Spencer's Jolly Posh Foods In Chicago Delivers Authentic British Fare

An encounter with a particularly excellent oatmeal cookie left us wondering where to find Lyle's Golden Syrup in Chicago.

Then we walked into Spencer's Jolly Posh Foods, and there it sat, flanked by custard from Devon, piccalilli from Norfolk, and dozens of other tastes of the British Isles.

Known for its British- and Irish-style bangers and back bacon, Spencer's recently expanded with a Wrigleyville storefront devoted to products from across the pond. A freezer is stocked with its familiar bangers ($7) and back bacon ($7), plus two new products: black and white pudding ($7 each).

Both are made in a classic, oatmeal-heavy British style, the black flavored with blood and the white with fat and onions. Crumble pan-fried black pudding on arugula salad and crown it with a poached egg. For a proper English or Irish breakfast, pair slices of black and white with Heinz beans in tomato sauce ($2), fried eggs, bangers, bacon and pan-fried tomato halves.

There's ample fodder for tea time, too: biscuits, jams, lemon curd and tins of desserts, like rice pudding and spotted dick.

A slew of new products are on the way, and pork pies and pasties are in development, for more tastes of Britain to go.

Spencer's Jolly Posh Foods, 1405 W. Irving Park Rd.; 312-415-6919 or spencerfoods.com