‘Weird Australian supermarket item I no longer have to buy’

It’s a grocery staple in the UK, but until recently you couldn’t find it in Australia, forcing expats to turn to a “freaky” alternative.

I’m just going to say it: Australian bacon is weird.

There’s something freaky about the fact it’s sold pre-cooked and is an alarmingly opaque shade of pink when you buy it.

Bacon in the UK (where I grew up) doesn’t look like that.

Sure, it has a pinky colour to it, but the meat is raw and translucent – you can literally see through it – and it tastes better too.

Now before you come for me, there are plenty of examples where Australia blows Great Britain out of the water; sunsets and beaches to name just a couple.

Fresh produce here is also next level. Most things sold in British supermarkets are imported, whereas Coles and Woolies shelves are stacked with homegrown foods.

But in my opinion, bacon is better back home.

It’s more flavoursome and crisps up better. You simply can’t beat it.

British-style bacon now sold in Coles and Woolworths. Picture: Supplied/news.com.au

“The main difference is that traditional British bacon is cold smoked, essentially pickled or brined, not cooked,” Mick Nunn, of Salt Kitchen Charcuterie, explains.

“The majority of Australian bacon is hot smoked, ready to eat out of the pack which has been influenced by central-European migrants to Australia over many years (such as German, Italian populations).”

Over the years, I’ve gotten used to the Aussie stuff – but whenever I’d go home to Blighty, a bacon sarnie is always top of my “must eat” list.

So when I spotted “traditional English bacon” in ColesAND Woolworths recently, you can only imagine my joy.

However, at first inspection I was initially unconvinced. The British Sausage Ham & Bacon brand uses Australian pork – could it really taste like the rashers I buy back home?

I spotted the find in my local Coles recently. Picture: Supplied/news.com.au

The meat is raw compared to the pre-cooked Australian bacon. Picture: Supplied/news.com.au

According to the brand’s website, while the bacon is made using Aussie meat, it is created using the recipe of a “a third generation UK butcher who immigrated to Australia”.

So I decided to give it a go and purchased the smoked version – and to my surprise, I was not disappointed.

The bacon tasted just like it does back home and it even crisped up in the pan easily (without any oil) like the British stuff too. I had mine in a sandwich thin spread with butter and a handful of spinach and was instantly transported home (though arguably, no Brit would put spinach in their bacon sarnie, but let’s move on).

It crisps up just like the stuff back home – and tasted just as good too. Picture: Supplied/news.com.au

The Brits would kill me for having it with spinach instead of brown sauce. Oops. Picture: Supplied/news.com.au

My only criticism would be that a 200g pack, which I’ve found usually gets me seven rashers, is $7. In comparison, a 200g pack of supermarket own-brand shortcut bacon costs $3.80.

However, considering a flight to the UK costs the best part of $2000, a mere $7 for a slice of Britain seems like a bargain.

Since I made my discovery, I’ve told all of my expat friends about it, who have been equally as delighted.

A spokesperson at both Coles and Woolworths pointed out the “popular” product isn’t new, stating it has been on shelves since 2019.

However not a single British expat I know knew of this delightful find in supermarket fridges – so consider yourself now in the know. You’re welcome.