An American expat living in Yorkshire has left social media users amused after expressing her confusion over a common feature in British supermarkets. The woman, known as 'Yorkshire Yank' on TikTok, shared a video highlighting what she described as a 'weird' and 'wasteful' practice: milk and dairy products displayed on open shelves without doors.
In the clip, she pans her camera across the dairy aisle, showing chilled items on open shelving. 'The milk is right out in the open, there's no doors,' she says, adding that the arrangement makes the entire shop colder than she is used to. She notes that some sections now have glass doors, but remains perplexed by the open milk display.
Viewers quickly explained that the open shelves use 'air curtains'—high-velocity air streams that maintain a consistent temperature and improve energy efficiency. One commenter noted that frequent opening of fridge doors can cause temperature swings that accelerate bacterial growth, making open shelves preferable for high-turnover items like milk.
Another viewer pointed out that milk is often a loss leader, with quick turnover, so open shelves are practical. The video also surprised some Brits, with one admitting they had never considered that milk trolleys are not inside a fridge.
