New shop offers expats in Luxembourg a 'Home from Home'

A new international shop, Home from Home, will welcome Luxembourg's expats and locals when it opens its doors on Saturday.

The brainchild of Mark Hollis (of the UK) and John Heffernan (of Ireland), the store will stock foods from Britain, Ireland, the US, Canada, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand, including tinned goods, sauces, sausages, bacon, baking products, tea, breakfast cereals and chocolate.

"We called it Home from Home so it wouldn't represent a particular English-speaking country," said Hollis.

Gluten-free and vegetarian produce will be available, and there are plans to introduce a lactose-free selection.

In addition, Little English Bookworm has a corner with a variety of books for children and adults.

The Helen Patton Foundation, run by George Patton's granddaughter, will also sell articles from the Liberty Trail, including champagne, books and chocolate, the proceeds of which will be donated to veterans across the world.

Weekly deliveries

"We will be receiving weekly deliveries from the UK but will import from Ireland, South Africa and the US," said Heffernan, adding that the duo also plans to stock English real ales at the request of many Luxembourgers.

"Across Europe, there are much stricter rules and regulations on importing alcohol, so it is work in progress, particularly as VAT on imports is much higher on alcohol than on foodstuffs," he said.

The two plan to develop an online ordering facility, but punters can come into the shop and request items such as birthday cakes, and they will do their best to get requests on the next delivery.

Seasonal specialties such as tinned pumpkin, mince pies and Christmas crackers will also be stocked, in addition to items such as teapots and oven gloves, sometimes difficult to purchase locally.

Hollis and Heffernan concede that a few Luxembourg supermarkets are stocking world food products, but they argue that choice is limited and prices are often high.

"We will pass on multi-pack and multi-buy savings to our customers," Hollis said.

"We are also working with a Kent butcher to provide premium meat products, but we will stock lower-priced variations, too."

Both worked in finance before deciding to open the shop.

"When Little Britain closed, we knew there were a lot of expats looking for somewhere to buy their 'little reminders of home'," said Hollis.

Growing number of expats

The two have lived in Luxembourg for 20 years and 15 years, respectively, and their children attend the Lycée Michel Lucius.

They believe the number of companies relocating from the UK is on the rise, illustrated by the growth in schools offering English-language sections, and they anticipate a strong and growing customer base.

The size of the premises precludes the opportunity to open an onsite cafe, but they open to expanding in the future.

Heffernan believes the central location of the shop, which also affords plenty of parking, will attract regular customers and repeat sales.

"The Luxembourg authorities have been very helpful, as have the embassies we've approached," said Heffernan.

The Irish ambassador to Luxembourg, Peadar Carpenter, together with Helen Patton, will be present at the shop's official opening, on Saturday, October 28, when visitors can sample barbequed Kentish sausages and listen to live music.

Home from Home, located at 148 Route D’Arlon in Strassen, will be open from October 21, Mondays to Fridays, 8.30am to 6.30pm, Saturdays 9am to 6pm and Sundays 9am to 1pm.

(Sarita Rao, wort-en@wort.lu, +352 49 93 459)