At Taste of Britain in downtown Norcross, new shop owner Rukhsana Aguilar looks past the endless selection of teas, the cooler filled with beef pasties and shepherd's pie and the walking sticks that Winston Churchill would have found dandy. Instead it's the rows of candy — Rowntree's Fruit Gums, Bassett's Liquorice Allsorts and Smarties — that take Aguilar, 48, back to her youth in Avon.
It was basic British pub fare that perked up the taste buds of Atlantan David Loesch when he studied abroad in Wales in 2008. Earlier this year he launched the Banged Up and Mashed food truck, trying to win converts to a cuisine he considers "grossly under appreciated." "I'd be happy to pair up our fish and chips against anybody else's in the city," he said.
If there's going to be a fish-and-chips smack-down, many Atlantans would gladly pull up a chair right about now. With the London Olympics underway, many a Southern Yank is suddenly feeling the yen to wave a Union Jack, eat a shepherd's pie, quaff a pint of ale.
Here's a sampling of where to find a taste of Britain in the metro area:
Bars/restaurants
Banged Up and Mashed. Find this food truck specializing in British pub food such as fish and chips and bangers and mash for lunch and dinner Thursday through Saturday this week at the Atlanta Food Truck Park, 1850 Howell Mill Road, Atlanta. www.bangedupandmashed.com.
The Manchester Arms. Inside this quaint Tudor-style house-turned-neighborhood-pub, fish and chips (cod battered in Boddington's beer) and shepherd's pie are British classic dishes diners can wash down with British ales and beers. 1705 Virginia Ave., College Park. 404-763-9980, www.themanchesterarms.com.
The Eagle and Lion. In this Griffin brew pub, England-trained brewer-owner Mark Broe specializes in cask-conditioned "real ale" with names like Tipsy Toad and Golden Eagle. 414 E. Taylor St., Griffin. 678-408-0308, www.griffinbrewpub.com.
Churchills British Pub. This crowded English-style watering hole has been a Buckhead landmark since 1974. 3223 Cains Hill Place, Atlanta. 404-233-5633, www.churchillsofbuckhead.com.
Iron Horse Tavern. You'll find this link in the British pub chain just down the street from the Taste of Britain food shop in downtown Norcross. 29 Jones St. 678-291-9220, www.dunwoodyrestaurantgroup.com.
Shopping
Taste of Britain. If you were looking for a Beefeater teddy bear, Foster's Golden Mint Humbugs, crumpets, Walker's Prawn Cocktail Crisps, Union Jack-emblazoned ice buckets or Yorkshire Gold tea, you've come to the right place. 73 S. Peachtree St., Norcross. 770-242-8585, www.tasteofbritain.com.
L.K. Bennett. Kate Middleton helped popularize this British clothier on these shores, leading it to open four U.S. stores last year, including one at Phipps Plaza. 3500 Peachtree Road N.E., Atlanta. 404-991-5850, www.lkbennett.com.
Burberry of London. Lenox Square is the Atlanta outpost for the classic British clothing brand. 3393 Peachtree Road N.E., Atlanta. 404-231-5550, www.burberry.com.
Events
Atlanta British Car Fayre. More than 200 classic British cars plus some vintage British motorcycles take over North Peachtree Street in downtown Norcross. Afternoon cream teas will be served in the Masonic Lodge. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Sept. 8. www.tasteofbritain.com (click on Car Fayre).
Teas
Go Team USA! Afternoon Tea. The St. Regis Atlanta's 2:30-4:30 p.m. daily tea is taking on a patriotic flair during the Games, with American flavors such as mini cherry pie and turkey and ham pinwheel sandwiches joining the English-style tea menu. $40 ($44 with sparkling wine). 88 W. Paces Ferry Road, Atlanta. 404-563-7900, www.stregisatlanta.com.
Ritz-Carlton, Buckhead Afternoon Tea. Tea sandwiches, pastries and warm scones are served at 2:30 and 3 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. $34; $43 with sparkling wine and other extras; $21 children's tea. 3434 Peachtree Road N.E., Atlanta. 404-237-2700, www.ritzcarlton.com.
Concerts
Yes with Procol Harum. Both long-time British prog-rock bands have been around the career "Roundabout" — and lived to tell. 7 p.m. July 31. Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre. $19-$125. www.ticketmaster.com.
Duran Duran. The sartorially elegant Brit popsters formed in 1978, becoming a fixture on early MTV. They still bring the hair, the fashion and synth-pop nightly. 8 p.m. Aug. 19. Chastain Park Amphitheatre. $55-$65.50; $35.50 lawn. http://chastainseries.com.
What's a British-born bloke to do in Atlanta when in need of a touch of home?
More than 20,000 British nationals call the metro area home, so we asked Devon native Iain Bluett, president of the Atlanta-based ticketing service Ticket Alternative, for some of his favorite Brit-style haunts and diversions:
Fado. When it was pointed out that this is an Irish pub, Bluett noted, "Well, Britain is England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. So the British accent kind of covers everything." 273 Buckhead Ave., Atlanta. 404-841-0066, www.fadoirishpub.com/atlanta.
Brewhouse Cafe. This Little 5 Points haunt isn't a classic British-style pub, but it's serious about showing soccer on its many TVs. "Just a lot of English lads that drink in that bar," Bluett said. "They kind of gravitated there and it just became an English kind of bar." 401 Moreland Ave., Atlanta. 404-525-7799, www.brewhousecafe.com.
Marlay House. The eatery claims to be "a bit of Dublin in Decatur," but its Sunday special — roast beef, roasted potatoes, fresh vegetables, Yorkshire pudding and what the menu calls "lashings" of gravy — make Bluett think of his boyhood home. 426 W. Ponce de Leon Ave., Decatur. 404-270-9950, themarlayhouse.com.
Stone Mountain Scottish Festival and Highland Games. The 40th edition at Stone Mountain Park is Oct. 19-21. "Always a good time," Bluett said. 770-521-0228, www.smhg.org.
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