From the UK to Omaha, one man is sharing British culture in the Midwest

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One man is bringing his roots to the Midwest.Glenn Greet grew up in the United Kingdom, and since moving across the pond, he has been sharing British culture with Omaha.Greet can be found in one of two places.With baton in hand, he leads the Nebraska British Brass Band, guiding musicians through rehearsals and performances.”Just play that first whole note for me, please,” Greet said.Or he is behind the counter at his West Omaha shop, Chippy’s, serving customers with a bit of humor.”Now, whatever you do, don’t eat that too fast,” Greet said, joking. “Because if you do, you might get a British accent.”If it is not obvious, Greet is proudly British.”I believe in the British culture and the way I was brought up,” he said.Growing up, he fully embraced that culture, serving the Crown as a police officer and playing in the Essex Police Band.”In the north of England, brass banding is what you do,” Greet said.That passion for music took him to some of the country’s most iconic venues.”We performed at Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, the Barbican,” he said.But Greet’s journey would not stay in England. He moved to the United States for work, eventually landing in Nebraska in 2017.”What better way to get to know people and get to know the state than start a music ensemble?” he said.That idea led to the creation of the Nebraska British Brass Band, the first of its kind in the state, made up entirely of brass and percussion musicians.”This is kind of a special thing for us to have here in Omaha,” one band member said.”I drive two hours each way to come to rehearsal, and I do that twice a month,” another member said.In 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Greet decided to bring even more British influence to Nebraska.”I always wanted to do a little British shop, and my wife always wanted to do a bakery,” he said.Chippy’s was born, serving authentic British favorites with ingredients imported from the United Kingdom.”Got a sausage roll. There’s some delicious brown sauce to get you going for the day,” Greet said.But for Greet, the shop is about more than just food.”A shop like this isn’t really to make money. That’s not really why I’ve opened Chippy’s. I like the connections,” he said.Those connections are clear in his interactions with customers.”Well, it’s good seeing you both again. Thank you, thank you,” Greet said.”Appreciate you. We love coming out here,” a customer replied.”It’s just so enjoyable to see Americans and non-Americans come in and share something that I was born into,” Greet said.Greet is sharing the culture he grew up with while embracing a new one in what he now calls home.”That’s Nebraska for me. It’s that sense of family. A stranger is not a bad thing. It can be a potential new friend,” he said.