Bridgham & Cook, Ltd.

I love all things British, and I couldn’t resist this little treasure when I passed by on an afternoon spent shopping with the family.
This small, independent establishment is adorable and carries a surprising amount of stuff in the small amount of space. I was here mostly for the food and looking for some specific things — Minstrels, Cadbury Chocolate Buttons, Double Chocolate Digestives, and M&S tea.
They were out of stock on Minstrels, the Buttons, and M&S tea. They did not have the double chocolate digestives. I did end up with dark chocolate digestives, and PG tips tea which is not bad, just not what I was looking for. I get that these things are imported so being OOS is understandable especially because Buttons and Minstrels are pretty popular. In addition, they have a mail order service. So I can just have them send me some when they get more in.
Place has a nice atmosphere, service wasn’t excellent (cashier didn’t even make eye contact with me) but it was passable, and prices were a tad high on the food stuffs but not so high as to be ridiculous. Some of these items you may be able to find elsewhere at a cheaper price so just keep that in mind.
All in all, I liked this store. I would definitely go back. I just would recommend watching prices and checking to see if some of the things you want, if you’re there for a specific food item, you cannot find elsewhere I.e. In the international section of your regular grocery store.

Cute good selection from candy and job nobs to tea, chochkies and to wool hats and scarves
But out of Jaffa cakes

Where can a girl get some Lucozade and Penguins up in this state!!!
The answer: Bridgham & Cook.
B&C is an Anglophile’s dream store. Filled with handmade wool sweaters and caps, traditional and artistic tea pots of all sizes, «Keep Calm and Carry On» everything (mugs, towels, posters, etc.), an abundance of British food stuffs, and other perfectly kitschy items from abroad whenever I’m here I feel — for a moment — transported to some charming (albeit it touristy) boutique in Dublin or London. The number one reason I come here? To get a fix of those foods from the U.K. that I loved the most when I lived there (Jaffa Cakes? Salad Cream and HP Brown Sauce? Minstrels? YES, PLEASE!)
However, I do have two «nose wrinkles» about this place is: 1) the prices; 2) the staff.
Nose Wrinkle Issue #1: I understand they’re importing a lot of these goods from «across the big pond.» But their prices sometimes just seem unnecessarily exorbitant, especially when they sell items I can actually purchase elsewhere nearby for cheaper. Ribena? I can get it at Shaw’s for two dollars cheaper. Weetabix? I can get at Whole Foods for two dollars cheaper. And PG Tips? I can get it at Hannaford for four dollars cheaper. So, while I have the best of intentions to purchase these things when I’m at Bridgham & Cook… I just don’t.
Nose Wrinkle Issue #2: I sometimes feel like the staff is cold towards some of their customers. It has seemed, in my personal experience, that they would rather pay attention to someone who «looks» like they’re either a) actually British or b) has money then to someone who, well, doesn’t. I lived abroad multiple times, and yet I always feel like I get a cold shoulder here when I ask things like «Any Battenberg coming in soon?» (to which the employee rolled their eyes dramatically at me, then loudly explained [like I was hard of hearing] that they only special ordered it around Christmas and very rarely had any left over to sell on the shelves) or «Do you carry Lemsip?» (to which the employee squinted at me like I was speaking a foreign language then dismissively said, «I’ve never even heard of that»).
Are these enough to prevent me from coming? No, but it definitely prevents me from coming as much as I might if the prices and staff were both a little more fair!

This is a unique find in the midst of the chain store outlet shopping that can be Freeport Maine.
It is an independently operated store selling a variety of things all from the U.K.
The holiday season is a perfect time to stop by the store or shop the web-​site; you will undoubtedly find wonderful gifts for people on your holiday list.
Of particular interest to me right now is their selection of tartan blankets and scarves made of 100% lambswool by Lochcarron of Scotland.
These imported tartan scarves seem like a steal at $ 32.00.
I got one as a gift and one for me. I like that kind of shopping.
I love the look of a Scottish wool tartan scarf peeking out from the inside of a coat or jacket. One of my coats is all black and the hint of the nicely colored plaids can really liven things up on a drab day.
The tartans include classic designs like Black Watch and Dress Campbell. Many come in both ancient and modern styles. But you’ll find tartans you might not have seen before too.
The scarf I just purchased for myself is Cameron of Erracht in modern styling.
B&C also sells British University scarves which I think are quite cool and very fun although might be considered pretentious to wear if one did not actually attend one of these schools. But if you like the colors and designs, I say go for it.
However they would most definitely be the perfect gift for an alum or family member of one.
This store is a purveyor of one of my favorite UK to America imports: Barbour clothing and accessories. You can also find the special Barbour wax which you’ll need if you re-​wax your jackets yourself.
B&C has a specialty foods selection of things hailing from the England, Ireland and Scotland. If anyone is missing their favorite treats from across the pond, they just might find them here.
Some of these items like the candy would make for great stocking-​stuffers.
I love their selection of Henry and Charlotte Watson pottery:
These pieces would make charming and useful hostess gifts.
In particular I love the black pottery pieces.
It’s well worth a visit if you’re in Freeport but don’t let being far from Maine stop you; the website is great and on-​line service is quick and reliable.

We shop here for food items, mostly. They have a great selection of British sweets, as well as various condiments, etc., which we can’t find elsewhere. I’d love it if they had Jelly Babies in stock all the time, as we could easily go through one box per week, but for now, it’s an occasional indulgence when we happen to spot them. The staff is always very pleasant!

I love his place! British goods and some other assorted UK goods and snacks. Love the selection of candy. Fancy tartans, clothing, you name it. This place has it. Next time I am there I will pick up a bunch of Crunchie bars :)

Found this place while I was shopping the Outlet stores in Freeport last summer. What a treasure!
Could not believe the selection of British food that they stock. All my favorites from home.
The back wall was filled full of yummy chocolate/​candies from the UK. They also have a fridge/​freezer that sells rashers/​bacon etc.
You can also order off their website.
I emailed them last week to see if they will be getting any Easter Eggs in and was told they would have in stock after April 1. Well worth the drive from Boston to stock up!
LOVE LOVE LOVE this place!!!

A charming little shop filled with British goodies. It made me feel as if I was actually in Britain. They have a great variety of imported chocolates, teas, cookies, candy, and gifts. They’re all reasonably priced. They also sell the loveliest sweaters, scarves, and hats. And though they’re on the more expensive end of the spectrum, they’re well-​made and good quality. Definitely worth a look!

I find food-​shopping in a strange place an interesting anthropological experience and almost as much fun as going to a museum. Being a hands-​on person. there are the added benefits of being able to handle the wares, as well as the occasional free sample. Museums, on the other hand, generally frown on touching and tasting the art. Just try licking the Mona Lisa and see where that gets you.
Somewhere in my travels, I developed a taste for Nestle Smarties, a strangely-​flavored, M & M-​like candy that’s not unlike munching shards of broken glass, if glass were edible and contained a milk chocolate center. Although Nestle Smarties are popular in the UK and in British Commonwealth countries, they are not widely available in the US of A so when I was in Freeport last week, I stopped in at Bridgham and Cook, Ltd, purveyors of fine British goods, to see if they had any Smarties and sure enough, among the lemon curd, marmalade with whiskey, and McVitie’s Digestives, there they were. A happy man, I grabbed a box, spent a few minutes examining some of the more interesting items the Brits call food (Anchovy paste, anyone? Marmite? How about some nice Vegemite?) and proceeded to the cashier, whom I found sipping from a can of Moxie soda, a strange brew originating in Maine and popular in some parts of New England.
I commented that I tried Moxie once and found the beverage so foul that I could not finish the bottle. The cashier informed me that although my reaction was not uncommon, I had to try Moxie three times before I acquired the taste. For support, she pointed me to an instructional film posted on youtube, which I later watched and found quite informative.
I might or might not give Moxie another shot but the next time I’m in Freeport, I’ll stop by Bridgham and Cook, Ltd for a quick browse and a box or two of Smarties. I might even pick up some anchovy relish.

A neat shop that sells nice goods from across the Pond.
This British goods shop sells a bit of everything including Barbour clothing, hats, scarves, apparel, quilts, teapots, glass sets, food (dry goods & chilled food), English tea, snacks, candy, gifts, games, decorations, and more. They also carry goods from Scotland and Ireland too. Check out the website at:
where you can shop online.
Saw some Guinness beer glasses on sale for only $ 3 each, just in time for Father’s Day. The Barbour jackets are very nice and stylish, which are priced over $ 300 each.
Overall, it’s a great little shop to for hard to find British, Scotish, & Irish goods. They have plenty of Irish Porridge Oats and Walker’s Shortbread in stock, which I really enjoy!
NOTE: The correct new address is 116 Main St, Freeport, ME 4 032
In 2006, the store at 6 Bow St was destroyed by fire.