Inside secrets, cheeky tricks, and food so comforting it might just make you cry (with joy)

When you first move to the UK, supermarkets can feel like a bit of a scam. £4 grapes? £3.75 for six eggs? But once you know the local tricks, shopping here becomes less “how is this so expensive?” and more “how did I just save that much?”

This week, we’re showing you how to:

From beach picnics to potato bake classics, this one’s a trolley full of joy.

This week, you're getting two hacks for the price of one — just like the kind of deal we all secretly hope to find at the till.

1. Bulk Buys That Actually Work
You don’t need a catering fridge or a garage full of shelving to benefit from bulk deals in the UK. Shops like Aldi, Costco, Iceland, and your local Asian or Polish grocer often have family-size bargains on things like frozen veg, tinned tomatoes, spices, and cleaning supplies.

Split with a friend, stash in the freezer, or stockpile the stuff you always run out of (hello, loo roll). Bulk doesn’t have to mean bin diving.

2. Yellow Sticker Jackpot
Late in the day (usually after 6pm), many supermarkets start slapping yellow markdown stickers on fresh items — slashing prices by up to 75%. It’s not just wilted lettuce either; we’re talking ready meals, cheese, fresh breads, even luxury treats.

Top tip? Sainsbury’s and Co-op tend to go big on markdowns before closing. Just don’t go in hungry — you’ll come out with a pudding you didn’t need but definitely deserved.

🎈 Bristol International Balloon Fiesta (8–11 Aug, FREE)
Europe’s biggest balloon festival returns at Ashton Court Estate. Catch dawn and dusk take-offs, the glowing Night Glow, street food, and family fun under the summer sky. Pure visual magic and picnic ideal.

🏏 The Hundred – Cricket Fever (Ongoing)
Short, punchy cricket matches across cities like London, Leeds, and Cardiff, filled with music, food stalls, and energetic crowds. South Africans, this one's practically home turf.

🥘 New Forest Food Festival (16–17 Aug, Hampshire)
A food lover’s dream: artisan stalls, cooking demos, craft bars, botanical gins, local cheese, street theatre, and live music — and kids go free. Tickets from £8/day if booked early.

🍸 Gin & Rum Festival – Reading (16 Aug, The Great Hall, University of Reading)
Party vibes meet top-tier spirits: over 120 types of gin, rum (and tequila), themed bars, DJs, and live entertainment. Sessions in the afternoon and evening for over-18s.

🧄 Teaser: Isle of Wight Garlic Festival (Mid‑August)
Yes, garlic beer and garlic ice cream are real. Expect live music, workshops, and a cheeky festival buzz. Stay tuned for next week’s full preview.

Meet Professor Michele Dougherty, the newest Astronomer Royal — and the first woman in the UK’s 350-year history to hold the title. Born in South Africa and now based at Imperial College London, she’s blazing a trail through the universe.

You may not have heard her name before, but she’s a giant in planetary science. Michele led the magnetometer team on NASA’s Cassini mission, where her work helped discover water vapour erupting from Saturn’s moon Enceladus — one of the most promising signs of extraterrestrial life ever found.

Now, she’s leading Europe’s JUICE mission to Jupiter’s icy moons, mapping mysterious worlds like Ganymede with a mission team based right here in the UK.

Despite all the honours (she’s also the incoming President of the Institute of Physics), Michele’s story has humble roots — building telescopes in the garden with her dad in South Africa. She’s passionate about making science accessible and inspiring young women to reach for the stars, just like she did.

A true South African star, lighting up the cosmos.

👉 Read more in The Guardian
👉 And in The Times

🏖️ Beach Day at a Blue Flag Beach (e.g., Weymouth, Dorset or Cromer, Norfolk)
If you're craving sunshine and salt air, head to one of the UK's Blue Flag beaches for a classic seaside day. Think sandcastles, fish and chips, and ice cream — plus free family fun like Punch & Judy shows and crabbing on the pier.

Nothing screams summer louder than kids covered in sand and the sound of seagulls fighting over chips.

Top tip:

👉 Check visitengland.com for local beach events and the latest Blue Flag listings

🇿🇦 Potato Bake with Crisps in Between

This is comfort food turned up to 11 — layers of creamy potato, cheese, onions, and a glorious topping of crushed crisps. Some versions sneak in bacon bits, mushrooms, or even garlic sauce… but however you bake it, it’s peak South African nostalgia.

Perfect for braais, Sunday lunches, or “just because it’s raining again.”

Simple Version:

👉 Got a family twist? Tell us your version — we’d love to feature reader recipes soon.

🥔 Love this kind of nostalgic, naughty food?
Meet our new newsletter: Fatter Platter — where we celebrate pub platters, comfort dishes, and the best guilty pleasures in the UK.

They may be odd-shaped, but wonky fruit and veg are the same great quality — just cheaper. UK supermarkets like Tesco, Lidl, and Morrisons offer special bags or boxes of “wonky” produce at reduced prices, helping you save money and cut food waste.

They’re perfect for stews, soups, bakes, smoothies, and anything where a lopsided carrot won’t matter. You often get more quantity for less — and half the guilt.

Where to look:

💡 Bonus Hack:  Want to squeeze even more value from your trolley? Pair your shopping with cashback apps like GreenJinn or Shopmium, or scan your receipt into Lidl Plus or Nectar to score even more savings.

👉 A little wonk goes a long way — and your wallet will thank you.

Next Saturday, we’re heading into the wild — without ever leaving the UK. From drive-through safari parks and penguin parades to hidden animal sanctuaries, we’ll show you where to get your wildlife fix while the weather’s still warm.

You’ll discover:

Plus, a recipe worth roaring about — and your usual fix of connection, fun, and South African sunshine.

We may live oceans apart from where we were raised, but every time we share a laugh, a memory, or a good recipe — we stitch another thread into that invisible thread that connects us.

So whether you’re eating crisps off a potato bake, watching balloons rise into a pink UK sky, or just feeling a bit homesick in the dairy aisle… know this:

You’re not alone.
We’re right here with you.
And we’ll see you next Saturday.

✉️ With warmth, humour, and South African heart
— The SA Connect UK Team

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