Hi, my name is JC. I’m from Canada and am currently doing an MSc in Maritime Archaeology at BU.

What Food can you Find in Bournemouth and Poole?:

There are so many different grocery stores nearby that you can shop at. My favourite is Aldi. It has almost everything you can think of, even real Canadian Maple Syrup for us Canadians. If you can’t find what you’re looking for, there are other stores like Asda, Sainsburys and Tesco, although these are slightly more expensive. If you still can’t find it, ask your friends – they may have seen it at their store. The only thing I haven’t found yet are cheese curds for a true Canadian poutine (a traditional Canadian dish made with French fries, cheese curds and gravy), but I’m still searching. Until then, there are so many other meals possible.

Budgeting and Planning:

Depending on where you are living, you may not necessarily have the room to store loads of groceries, especially if you’re sharing a flat. The best option is to figure out what you want to cook for the week and go shopping for those meals. If you’re not much of a cook, don’t worry, there are frozen meals, Raman noodles, pre-made spaghetti sauce, and loads more.

Coffee or Tea:

As for the coffee, no, you will not be able to find Timmies here, but they still have amazing coffee. I know what you’re thinking, ‘But it’s England they drink tea!’ It’s just another stereotype – they do have coffee here. In fact, their instant coffee, which is nothing like what you find in Canada, is better than most ground coffee I’ve had.

Cooking vs Eating Out:

What I have found since I’ve been here is that you can spend around £15 on healthy food for an entire week, which is amazing for students. Eating out on the other hand is quite a bit more expensive. You can find meals from £6 – £15. This means that it’s great for a treat, but as a student not something that can be afforded every day.