Traveling overseas often reveals how powerful “Brand Britain” can be. From the familiar Union Jack to traditional foods, tea, beer, and cheese, British imagery remains instantly recognizable around the world. One memorable example appeared during a trip in 2019, when I came across a display for Kavli cheese. The packaging leaned heavily into classic British symbolism: illustrations of the iconic guards from regiments such as the Coldstream Guards, and the likes of the Irish Guards and Welsh Guards. The display was topped with a bright red British telephone box and a Union Jack, conjuring images of ceremonial soldiers and the quiet ritual of a cup of Earl Grey tea. The surprise, however, was the product itself. Inside the display were tubes of Cheddar cheese and Brie, packaged in a convenient squeeze-tube format designed for travel. While the cheese is not actually British in origin, the branding cleverly evokes the traditions and pageantry associated with Britain. As marketing goes, the campaign is strikingly effective. By pairing portable cheese with instantly recognizable British imagery, the designers behind Kavli’s packaging created a memorable—and slightly whimsical—example of how national identity can be used to sell a product far beyond its original borders.
This time, the tasting comes with proper British credentials: a traditional English Cheddar, sold under the Garant label. Axfood—the Swedish food retail group behind the Willys supermarket chain—has quietly built a reputation for sourcing products that rival those found in many British supermarkets. The Cheddar itself reflects that ambition. Firm in texture with the expected crumbly edge, it carries the savoury sharpness and mellow depth one associates with a respectable English Cheddar rather than the milder continental imitations often marketed under the name. Axfood has demonstrated similar judgment elsewhere in its British-style offerings. Its loose Earl Grey tea, for instance, is among the better supermarket versions available outside the United Kingdom. In fact, if truth be told, the blend would comfortably hold its own against several well-known supermarket brands on British shelves. Taken together, the range suggests that Axfood understands the character of classic British staples—whether cheese or tea—rather better than one might expect from a Scandinavian retailer.
Att resa utomlands visar ofta hur kraftfullt "Brand Britain" kan vara. Från den välbekanta Union Jack till traditionell mat, te, öl och ost, brittiska bilder är fortfarande omedelbart igenkännbara runt om i världen. …
Den här gången kommer provsmakningen med riktiga brittiska referenser: en traditionell engelsk cheddar, som säljs under märket Garant. Axfood – den svenska livsmedelskoncernen bakom Willys stormarknadskedja – har i tysthet byggt upp ett …
Detta lilla matparadis ligger undangömt men maten är bland den godaste jag ätit på länge. Jag skulle säga att detta är en familjevänlig restaurang. Det är superrent och den vänliga personalen var mycket hjälpsam. …
Detta var utan tvekan den största överraskningen jag någonsin stött på på mina affärsresor utanför USA hittills; på väg till Murmansk i Ryssland sjönk temperaturen plötsligt till -20 och vägen framåt var synbart försämrad, så vi tog ett …