The cultural differences between Britain and America have long been established by now, but it seems that we’re still finding ways to be confused by it all.
Food certainly seems to be a common cause of confusion.
You may remember not too long ago when the internet erupted after Americans took to Twitter to criticise the Great British fry-up and present their own version of this breakfast phenomenon? And then of course, who can forget the American mother-daughter TikTok duo that has been causing havoc recently with their “hot tea/British tea” and “beans on toast” recipes?
It’s another British food ‘delicacy’ that’s found itself in the American firing line this time though.
After scrolling through the hugely popular r/CasualUK thread on Reddit, we came across a post by a self-confessed “confused American” who was posing the question as to why we have – and we direct quote here – “face meats” in the UK, and after understandably spending a minute or two being confused as to what they meant, we realised just what it was they were referring to.
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Who remembers Billy Bear ham?
You know, that teddy bear shaped ‘ham’ with a face – that either came in a sliceable log, or was pre-cut and packaged – and was worryingly made of only 66% pork?
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Nothing like seeing Billy Bear ham in log form to really put the fear of God in you on a Sunday afternoon. pic.twitter.com/iHIH1bDnCr
Yes, this is what Americans are referring to as “face meats” and it’s absolutely hilarious.
Billy Bear ham is the product of German-based company The Feldhues Group and surprisingly, it’s not the only “face meat” they manufacture either – Happy Lion, Happy Tractor, Happy Fox and more all make up the collection of hams, and they’re all still available to get your hands on too, if you’re in the market for that sort of thing.
Frightening.
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The Feldhues Group who make Billy Bear ham also have another character called "Billy" who, frankly, appears to be of a somewhat questionable design… pic.twitter.com/tw8f4HnJnf
Of course, as is to be expected with Reddit, the comment threads under the “face meats” question are equally as funny as the initial post itself, but if you sift through the comical responses, there are some stand-up citizens who have attempted to present reasoning.
One comment reply reads: “It’s just ham – we put faces on it so that the little sh**s will shut up and eat their sandwiches.”
Another said: “As a student I worked on the deli counter of a major UK supermarket that sold the Billy Bear version of this meat. Most of the conversations round this were kids asking their parents to buy it, then the parents saying no because you don’t actually like the taste of it. Great marketing ploy – sell you something the kids wont eat.”
In general response to the question by the “confused American” though, it seems that we as Brits actually have no idea why our supermarkets stock “face meats” either.
In fact, they’re probably right to be confused by it, because we very much are too.
Maybe we’ll have to let the Americans have this one.
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Review | Midsomer Murders comes to Manchester for a satisfying Opera House adaptation
Hollie Wells
‘The Fuzz are here!’ – also known as the well-known duo, Detective Chief Inspector Barnaby and Detective Sergeant Troy. As ever, they’re here to solve the murder of orchid-loving, elderly lady Emily Simpson in the seemingly sleepy county of Midsomer…
Manchester’s historic Opera House played host to the first ever stage production of Midsomer Murders: ‘The Killings at Badger’s Drift‘ last night.
With a busy, full audience of fans of the original novel by Catherine Graham and the acclaimed ITV staple. There was a hum of anticipation to see the timeless tales unfold.
Excitingly, the role of Barnaby in the stage play is under the trusted care of Daniel Casey, who is best known as DS (Detective Sergeant) Troy in the prior television adaptation of Midsomer Murders between 1997 and 2008.
Casey’s comfort and wealth of experience with these narratives comforted the audience from the outset. In a purposely complicated plot, Casey grounded the performance and was the throughline in the show.
‘The Killings at Badger’s Drift’ is a good, light-hearted, mid-week show, with an enjoyable concoction of eccentric characters and the perfect ‘whodunnit’ plot, which keeps you intrigued and entertained throughout its roughly two and a half hour duration.
Even those more than familiar with Misdomer tales and the most typical murder mystery format will still get plenty of enjoyment out of it.
The engaging use of multi-role actors received a great response from the audience, particularly the moments between Barbara Lessiter and Dickie Whitley; all of their interactions were performed with fabulous comedic timing by Chandrika Chevli.
The elements of comedy throughout made for a lovely evening at the Opera House. This was not solely through the actors, either: the use of mechanics within the set of this stage-play allowed for multiple moments of physical comedy, and this was a strong motif throughout.
A rotation of impressive transitional sets also aided in transporting the audience to the infamous village and crime scenes, allowing one to be absorbed in the story and successfully converting Midsomer Murders from page to screen to stage.
Running for only three days from Wednesday, 27, until Saturday, 30 May 2026, with matinee shows available throughout.
One must act fast to join the detective duo and catch the killer before it’s too late!
Festival-goers urged to stop taking wheelie bins full of booze
Daisy Jackson
Festival-goers have been warned not to take wheelie bins full of alcohol to festivals with them this summer.
The warning has come ahead of this year’s Download Festival, which takes place next month and kicks off the summer’s biggest run of festival dates.
But a major train operator has said there have been incidents in the past of passengers trying to travel to festivals with wheelie bins and luggage trolleys.
Passengers have had to be reminded that wheelie bins are not permitted on board, and they should instead only carry as much luggage as they can comfortably carry.
The warning comes from East Midlands Railway, one of the key services that will whisk people to Download Festival between 10 and 14 June.
Customers returning from the festival are also encouraged to use boot-cleaning brushes provided at stations to help remove mud before boarding trains.
Philippa Cresswell, customer experience director at East Midlands Railway, said: “We’re encouraging customers to travel light.
“Last year, some festive goers tried to board services with wheelie bins or festival trolleys full of beer. While it might seem like a great idea for getting your supplies to the festival, it just isn’t safe or possible to bring them onboard train services.”
Festival-goers urged to stop taking wheelie bins full of booze
EMR has also warned customers to plan journeys in advance, with engineering work taking place at various locations on the Midland Main Line, near where Download Festival takes place.
She continued: “We’re advising customers travelling to Download Festival to plan their journeys in advance and be aware that essential engineering work will affect services across the weekend.
“As a result, some services will be reduced or amended, and passengers should check before they travel and allow extra time.”
Emily Sergeant -
28th October 2021 
