Back in 2019 BC (Before COVID), two Brits walked into a H-E-B. No, this isn't a joke. It's a YouTube video from Joel and Lia, who try to bridge the gap between Americans and the British. Clearly, H-E-B is a critical topic for them to cover as there's nothing more American than Texas.
Joel and Lia were in the Lone Star State visiting and trying many things Texan and American, and H-E-B decided that they needed to come check it out. To many people doing an entire video about a grocery store tour may seem silly, but, of course, things are far more than they seem in Texas. Managers David and Aubrey gave them a grand tour.
First off, they learned that the chain's name is pronounced as it is spelled: "H-E-B," not "Heb." Good thing they got it corrected quickly. Phew!
It is rather hilarious to watch the Brits' reaction to several things highlighted in the video. For instance, they were thrown by a typo on a pharmacy sign -- "immunizations." We Americans are silly as we use Z's ("zeds") in place of S's. Further, they were impressed by the price of various baked goods like the large cakes, which are far more expensive back in the UK. They were similarly impressed by the cheese in the deli section since Americans aren't known for it by Europeans. Then there's the grocery store sushi. We'll have to take their word for it; British supermarket sushi isn't advised.
Joel and Lia were also rather impressed by the store made guacamole and the legendary buttered tortillas, a H-E-B favorite. Unfortunately, those items aren't suitable for us here at Texas Snax to ship all y'all's way. Sigh.
Another funny touch was that Joel and Lia edited in a few times of Owen Wilson saying "wow" in order to emphasize how impressed they were by something. It's a nice touch as Wilson is a Texan who was born in Dallas and is a Longhorn as a University of Texas alumnus.
One other cool item from the tour to note is that David touted H-E-B's disaster relief program, which has lasted for more than 100 years. David said that everything is bigger in Texas -- including natural disasters. Since Texans take care of H-E-B, the company wants to take care of Texans.
No wonder why H-E-B has a loyal following.