staple in America, popular around Easter and other holidays. Peeps are coloured marshmallows, shaped into bunnies, chicks and other animals and shapes depending on the season. 

They are made from sugar, corn syrup, food dyes and a pinch of salt. Not only do they come in different colours, but different flavours too. These flavours include cotton candy, gingerbread, lemon delight, candy cane and chocolate covered!

Original Peeps are very difficult to find in the UK, and unfortunately we don’t have an alternative to them in the UK. 

Grape Flavoured Candy

Grape is a popular flavour in America when it comes to sweets and candies, however we don’t tend to have grape flavour over here.

In America, they have a different variety of grape known as the Concord grape that is used to make grape jams, juices and sweets. Over here, our purple coloured sweets and drinks are usually blackcurrant, a flavour that they don’t have in America. 

In America, grape flavoured sweets include skittles, jolly ranchers, airheads (known as grapeheads) and sour patch kids. They even have grape flavoured fanta, kool aid and jams. They taste nothing like the grapes we have in the UK, so if you’re interested in trying a new flavour in America, pick up something grape!

Junior Mints

Junior Mints were created in 1949 and have been popular in America ever since. They consist of a creamy, fondant mint filling in a dark chocolate coating and are small and round in shape. 

Although not available in the UK, a chocolate over here that is similar in flavour is an After Eight. Though they’re both entirely different shapes, they have practically the same ingredients. 

Candy Corn

Halloween without Candy Corn in America is almost unheard of! Candy Corn are made to look like pieces of sweetcorn, they’re a multicoloured pyramid shape with yellow, orange and white representing the colour of fall harvest.

Their flavour is based on vanilla, honey sugar and butter making them a delicious sweet treat, with a soft and chewy flavour. 

Americans are divided over the flavour, with people either loving Candy Corn or hating it, much like Marmite! We’d recommend giving it a go on your next trip to America to see what the fuss is all about. 

Charleston Chew

A staple chocolate bar over in America, a Charleston Chew is flavoured nougat covered in a milk chocolate coating. These candy bars have been around for decades and now come in three different flavours, vanilla, chocolate and strawberry.

A popular trick over the years has been to put a Charleston Chew in the freezer for a few hours. Then, once they’ve frozen, smack them against a surface to create multiple, bite-sized pieces. 

100-Grand Bars

Originally called the $100,000 Bar, this chocolate bar was created in the 1960s by Nestlé. It is made of caramel with chocolate and crisped rice coating. The most similar chocolate bar that we have over here in the UK that I can think of would be the Toffee Crisp,  although they still have their differences! 

Hershey’s Kisses

Although many Hershey’s bars are now available in UK supermarkets, including milk chocolate and cookies and creme, Hershey’s kisses are not as easy to find. In America, Hershey’s kisses are popular around Valentine’s Day due to their sweet name. 

They’re also popular around the rest of the year, with Hershey’s producing around 70 million kisses a day! The chocolate itself is just individually wrapped milk chocolate, but they are shaped like little teardrops.

The chocolate is so popular there is now Hershey’s Kisses flavoured cereal, that you may find hiding down an international aisle in your local supermarket. 

Sugar Daddy

Sugar Daddies are essentially a block of chewy caramel, on a lollipop stick. They are produced by confectionary brand Tootsie Roll industry, which specialises in caramel flavoured treats. 

As well as Sugar Daddies, Sugar Babies are available as a companion to the caramel pop. Sugar Babies, also not available in the UK, are bite-sized caramel sweets covered in a layer of milk chocolate. We have no alternative to the Sugar Daddy in the UK, but Sugar Babies are similar to the caramel flavoured chocolate you get in a pack of Revels!

Butterfinger

Butterfingers are not widely available in the UK, but they can be found in certain specialist candy stores that appear on the UK high street. Butterfingers are popular in America and have been since they were created in the 1920s. 

You’d think they’d be flavoured like butter due to their name, but they are actually made of a layered, crisp peanut butter core covered in milk chocolate. Butterfingers also come in two smaller, snack sized chunks called Butterfinger Bites Snackerz, which are essentially just mini versions of the full size bar.

Butterfinger Snackerz have smoother peanut butter layer when compared to Bites and the original bar. 

3 Musketeers

3 Musketeers is a chocolate bar made by Mars, Incorporated. It is made of aerated, whipped mousse covered in milk chocolate. It’s relatively similar to a Milky Way bar that we get over here!

Originally, the bar featured 3 flavours, chocolate, vanilla and strawberry, but due to rising costs during the war they opted to sell a larger version of the most popular chocolate flavour.

Nowadays, they introduce and phase out limited edition flavours regularly. These flavours have included Hot Cocoa, Strawberry, Mint, Birthday Cake and Marshmallow. 

Dum Dums

Dum Dums are American lollipops that were introduced in 1924 and have been popular ever since. Obviously, we have lots of hard lollipops over here in the UK, but Dum Dums offer so many flavours that are simply not seen on our shelves!

These flavours include:

• Blue Raspberry
• Bubblegum
• Butterscotch
• Cotton Candy
• Cherry
• Cream Soda
• Grape
• Fruit Punch
• Root Beer
• Watermelon
• Strawberry

And that’s just naming a few! They come in multipacks and single flavours, meaning once you’ve found a favourite you can stick to it! 

Warheads

Another hard candy only available in America, Warheads are individually wrapped, extremely sour sweets. They’re on the same level of sourness as a freshly cut lemon! The candy itself is a sweet, lemony flavour with a sour powder on the outside. 

Although Warheads aren’t available here, the closest match would be Toxic Waste, which is ironically also an American candy! 

Fruit Gushers

Simply known as Gushers, Fruit Gushers are an interesting candy. They are a fruity flavour, soft, chewy candy. They also have a syrupy, fruit juice centre that releases in your mouth once you bite into it. 

Gushers come in a variety of flavours, including a sour version. They also have a spicy version, known as fiery! Definitely a must try if you’re heading over to the States any time soon. 

After reading this blog post, I hope that you’ve found some new candies and sweets to try on your next trip over! Make sure to leave space in your luggage for all the treats you’re bound to pick up. 

At first, it was hard to find Kombucha in the UK. Nowadays, it’s everywhere, and comes in many flavours. Kombucha contains probiotics and has a wide range of health benefits, including improved gut health, mental health and is even said to help with IBS symptoms! So it’s no wonder if you want to try it or have been looking for it.

If you want to try out Kombucha for yourself, but aren’t sure where to purchase it within the UK, then don’t worry! I’ve put together this guide for you to make it a lot easier. Carry on reading for more information!

Best Places to Buy Kombucha in the UK

Kombucha is easily available online, but it can be hard to know which ones are the best ones to purchase for the health benefits. Below, we’ve listed the 3 best places to buy Kombucha drinks.

Hip Pop

Hip Pop is a family-run business that brews Kombucha the traditional way, with all organic ingredients. They have a strong focus on ensuring the best quality Kombucha every time and are constantly evolving their recipes.

They currently stock 4 flavours, Strawberry and Pineapple, Blueberry and Ginger, Apple and Elderflower and Ginger and Yuzu. 

They offer cases of 12 or 24, of a 6-bottle taster case of mixed flavours if you’re new to Kombucha. They also offer monthly subscriptions to their drinks. All of their Kombucha options are vegan, low in sugar and certified organic. They’re also full of antioxidants, enzymes, Vitamins B and C and organic acids! 

Hip Hop doesn’t charge shipping fees to the mainland UK. They ship using Royal Mail and your items should be with you within 3-4 business days.  Subscription cancellations can be done at any time too. 

Pros:

• No added sugar
• Vegan 
• Certified Organic
• Family business
• Traditional brewing
• Free delivery
• 330ml bottles
• Huge amount of positive customer reviews

Cons:

• Only 4 flavours

Drift Drinks

Drift Drinks stock a range of drinks, including Kombucha. They stock 3 different brands of Kombucha, Genie, Fix8 and Nunc.  Altogether there are 8 flavours, including:

• Rose Blush
• Dry Apple
• Fiery Ginger
• Strawberry Tulsi
• Citrus Saffron
• Triple Ginger
• Hops Monster
• Sweet Citrus

You can order single cans of Kombucha, or you can order 12 or 16 drink boxes. However, these boxes do not solely contain Kombucha and also contain alcohol-free cocktails and beers.

Deliveries are sent with DPD, which costs £4.95 or is free on orders over £50. They aim to get your drinks delivered to you in 2-4 working days. They cover the mainland UK, including Scotland. However, deliveries to Scotland will be charged a high delivery fee. They don’t currently deliver outside of the UK or to Northern Ireland.

Pros:

• 3 brands of Kombucha
• 8 different flavours
• Free delivery on orders over £50
• Less than 100 calories per drink
• 330ml
• Some flavours are vegan

Cons:

• Not organic
• Doesn’t ship outside the mainland UK

Freshly Fermented

Freshly Fermented stocks their own brand of Kombucha as well as Blighty Booch, which is registered with the Vegan Society and Certified Organic. They have around 10 flavours over the 2 brands, including Lavender and Elderflower, Ginger and Organic Cherry.

You can order a single bottle, pack of 6 or 12 with the option to have a single flavour or mix it up. 

Freshly Fermented also offers a monthly subscription of Kombucha, where you will receive 8 bottles of Kombucha per month. 

They offer a standard delivery charge, but free delivery over £50 if your package weighs less than 20kg. They do ship outside of the mainland UK, so customers in Northern Ireland can shop with them. However, they state on their website that customs charges may apply.

Freshly Fermented also offers next day delivery within the mainland UK if the order is placed before 1 pm. 

Pros:

• 2 brands of Kombucha
• Blighty Booch is vegan and organic
• 10 flavours
• Monthly subscription offer
• Ship to Northern Ireland
• Free delivery on orders over £50
• 330ml

Cons:

• Customs charges may apply to Northern Ireland

Which Supermarkets UK Have Kombucha?

You can find Kombucha in the aisles of some UK supermarkets or on their online stores. Below, I’ve listed which brands of Kombucha can be found at each supermarket.

Sainsbury’s

• Nexba
• No.1 Living
• Los Bros Living Drinks
• The Gutsy Captain

Tesco

• Remedy Kombucha
• Nexba

Asda

• Los Bros
• Equinox

Waitrose

• REAL Royal Flush
• Equinox
• River Cottage

Morrisons

• Remedy Kombucha
• Captain Kombucha

Unfortunately, Aldi, Lidl and Iceland do not stock Kombucha.

Where Can I Buy Kombucha Starters or Kits in the UK?

It’s possible to brew your own Kombucha at home if you have the right ingredients and tools. Luckily, these can be bought online and delivered to your door quickly. 

Freshly Fermented

The online store mentioned as a place to buy Kombucha, also offers Kombucha-making tools and Kombucha scobys (symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast). Each scoby has its own unique flavour and all but one is completely organic.

Although marketed as a Kefir maker, this tool can be used to create your own Kombucha easily. It is available in 2 sizes, 848ml and 1.4l. It features a 2-level strainer, is made of glass and BPA-free plastic, meaning it can be washed in the dishwasher. 

It also features secure cover screws within the container lid, which enables airflow. 

Amazon

Amazon UK has a wide range of Kombucha-making kits and scobys available to buy. This Kerfiko Complete Kombucha Making Kit comes with everything you need to brew your own Kombucha, the only thing you need to buy separately is the tea and sugar. It contains a 1.4l jar which is made of glass and BPA-free plastic. 

Etsy 

Etsy stocks a range of different Kombucha starter kits with all the tools you need to make your own. This particular kit by BooChiKombucha has many positive reviews from satisfied customers, stating that this kit took all the guesswork out and makes perfect Kombucha.

The kit itself was actually featured on The One Show on BBC in January 2020 and has been labelled as “the best organic kombucha kit on the market”.

It comes with everything you could possibly need, including all the tools, certified organic tea, certified organic sugar, an organically grown scoby, organic starter liquid and instructions to follow. All you need to do is add water! The seller also offers free delivery to the UK.

After reading this article, I hope you’ve found everything you need to know about buying Kombucha or Kombucha starter kits and scobys. It’s clear to see that it is no longer just stocked in expensive health stores and is readily available to anyone! Good luck on your Kombucha journey, and enjoy all the health benefits it brings! 

Being unable to type this character leads to much frustration, as it reduces your ability to communicate online — you can’t send emails (since all email addresses contain the character “@”) or tag friends on social media without it.

When using a UK keyboard, typing the @ (at) symbol differs slightly from the way you type it on a US keyboard.

Here’s how to type the @ (at) symbol on a UK keyboard:

1. Hold SHIFT and press the apostrophe (‘) key.
2. Press Alt + 64 or OPTION + 0040.
3. Copy and paste the symbol.

Fortunately, there’s no need for advanced technical knowledge to type the @ (at) symbol on a UK keyboard, even if you’re unfamiliar with the current keyboard’s layout.

This article shows you the three ways to type the character on your keyboard — and if one way doesn’t work, just move on to the following method. Read on to learn more about typing the @ (at) symbol on a UK keyboard.

1. Hold SHIFT and Press the Apostrophe (‘) Key

On PCs in the United States, manufacturers position the @ (at) symbol on the number 2 key. To type the character on these keyboards, users simply press SHIFT + 2.

PC keyboard layouts in the United Kingdom slightly differ. That’s because keyboards in the United States follow the American Standard (ANSI) keyboard layout, while the ones in the UK follow the ISO layout. (source: Digital Trends)

To type the @ (at) symbol on a UK keyboard, hold SHIFT + the apostrophe (‘) key. The apostrophe is located just to the left of the “#” symbol and to the right of the letter L. Unshifted, this key produces only the apostrophe.

On standard UK keyboards, the image of the @ (at) symbol doesn’t appear on the keyboard, but you can still use it by typing SHIFT + apostrophe. Extended UK keyboards are the same, although they may show the symbol directly on the keyboard with the apostrophe.

(source: Microsoft)

Typing @ on Mac UK Keyboards

Mac keyboard layouts generally remain the same across the United States and the United Kingdom. The primary difference is that some Mac keyboards in the UK don’t always feature the SHIFT key. 

Instead, users must utilize the OPTION key for additional symbols. Type the @ (at) symbol on a UK Mac keyboard by pressing OPTION + 2.

(source: MacHow2)

American Keyboards With UK Formatting

Sometimes, you’ll come across an American keyboard set up with a UK keyboard input setting. If you attempt to type the @ (at) symbol using SHIFT + 2 on an American keyboard with the UK layout setting, you’d see double-quotation marks, not the @ (at) character.

To align with the layout on most UK keyboards, the UK keyboard input places the @ (at) symbol function in the apostrophe (‘) key. Therefore, when using UK keyboard inputs on an American keyboard, you’d have to type SHIFT + apostrophe/double-quotes to type the @ (at) symbol.

(source: Parsons Technology)

If these methods aren’t working, move on to method number two.

2. Press Alt + 64 or OPTION + 0040

Keyboards have limited space, so developers created Alt codes so users can type additional symbols without requiring a designated key. If you’re experiencing issues typing the @ (at) symbol using your standard keyboard keys, you can use an Alt code instead.

Press and hold Alt + 6 + 4 to render the @ (at) symbol. You don’t have to press 6 and 4 simultaneously. As long as you hold Alt while pressing the numbers in sequence, the symbol should appear on your screen. (source: Alt-Codes)

On Mac keyboards, you must use the OPTION key instead of Alt and a different number code. To type the @ (at) symbol on a Mac using Alt codes, press OPTION + 0 + 0 + 4 + 0.

3. Copy and Paste the Symbol

You can resort to using the copy-and-paste method until you’re able to figure out why you can’t type the @ (at) symbol using standard keyboard inputs. It’s not ideal, but it gets the job done in the meantime.

Here’s how:

1. Perform a web search for “at symbol keyboard.” or just use this article – it’s full of them!
   
2. Locate a website featuring the text of the @ (at) symbol.
   
3. Copy the symbol by highlighting it with your mouse cursor. 
   
4. Right-click and select “Copy,” or press CTRL+C (CMD+C on Mac).
   
5. Place the cursor where you want the symbol to appear and click until you see the insertion point (the blinking line you see when typing or preparing to type).
   
6. Right-click and select “Paste,” or press CTRL+V (CMD+V on Mac).

The symbol should appear on the screen.

Since the rise of the Internet, the @ (at) symbol has become an essential keyboard character. We use it primarily to communicate via social media and email, but some people also need it for accounting jobs (as an abbreviation for “at a rate of”). 

Whether you’re in the United States using a UK keyboard or using a UK keyboard input on an American keyboard, typing the @ (at) symbol is pretty straightforward. Hope this helps!

If, like me, you’ve been stung with a “surprise” charge when your parcel arrives, you’ve probably wondered how best to (legally) avoid these sorts of customs charges when you get a delivery from the USA to the UK.

I’ve dug into ways of avoiding or reducing this charge, legitimately.

First you should know the actual rules – you will be charged customs duty if the value of the goods exceeds £135, unless the duty value comes to less than £7. The charge varies and is determined by the value of the goods, their origin and how they’re classified under the UK Trade Tariff.

If you need to pay customs, you’ll be contacted by Royal Mail or the courier service and have 3 weeks to pay the full amount before the goods are returned to the sender.

Some custom charges are unavoidable, but there are ways to lessen your customs charges legally. Here’s how!

Buy Cheaper Alternatives of the Same Product

Goods under £135 usually have no customs charge when imported from the USA. If what you’re looking to purchase is under this value, it’s unlikely that you will be charged extra at customs. 

If you’re looking to purchase items over this amount, look for cheaper alternatives or “dupes” of the goods to keep the price under this. 

There are loads of blogs about the best “dupes” – a good example is our very own articles on Olaplex dupes and Foreo Luna Dupes (though these are for UK buyers, but you get the idea).

Split Your Orders (If Delivery Is Cheap Enough)

This is one of those “obvious” ones that gets overlooked because people want all their items to arrive at the same time.

If you want to purchase multiple items, and don’t mind them turning up at different times, then order them at separate times rather than all in one go. This way, each parcel will be under the customs and duty threshold and you shouldn’t incur any extra charges. Remember, you’re charged per parcel, rather than per order.

Another option is to order at the same time, but ask the sender to send your items separately, or in fewer parcels. You’ll need to do some calculations on your customs and duty savings vs what you might pay in separate delivery charges, but sometimes it’s well worth it.

Have The Parcel Sent As a Gift

If your items are above £135, but below £630 and classed as a gift you will pay a lower charge at 2.5% and possibly even lower for some goods. 

If you have a friend or family member in the USA, you can get them to buy the goods on your behalf. Then, you can have them send the goods to you as a gift. HMRC will count the goods as a gift if this has been declared on the customs form. Note that some retailers won’t do this if you ask them – which is why it pays to have American friends!

Buy Direct From Individual Traders

Another way to minimise the customs cost is to have the seller send the goods directly to you. The government defines a gift as something bought and sent between two individuals.

Therefore if you’re buying from a platform like Etsy or similar, where usually the “company” is a one-person business, then you can ask them to send it direct from them to you.

However, when a product comes from a company these rules do not apply. Again, some individuals may or may not want (or be able) to do this, but it doesn’t hurt to ask!

Declare Some Goods as ‘No Commercial Value’

Having items sent as no commercial value rather than goods is another way to lower your customs cost. There are a few goods that are not subject to customs charges when sent this way. 

These goods are:

• Children’s toys
• Maps
• Books
• Antiques
• Music

These goods do not actually cost a lot, so, therefore, many are classed as of no commercial value meaning that they are not subject to customs charges. If it’s a larger order, you’re probably better off checking with HMRC first about the exact rules, but it’s worth knowing that “NCV” or “No Customs Value” exists.

Import the Goods for Your Business

Although this isn’t strictly a way of reducing customs charges, it’s still a saving. If you’re a UK business owner and are importing goods from the USA, you will not have to pay the US sales VAT as long as you are a VAT registered business.

Instead, the standard UK 20% will be charged on import. This amount can then be claimed on your tax return as an expense. This will lessen the VAT you have to pay when importing American goods. 

However, bear in mind that the customs duty can not be reclaimed as a tax expense. Only the VAT and delivery charges can be! 

Buying When You’re In the USA

If it’s not urgent and you’ve got a trip planned, you can wait to buy the goods until the next time you’re on holiday in the USA, so you won’t have to pay customs duty at all if you are under the allowance set. You can bring in goods up to the value of £390, or £270 if you arrive by boat or private plane. 

If you exceed this allowance, you will have to pay tax, customs allowance and duty on the whole amount rather than just the amount that exceeds it, so it’s not worth trying to bend the rules. 

However, if you have worn the clothing item or have taken it out of its box depending on what it is, this will count as a used item. If there is no receipt and the tags have all been removed, then it is unlikely that you will have to pay customs duty.

Ensure that you have done all your research before using this method, as if your bag is searched and tags are found on the clothing then it will not count as a used item.

Some people just do not declare what they have bought overseas and hope that they don’t get stopped. We would not recommend doing this as you may end up paying a hefty amount, compared to what you would have paid if you had declared them in the first place. 

Ensure You’ve Coded Your Goods Correctly

The codes on goods are known as Customs Procedure Codes (CPCs). These identify the customs that goods are being entered and removed from. There are also commodity codes, which classify what the goods actually are. These codes are then used to calculate the customs duty that must be paid. 

Some goods are more difficult to classify than others, meaning that you may end up paying more custom charges than you would due to incorrectly coding them. 

The goods that are harder to classify include:

• Computers and software
• Edible goods, including fruit
• Electrical equipment
• Ceramics
• Shoes and footwear
• Herbal medicines and supplements
• Leather
• Organic chemicals
• Leather
• Iron and Steel
• Plastics 
• Rice
• Textiles
• Tobacco
• Vehicles and parts
• Wood

Therefore if it’s a large order and you’re not sure what customs code to use – it’s best to ask HMRC or an experienced shipping or customs agent. Some codes are far less than others, and some even 0% due to free trade deals, so it’s always worth checking you’ve got the right customs code.

Choosing Sea Freight vs Planes

Sometimes, VAT and duty amounts are often dependent on the mode of transport used to ship the goods to the UK. When importing, you can choose to use either sea freight or planes. However, the length of time to receive the goods may vary depending on the method that you choose. 

Sea freight can take any time from 3 – 6 weeks to arrive in the UK, depending on what state the goods have been shipped from. Once they arrive within the UK, they typically take a few days. This tends to be more cost-effective for clothing goods or bulk goods.

The other option, planes, will usually take 2-3 days to deliver your goods into the UK, or 10-12 days if you go for a cheaper option. Again, once within the UK, your goods will take a few days to be delivered to your address. 

The most cost-effective version of shipping will depend on the size and weight of your package. Air freight tends to be the cheapest option for goods weighing up to 300kg or high-value goods.

Weight is less relevant for sea freight and is instead calculated on size. If your goods are larger than 2 cubic metres, but less than 15 then sea freight is a cheaper option.

For items larger than this size, you may have to purchase your own container to bring the items across. Discover the freight costs for both sea freight and air freight, from the USA to the UK, provided by Transporteca. 

Where to Get Help with Customs and Duty

If you are planning on purchasing and importing anything mentioned above, it’s best to get help to ensure you are coding it correctly. You can hire a person to deal with customs for you, or get in touch with HMRC for non-legally binding classification advice.

You can also ask HMRC to give you a legally binding decision on your goods. This can be a good option if your goods are hard to classify and informal advice has not helped. Or, if you’re receiving a new type of product. However, this decision can take up to 120 days to be made so it may not be suitable if you’re on a time limit.  

A Note on Excise Duty 

Excise duty counts on tobacco and alcohol products imported into the UK from the USA. The taxes are specific to the type of product and are dependent on the commodity code of the product, as detailed above. You’ll probably need specialist help (as mentioned above) if you’re importing large amounts of drink, cigarettes, etc.

I hope that after reading this blog post, you understand how to lessen customs charges better. As you can see, there are legal ways to lessen the customs charges when importing goods from the USA to the UK.

However, some charges are inevitable and you need to make sure that you are legally declaring anything that you have to avoid further charges or getting in trouble with the law. It’s always best to ask a legal professional for advice if you are unsure about anything. Happy shopping!

In this case, it’s a good idea to give constructive feedback and complain about the issue, so the restaurant improves. It wasn’t until I had to complain to McDonalds that I realised there were more ways to go about it than I thought.

To complain to McDonald’s in the UK, you can use social media, the phone, email and also speak to a manager in person. The customer service department is trained to handle most of your complaints and is the best avenue to ensure your complaint is addressed.

No one likes a bad experience, but sometimes it’s unavoidable. Keep reading to find out how to make a complaint to McDonald’s in the UK and improve your dining experience.

Ways To Lodge a Complaint With McDonald’s in the UK

There are multiple ways to lodge a complaint with McDonald’s in the UK. No method is necessarily better than the others, but one might work better for you depending on your preference, who’s handling your complaint, and the number of people who are also making a complaint via the avenue you’re using.

Talk To a Manager

When you have a complaint while physically inside a McDonald’s, asking for a manager can be far quicker than using customer service.

If your complaint is a question or a problem with your experience in that McDonald’s UK branch, the manager will usually be able to solve it. They’ve usually got the authority to correct something that’s wrong – there and then.

Call Customer Service

If a manager cannot solve your problem, the best way to get the response you want is to call McDonald’s UK Customer service at +44 370 524 4622. Depending on the time of day, you may need to wait on the phone for a while due to long queues.

Note that you can only call the customer service number at specific times. During the week, the number is open from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM. On the weekends, the window to call is shorter, lasting only 6 hours from 10 AM to 4 PM. (Source: GetCustomerService)

Send an Email

If you’d rather outline your problems in a well-thought-out email, you can also make a complaint by emailing customerservices@mcDonalds.co.uk. The team will usually get back to you within a day. To make the process quicker, provide all the details related to your problems, such as relevant dates, addresses, and receipts. 

Reach Out on Social Media

If you’re more comfortable communicating with customer service via social media, you can make your complaint to the McDonald’s UK Twitter account.

If the account manager isn’t active, however, it can sometimes take a few hours to get a response. A barrage of complaints from other Twitter users can also prolong your waiting time. (Source: McDonald’s UK Twitter).

I’ve never tried to message them through Facebook though I’m sure that works just as well.

Use the McDonald’s UK Virtual Assistant

One less popular choice is to use the virtual assistant on the company’s website. Although you won’t get exact answers to all your questions, the virtual assistant is pre-programmed with solutions to many basic problems. (Source: McDonald’s UK) 

If the assistant cannot completely help you, you can file a complaint in the virtual assistant window. Regardless of the method you choose, always remember to keep details of your problem handy. Any dates or receipts will go a long way.

Can I Complain to the McDonald’s UK Head Office?

You cannot complain to the McDonald’s UK head office directly. To make complaints, you have to go through one of the official channels (i.e., social media, email, and phone) to communicate with the company’s customer service department.

But if you must know, the McDonald’s UK head office is located at 11-59 High Rd, East Finchley, London N2. Bear in mind that writing to this address might not be the best first port of call – use the other ways listed above first.

The McDonald’s Complaint Procedure in the UK

So what happens when you actually make a complaint?

The McDonald’s complaint procedure in the UK is as follows:

1. Contact McDonald’s customer service through mobile, email, or social media.
2. Explain your complaint in detail. Include important information such as the address of the McDonald’s branch, the problem, date, and receipt.
3. Wait for your problem to be sorted by customer service. This could take a couple of minutes (in branch) or a few days or weeks, depending on how you contact them and how serious your complaint is.

The McDonald’s UK complaint procedure is straightforward and usually only requires you to reach out once before your problem is acknowledged and addressed. That said, the process might be more or less convenient depending on how you choose to make your complaint. 

For example, you can usually expect to wait on the phone for a long time due to the high volume of calls. On the other hand, while you might skip the long queues by using social media, you will have to wait for the handler to respond to your message.

Overall, I hope this helps if you find yourself wondering how to complain to McDonald’s in the UK. Most other websites only tell you how to complain in the US, so I hope you find this British-centric guide useful!

To create a perfect pizza at home, you need the right accessories. This includes a quality pizza peel. It’s no good making a superb pizza, only to have it stick to the peel (or even worse, fall on the floor – as as happened to me too many times).

Here are the ones we shortlisted when looking for a decent pizza peel in the UK:

Best for Pizza Ovens: Argon Tableware Aluminium Pizza Peel

This 12×14 inch Aluminium Pizza Peel by Argon Tableware is square in shape, so it’s suitable for pizzas of all sizes. The smooth aluminium blade features a sleek design that makes it easy to slide it underneath pizzas, so you don’t have to worry about struggling to lift it. 

It features a long wooden handle that is naturally heat resistant, which keeps your hands and fingers away from the heat and any potential burns. If you’re not used to handling a peel, this is a big plus. One reviewer said that they thought the peel was well made and it worked very well. They also confirmed that it keeps your hands well away from the heat!

The peel is lightweight and stable, so there’s no risk of dropping your meal due to an unbalanced peel. However, ensure that you have sufficient space to store this pizza peel as it’s unlikely to fit in a kitchen cupboard, which could lead to clutter in your kitchen…

Pros:

• Square shape
• Large size
• Sleek, stable design
• Heat resistant
• Long wooden handle 

Cons:

• Difficult to store due to size
• Not suitable for gas ovens as it doesn’t heat evenly

Best Wooden Peel: GA Homefavor Wooden Pizza Peel

This wooden pizza peel from GA Homefavor comes in a pack of 2 and is an eco-friendly and sustainable option if that’s what you’re looking for. It’s made from natural birchwood, which offers extra durability so you don’t have to worry about it not lasting a long time, further adding to its sustainability. 

The edges of this pizza peel are bevelled, which helps to keep your pizza intact and is beneficial for those who have unsteady hands. I’m rather clumsy myself, so the bevelled edges really help to keep the pizza on the peel when moving to and from the oven.

There’s nothing worse than spending time creating your masterpiece only for it to drop on the floor before you’ve even cooked it! 

The handle on this pizza peel is shorter, which helps to steady your hands when moving the pizza but can also increase your risk of burns, so make sure to wear your oven gloves. However, the appearance of the shorter handle and the rustic wood also allows you to serve pizza on the peel which is sure to impress your guests. 

Pros:

• Bevelled edges
• Eco-friendly
• 2 wood peels 
• Durable

Cons:

• Shorter handle, increasing the risk of burns
• Unsuitable for dishwashers

Best Compact Peel: Honey-Can-Do Folding Pizza Peel

One of the most annoying things about owning a pizza peel is finding a suitable place to store it because they’re pretty big, however with this folding pizza peel by Honey-Can-Do, that’s not a worry! The wooden handle folds in to make it easy to store in your kitchen cupboards. 

The pizza peel is made from heavy-duty, long-lasting aluminium that has a large carrying surface at 14 x 16 inches wide. This will fit all sizes and types of pizza. I know that when you start making your own they somehow never turn out all the same size, so knowing the carry handle will carry them all is a relief! 

Reviewers have raved about this peel, they love how sturdy the handle is and how it’s so easy to store by turning the handle. They’ve also said that the pizza slides on and off nicely when using flour underneath and it’s really easy to manoeuvre. Everything that you could want in a pizza peel!

Pros:

• Folding handle for easy storage
• Heavy-duty aluminium
• Large carrying surface at 14 x 16”
• Easy to clean

Cons:

• Some reviewers have had to file the edges to make them sharper
• Not dishwasher safe

Best for Home Ovens: Ooni Perforated Pizza Peel

Ooni is a well-known manufacturer of pizza ovens, so you can be confident that they know what they’re doing when it comes to pizza peels. This perforated peel is available in two sizes, 12 inches and 14 inches, so there’s an option for you no matter what size you love your pizzas.

Unlike the other peels mentioned, this pizza peel has perforations within the carry surface. This allows any excess flour to fall away from the pizza base, ensuring you have crisp and evenly cooked bases every time. 

For those who don’t have much arm strength, this peel may be an option for you. The perforated peel is made from lightweight aluminium that is easy to balance, making it easy to transfer your pizzas to and from the oven.

It also has a hard anodised coating that increases resistance to corrosion, so you can rest assured that this peel will last a long time. 

The handle is made from glass-reinforced nylon, ensuring that it is more resistant to heat. This means you don’t have to worry about the handle getting too close to the hot oven and heating up, burning your hands in the process. 

Pros:

• Available in two sizes
• Perforated surface
• Lightweight aluminium
• Anodised coating
• Heat resistant handle

Cons:

• Not dishwasher safe
• Perforations mean you have to flour the bottom of the pizza well instead of the peel

Best for All Sizes: Q’s Inn Detachable Handle Pizza Peel

Available in 4 different sizes, this pizza peel by Q’s Inn gives you the option to have 3 different handle lengths! This means you can choose which handle you are most comfortable with and even have a professional length handle for use with real pizza ovens!

You can place your pizza as far back in the oven as you’d like and there’s no risk of burns with these handle options.

It has many different sizes of rounded carry surface made from non-stick aluminium so there’s no worry of your pizza sticking to the peel. Non-stick also makes cleaning the peel that little bit easier, no melted cheese stuck on this!

The handles are also removable for easy storage. A top tip from me, if you’re running low on kitchen supplies, the shortest handle could even double up as a rolling pin!

Pros:

• Choose between 3 handle lengths suitable for home and professional ovens
• Easy storage 
• Available in 4 sizes
• Keeps hands away from ovens
• Non-stick

Cons:

• Some reviewers have said the screws for handles are very small

Best Looking: TOSCANA Picnic Time Acacia Wood Pizza Peel

This acacia wood pizza peel is shaped like a large paddle. It has a smooth surface without grains, which prevents the dough from getting stuck. It features a lovely wooden design, that means you could double up the peel as a serving plate for your pizza!

Though it may be an idea to use a separate chopping board to cut the pizza, to avoid damaging the appearance of the peel. 

The peel is around 14 inches and has a bevelled edge to slip underneath the pizza with ease. Many reviewers have commented that this peel is one they reach for due to how non-stick the surface is. 

The handle is tapered for a comfortable grip when transferring pizzas. It also has a hole at the end of the handle, so you can hang it up when finished. This particular peel has a lifetime guarantee, if there’s any faults then you know that you’re covered. 

Pros:

• Doubles up as a serving plate
• Non-grained, smooth surface
• Bevelled edges
• 14” surface
• Tapered handle with hanging hole

Cons:

• Thicker than the other peels mentioned
• Hand wash only

Tips On How To Use A Pizza Peel

I’d be lying if I said that using a pizza peel doesn’t take some getting used to. It certainly takes some practice before you get the hang of it. Hopefully, these tips will make it slightly easier to master. 

1. Before use, ensure that your pizza peel is clean and completely dry. Any moisture on the pizza peel can make your dough stick. 
   
2. Stretch your raw pizza dough out on your worktop to the size you want it. Dust the pizza peel with plenty of flour or semolina and place the dough on top. Then, add your sauce and toppings. Make sure not to get any sauce on the peel as the moisture will make the dough stick!
   
3. As you’re adding your toppings, give the peel a shake every now and then to make sure that the dough hasn’t stuck. Add extra flour and semolina if needed.
   
4. Open your oven and pull out the rack that holds your pizza stone. Drop your pizza on the stone. Don’t shake or tilt the peel as this will catch the edge of the dough on the pizza stone and lead to an uneven pizza crust. Use a confident quick back and forth movement with your wrist for the best results. This is the hardest part to master so don’t panic if you don’t get it right straight away!
   
5. To retrieve your pizza, firmly slide the peel underneath and make sure to keep it flat. Transfer your pizza to your worktop.

The best tip I can give is to be confident when using a pizza peel. If you overthink it too much, you’re likely to get unsteady hands and mess it up. It definitely takes some practice to master, but that means more pizza!

How To Stop A Pizza Sticking To A Pizza Peel

The easiest way to ensure your uncooked pizza dough doesn’t stick to the peel is to make sure that the peel or base of the pizza is dusted with plenty of flour, semolina or cornmeal. This will absorb any moisture from the dough and make it easier to slide on and off. 

If you’re gluten-free, the dough you use can be stickier due to the different flour used. To combat this, you can opt for baking or parchment paper underneath the dough instead. This is fine to go into the pizza oven until the base has crisped up, then slide it out before the pizza finishes cooking entirely. 

Some places recommend oiling your wooden pizza peel to prevent warping. I don’t recommend this, it’s often seen as an unnecessary step and can actually increase the risk of the uncooked dough sticking if it is not cleaned off properly.

Instead, ensure you don’t get your wooden peel overly wet. Wash it with warm soapy water and ensure that it dries completely before storing it away. 

Discover this video on how to use your metal pizza peel without your dough sticking!

Buying a pizza peel as a beginner can be a difficult task, with so many options it can be hard to know where to look.

After reading this guide, I hope I’ve made it easier for you to choose one that works for you and to send you on your homemade pizza journey. Good luck!

For some daft reason, I didn’t eat many of them, but I do now! They’re absolutely delicious, yet in danger of being forgotten. I’m happy to report that there are a number of places you can buy them these days – even if you’re nowhere near Morecambe.

Where to Buy Morecambe Bay Potted Shrimps in the UK

Here’s a list of the best places to buy Morecambe potted shrimp – or, if you’re making your own – where to buy the authentic, traditional British brown shrimp that most recipes call for, too.

Please note that these aren’t prawns – they’re totally different, sweeter, and more succulent. Do try them!

1. The Fish Society

The Fish Society is first on my list because they sell both the raw product (the brown shrimp) AND the traditional potted version.

Their potted shrimp is made by an artisan producer in Morecambe, and they recently switched up their recipe to include a bit more butter – which, they say, made everyone very happy. Their potted shrimps have excellent reviews, and they include a cracking recipe idea – tipping the whole lot over a hot jacket potato. Yes please!

If you’re going to make potted shrimp yourself, you can buy real brown shrimp (crangon crangon is the cute Latin name) from the Fish Society too, either peeled or whole.

Lovers of the potted version will be pleased to learn that there’s a “multibuy” deal so if you stock up on a few, the price goes down.

The Fish Society has a huge selection of other fish-related products so it’s very easy to get up to their minimum/free delivery threshold, too. I recommend them in my best British fishmongers article for this reason.

2. Fine Food Specialist

As you’d expect from the name, Fine Food Specialist only stocks the best versions of many luxury products. They are already in my top 10 online butchers for their quality meat, and their supplier of potted shrimps is no different.

You can only buy a multipack of 4 pots from them, which isn’t really a big deal if you’re making it worth your while for delivery. Plus they’re frozen, so you don’t have to use them up all at once.

Their potted shrimps are caught and cooked the traditional way – on board the boat, in seawater. This is the authentic method, and becoming increasingly hard to find since the number of boats fishing for the shrimp is in decline.

Buying from Fine Food Specialist is therefore a good way to support a small producer, still sticking to the older methods. It means their potted shrimp are delicious too – there’s a tiny bit of cayenne in their recipe and it makes all the difference.

Fun Fact: Forget Martinis and Bollinger – James Bond also loved Morecambe Bay Potted Shrimp. As did his creator, Ian Fleming.

Supermarkets (Waitrose and Booths in Particular)

If I run out of potted shrimp I’ve often thrown some in with the regular shop. Waitrose is fairly consistent in stocking the “Marine Gourmet” brand, which has been around forever – you’ll probably recognise the distinctive blue and white pot.

If you’re further North, Booths are also a reliable supermarket for potted shrimps and stock some local producers such as Furness Fish – who also run Morecambe Bay Shrimps, listed below.

I’ve noticed some potted shrimps in other supermarkets like Asda, Sainsbury’s and Tesco, but these tend to be the larger stores.

James Baxter and Son

Baxters “original potted shrimps” have the Royal Warrant, so if it’s good enough for the Queen, you know that these are high quality from the oldest supplier in the country. Before that, they were the Queen Mother’s choice, too.

The company go back all the way to 1799 and the seventh generation are still running the company. If you want tradition, then this is it! They also have a small selection of game and frozen, fish too.

There are MANY quantity options here – and at reasonable prices, too. If you already know you love potted shrimps and you want to stock up, you can get quantity and quality here – a rare thing.

Shipping is on the pricier side compared to some other suppliers (I paid just under a tenner for a pack of 6 single portions) but with such a delicate product, it’s probably a good idea to pay a bit more knowing it will arrive in good condition.

Fun Fact: A year’s supply of Potted Shrimp is the prize for the “Hatchet Job of the Year” among the UK press.

Morecambe Bay Shrimps (Furness Fish)

Morecambe Bay Shrimps – as you can tell from the name – have been doing this a long time. They are one of the biggest producers of traditional potted shrimp, and have larger quantities fit for dinner parties and large gatherings, if that’s what you’re after instead of the individual little pots.

They also sell peeled brown shrimps for you to make your own at home, too. Delivery is four days a week (Tues-Fri) and to most places in the UK, except the Scottish Highlands and Islands.

How Do You Eat or Serve Morecambe Bay Potted Shrimps?

The traditional way to serve and eat potted shrimps are on crusty bread or toast. It’s best to let the butter get to room temperature to make it easily spreadable. Alternatively, I recommend you warm the pot through a little bit in the oven at a low temperature, to help soften the butter.

I like mine piled on a slice of sourdough with a green salad on the side:

What’s the Shelf Life of Potted Shrimps? Do They Keep Well?

Potted shrimps can keep for up to three months or more when in the freezer. When in the fridge, they keep longer than you might expect because the butter preserves them – depending on the producer, the shelf life is given as 10 – 12 days.

For the best taste, eat your potted shrimps (when defrosted) by the date given on the pot. This is usually at least a week from when you buy them.

Can You Freeze Potted Shrimps?

You can freeze potted shrimps for up to three months, according to most producers. Very often, ones you’ll find in supermarkets have been previously frozen. This doesn’t impair the quality – they’ll still be delicious. The butter acts as a preservative, as with other “potted” products.

Why Are Potted Shrimps so Expensive?

Some people are surprised that a tiny pot of seafood can average about a fiver. You only have to look at the work that goes into making a little pot of brown shrimps to know why they can be expensive (considering their size!)

Potted Shrimps are expensive because catching and preparing them in the traditional way is a labour-intensive process. There are the running costs of the boat itself, and the equipment needed to boil and peel the fresh shrimp on board. Additionally, the traditional recipe calls for quality butter, which isn’t cheap either.

Some companies now use tractors to harvest the shrimp at low water, but these aren’t cheap to run, either!

Considering the amount of fiddly work that goes into this quality product, and the taste at the end, I think they’re well worth it.

The best sofa cover in the UK is the H. Versailtex Reversible Sofa Cover. It offers a minimalist design with extreme comfort. This reversible cover is great for changing up the appearance of your sofa and deterring unwanted stains and debris. It’s also effortless to remove and wash. 

In this article, I’ve compiled my top five choices for the best sofa covers in the UK, including some of the covers I’ve purchased and rotated out from time to time. Each of my recommended sofa covers can easily be found on Amazon.co.uk.

Most Versatile: H. Versailtex Reversible Sofa Cover

I chose the H. Versailtex Reversible sofa cover as my top pick because of its practicality. I live alone and have a big husky and a long-haired cat, so you can imagine the amount of pet fur in my flat. My pets love laying on the couch, and I enjoy relaxing with my morning cuppa there too. 

Ultimately, I needed a sofa cover that looked simple, sleek, was easy to maintain and could sustain the types of messes and stains that the pets and I make. 

The H. Versailtex sofa cover is ideal because it’s a slip cover that comes in a wide range of neutral colours to match any interior. It has a defined shape, also known as a t-cushion, so it fits over the main back and bottom cushions, and over the arms of the sofa (source: Visual Hunt). 

The cover is made from a soft, quilted material and is extremely comfortable too. The soft fabric is sewn of quick-drying fibres, so I don’t have to worry about potential tea spills seeping through and lingering on the couch.

The reversibility also means I can get more prolonged use out of the cover between washes by just flipping it around to the other side. 

I also enjoy how rapidly I can put it on the sofa because of its adjustable straps. It’s my everyday couch cover and works perfectly with my busy lifestyle. 

Best Value: Generic 6-Piece Sofa Cover Set

My next top pick is a fantastic, bright-coloured stretch sofa cover set that you will fall in love with. I gifted the Generic 6-Piece Sofa Cover Set to my mum for her birthday, as she had some furniture in her conservatory that she wanted covers for. She was delighted with this soft and warm sofa cover set, and she liked how lightweight the fabric felt. 

The set is made of elastic fibres that are stretchy enough to cover her entire 3-seater sofa and comes with matching covers for the seat cushions. The sofa cushion covers also have dainty pom poms on them that help add some flair to the sofa’s aesthetic. 

The best part about this sofa cover set is that it can easily be washed in the washing machine. The machine cycles won’t damage the fabric, and it’ll dry fast too. The cover will continue to maintain its soft and velvety texture, even after extended use and multiple washes. 

You also don’t have to worry about the material stretching out or the corners becoming loose. The edges are designed with a strong and stretchy band that keeps them secure around the sides of the couch and underneath the cushions. 

Most Comfortable: BellaHills Velvet Sofa Slipcover 

I chose the BellaHills Velvet Sofa Slipcover as my go-to for the comfiest sofa cover. The material is made of elegant and luxurious fibres that feel soft to the touch and smooth against the sofa skin. This sofa cover doesn’t have any exciting patterns or designs, but the material it’s sewn from is what makes it a worthy investment. 

Although the fabric is made of velvet, it’s also blended with a nice amount of elastic so it can stretch over your couch and fit tightly along the edges and corners. The velvet material doesn’t appear overly stretched when fitted on your sofa, and it retains its plush texture and rich colour. 

Unlike some other sofa covers, the straps on this one are discreet and fit underneath the couch to prevent the material from pulling to one side or riding up along the edges. 

Overall, I like the minimalist aesthetic of this sofa cover and how cosy it makes my couch feel. I tend to put this one on in the wintertime when temperatures drop because it adds warmth and comfort to my otherwise cold flat.  

Most Durable: H. Versailtex Lycra Jacquard Sofa Cover

The H. Versailtex Lycra Jacquard Sofa Cover offers next-level durability and protection for your sofa. It’s a thicker cover made of stretchy and water-resistant fibres, which is perfect for a pet owner like me.

I purchased this stretch sofa cover for my 1-seat recliner chair since it’s my dog’s favourite spot to lounge. Any time my dog and I come back from a walk in the rain, the first thing he’ll do is run to the chair and roll around to dry himself off.

But since I bought this sofa cover, the recliner looks cleaner and more welcoming (even with the dog’s messes). 

The cover is very soft and strong enough to deter substantial amounts of water. It also dries quickly, and doesn’t retain that awful smell that some other fabrics do. 

When it comes to cleaning, I chose to purchase it in a darker colour so stains and dog fur aren’t as visible. Cleaning fur off of the cover is quick and straightforward – most of the time, I just waft it to remove any debris. 

Otherwise, I can toss the cover in the washing machine for a more thorough clean, and it comes out looking like new every time!

Most Stylish: Hotniu Fit Stretch Sofa Cover

I came across the Hotniu Fit Stretch Sofa Cover when I was looking to add some colour to my flat. I wanted a stretch cover that was tight-fitting and could cover all edges of my rugged old sofa, and this sofa cover did just the trick. 

I like to put this one on when I’m having guests over or hosting at my flat because it spruces up the room instantly. I always get compliments on my couch’s design when I have this cover on because most people think it is original upholstery (since it fits so seamlessly onto the sofa).

The highly stretchy fabric makes it easy to tuck across the corners without leaving any excess material overstretched or loosened on the sides. 

I also appreciate the cover’s durable fibres that make it easy to maintain. I usually just hoover any loose dust or pet fur off the surface, and use a damp cloth to remove any other dried stains. 

I adore this sofa cover’s unique patterns, which are chic and contemporary. It’s great for a renter, like me, who needs some colour in the house but can’t paint the walls.

How Much Does It Cost To Cover a Sofa?

It can cost anywhere between £20 – £60 to cover a sofa with a sofa cover. At the same time, it can cost as much as £500 or more to reupholster a small sofa. Therefore, purchasing a cover for your sofa is often more economical than reupholstering it (source: Check a Trade).

If you’d like to opt for an even cheaper solution, you can forgo the sofa cover and reupholstering altogether and instead invest in nice throws. Throws are often thicker and can be used as blankets. They can be purchased for much lower prices at department and homeware stores. 

However, the biggest caveat with using throws is that you may have to buy multiple ones to cover the entire couch. They probably won’t stay put on your sofa as securely, and they may not be as easy to wash. Depending on the material, some throws can also accumulate more dirt and pet fur (source: Apartment Therapy).

Can You Dye Sofa Covers?

You can dye sofa covers with upholstery-safe dyes or paints. Although this option may be cheaper than purchasing a new sofa or cushion covers, improperly using the dye can leave your upholstery looking discoloured and patchy (source: Yorkshire Fabric Shop).

If you aren’t skilled with using fabric dye, you may be left with an even larger mess to clean up afterwards, since it can stain carpet, clothing, and other upholstery.

It’s important to note that bright dyes and paints may not show up on darker coloured fabrics. The paints also won’t provide much protection to the sofa, especially if you’re looking to combat stains, debris, and pet fur build-up. 

Therefore, to get uniform tones and added protection, you’re probably better off buying new sofa covers. 

Final Thoughts

Buying a quality sofa cover can be a great way to give your sofa a much-needed refresh – and at an affordable price! You can consider stretch covers or slip covers, depending on the type of coverage you want.

I hope you found this article helpful, and as always, be sure to measure your sofa’s dimensions before purchasing a new cover.

You can buy sushi-grade fish in the UK from reputable fishmongers. Although some supermarket fish is suitable for sushi, you’ll need to ensure it’s been prepared and stored correctly before purchasing. Most of the time, it’s much safer to buy your sushi fish directly from a specialist fishmonger.

In this article, I’ll explore what sushi-grade fish is and if it’s safe to purchase at your local supermarket. I’ll also recommend the best places to buy raw fish that’s ideal for making sushi. Keep reading to learn more.

Where To Get Sushi Grade Fish in the UK

You can purchase sushi-grade fish in the UK from several fish specialists or at your local supermarket. However, the fish specialists will offer the highest standard of quality and ensure the fish is safe to consume raw. 

For the best sushi-grade fish in the UK, I enjoy ordering from The Fish Society. This shop offers tasty cuts of safely-prepared salmon backs and tuna that you can use to create nigiri and sashimi.

Salmon backs are great for creating fine slices of sashimi because they’re much wider and slightly thinner than filets, making them easy to pick up with your chopsticks.

On the other hand, the tuna blocks are cut into thicker chunks that allow you to trim them down to the desired size. You can slice them thinly and easily layer them on your rice logs, creating the perfect nigiri, or you can grate them into slivers to roll into a spicy tuna roll.

The shop also offers fresh mackerel cut from the back or stomach, which can safely be eaten as sashimi. This cut is good for thin and even slices that you can fan out on the plate, which makes the sushi look more visually appealing as well. (It also gives off the impression that you’ve done this before – even if you’re a beginner like me!)

Source: The Fish Society

Another great place where you can get high-quality raw fish for sushi is Fine Food Specialists. What I like about this shop is the wide variety of raw fish you can get that you probably wouldn’t find in standard supermarkets, such as bluefin tuna and hiramasa.

These are pricier cuts but definitely worth a try. I particularly like the taste of the hiramasa sashimi, which has a warm, rich, and buttery flavour that goes so well with the pickled ginger – so don’t pass this one up!

Also, if you’re based in London, this shop offers same-day delivery, and is super convenient, especially if you don’t want to carry your fresh fish on the underground. If you’re located a little further out, don’t fret – this shop also offers next-day delivery!

Source: Fine Food Specialists

The last shop I’ve had a great experience with is The Fresh Fish Shop. I like this shop because, if you’re a sushi-making newbie like me, you can purchase all the ingredients in bundles to make your favourite sushi rolls. This makes it easy to get fresh fish and the right supplies. 

The salmon is also perfectly cut (straight from the fish’s side), so you can slice it into smaller pieces for sashimi, use it as strips on nigiri, or chop it finer to fit into maki rolls. Any leftover raw salmon strips can be used to make yummy temakis too. 

When I ordered my salmon, I asked the fishmonger to remove the skin. This made it really easy to handle the salmon cuts when I was making sushi and I was able to get more defined pieces for my rolls.

Source: The Fresh Fish Shop

Do UK Supermarkets Sell Sushi Grade Fish?

You may be surprised to learn that there is no such thing as “sushi grade fish” in the UK. The government doesn’t have regulations detailing what constitutes sushi-grade fish but instead regulates how fish must be stored, cleaned, and sold to be safe for consumption.

According to the UK’s Food Standards Agency (FSA), salmon is prone to parasite worms if they aren’t cleaned and stored correctly. For these reasons, the government indicates that salmon must be thoroughly checked, sanitised, and frozen before selling.

Another alternative to treating wild fish from parasites is to use a heating method that kills the worms and lowers the risk of illness. 

However, according to the same source, you may be able to eat Scottish salmon raw because it’s been farmed, rather than caught in the wild. This is because salmon that’s been farmed usually has a lower risk of parasites.

UK supermarkets do sell fish that is safe for sushi. However, you’ll need to ask the fish-seller at the counter where the fish was sourced and if it was frozen or temperature-treated beforehand. 

If the fish-seller can’t confirm this information, you shouldn’t consume the fish raw. 

Source: UK Food Standards Agency, Salmon Scotland, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics

Can I Use UK Supermarket Fish for Sushi?

You can use UK supermarket fish for sushi if the fish was previously frozen or is of high quality and cleaned correctly. You should not make sushi with supermarket fish if it hasn’t been treated or if the fish appears spoiled. 

According to The Fish Society, there are a few ways to tell if fish has spoiled or isn’t suitable for raw consumption:

• It has bruises.
• It has grey, brown, or black discolouration.
• It has blemishes.

If you do decide to get fresh raw fish from your local supermarkets, such as Asda, Morrison’s, or Tesco, you should carry out a few checks first, to ensure quality. Refrain from purchasing any fish from the counter if the fish-seller doesn’t have information about where it was sourced, how it’s been cut, or how it was treated. 

You can further assess a fish’s quality based on how it’s being stored and displayed. For example, check if there is enough ice surrounding the entire fish, or if the ice bed seems drained and neglected. Check if the fish is labelled correctly and if it’s touching other varieties of fish. You should also look out for any flies or bugs on the fish. 

These can all be signs that the fish may not be suitable for raw consumption. 

So, while you can get decent-quality fish from the supermarket, you may be better off paying a little extra and going to a high-end supermarket, such as Waitrose or Marks & Spencers, or a fish specialist. These shops charge higher premiums to ensure better quality, but it’s definitely worth the price to avoid getting sick. 

The fishmongers even go the extra mile by giving you a selection of fishes suitable specifically for making sushi. And when you’re trying to make that perfect piece of sushi, you won’t regret paying those few extra pounds!

Source: The Fish Society, BBC Good Food, Marks & Spencers 

After going through this article, I hope you can find some helpful information on the type of fish you can safely use for your sushi craving. When in doubt, always purchase your sushi fish from a professional fishmonger or specialist for ensured safety and quality.