UK food and wine in France?

[Swissie]

Of course, we all miss some treats from 'back home' - but it seems more and more Brits in France are purchasing most of their food on-line from the UK and have it brought over by specialised companies. Do you? Does it make any sense when we are all trying to cut down on transport and buy 'local and in season'?

[NickP]

There was a very interesting program on the BBC last night about the potatoes grown in Egypt for the UK market. The seed potatoes are from Scotland, and the peat the potatoes are packed in after they are grown  is from Ireland. So both these products are transported to Egypt then transported back to the UK. And don't even think about the energy used by the Dutch for all their greenhouses according to the program 25% of the worlds greenhouses are in the Netherlands.

[Swissie]

Crazy! So adding further transport from UK to France would be super crazy!?

[JeanS]

There was an article about this on the BBC local news last week, about a company in the Creuse. You arrange for your shopping to be delivered to them in the UK and they deliver to you in France. I believe they charge around 15% of the total of the shopping. As far as food shopping goes - I prefer to see what I'm buying, even when I go with a list, I change my mind about things. The only thing I get visitors to bring are Tea Bags - just can't find Red Bush(Rooibos) tea anywhere in my area.

[Richard51]

This was discussed on another thread.  With food prices in France as they are (courtesy of the cartel / price fixing behaviour of the major French supermarket chains) we can wipe 50% plus off our bill by buying in the UK - even allowing for delivery charges.  The crazy thing is not that such delivery services exist but the ridiculous French prices that encourage such businesses.

The French haven't worked out yet that membership of the EU means a free market - people don't have to shop in France.  Hence those crossing the border to go car shopping in Germany, the current woes of Air France v Ryanair etc etc

Mrs R51

[Swissie]

Things are defo more expensive if you don't adapt to local foods and keep on buying English things like Heinz baked beans, etc. Wouldn't you agree that moving to another country needs adaptation to some (and increasingly large as years go by) extent? It can be great fun and not a chore- experimenting with different ingredients. This winter we ate a lot of chicory for instance- in salads and also 'au gratin, with Gruyère (our local cheese) and ham'. Would cost an arm and a few legs in UK, but VERY cheap here- same with ratatouille, fabulous fruit, etc, etc. How settled and 'happy 'can one be in a country if one is permanently hankering for things from 'back home',  I sincerely wonder.

(I have some experience, having lived abroad for 39 years of my life).

[Richard51]

We don't eat Heinz baked beans, marmite, ketchup or any of the other typically English processed foods - and we certainly wouldn't dream of bringing them to France.  The only specifically English foods I would buy from the UK are bacon and cheddar cheese (and maybe our local staffordshire oatcakes).  (Not a fan of gruyere cheese - I find it a bit bland). I make all my own food and don't buy ready meals / convenience food - so yes I make ratatouille in the summer and freeze it.  When I am comparing prices they are for meat, fish, fruit and vegetables, cleaning products, shampoos, DIY products etc etc - basic commodities.  We do take confit and foie gras back to the UK though - so it isn't all one way [:D]

Mrs R51

NB we aren't settled in France per se - we only spend part of our time there (only a few weeks a year) and don't envisage moving there permanently.  We actually like the UK [:D].  BTW did you know that the UK has more regional cheeses than France http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/dec/31/in-praise-british-cheese

[Swissie]

I lived in the UK for 39 years - and I love England very much too. Lived in Staffs for a few years and had a fabulous time there.

But .. Gruyère, bland??? How could you!  Gruyère for export is very young and perhaps even bland- our local Gruyère has won Gold Medal in the World Cheese championships this year and last year. Mind you loved our Stilton when we lived in Leics, and agree that there are great cheeses in the UK. Stilton is becoming popular here with gourmets, but VERY expensive  (loved Ye Olde Cheese shop in Hartington)   Regards   Odile

If you lived permanently in France though- could you imagine importing most of your stuff from Tesco, etc, via an agent?

[Richard51]

Totally agree about the old cheese shop at Hartington - fab place - and maybe I would sneak a bit of stilton in with the cheddar [;-)]    I made a roquefort and walnut tart last time we were in France which used roquefort and gruyère cheese and I had great problems trying to get gruyère cheese.  I asked the store assistant and the only thing they had was the plastic wrapped mass produced emmental stuff.  Maybe the decent stuff doesn't get as far west as 24?  Having said that, I've had fondue before now (at a swiss restaurant) and didn't like it at all - but that was because the taste was too strong for me - certainly in the quantity they serve you.  I know it's made of three different cheeses (Gruyère, Emmental and Comté) and not sure which gives it it pungent taste?  Maybe there is a happy medium somewhere and I just haven't found it yet [:)]

Re doing a major shop - I guess if the price difference was still the same and money was tight then yes I probably would buy a significant proportion of my regular shopping from the UK.  In the UK we grow quite a bit of stuff - which we probably would if we spent longer periods of time in France. We also buy other products - particularly meat - in bulk, either directly from the abattoir or when it is on special and freeze it but there doesn't seem to be the same options in France (I can't recall seeing BOGOF's and not sure if you can buy directly from the abattoir?)  It goes against the old food mile principles but if money is short and the savings are substantial...

[misplacedperson]

I've been intrigued by these reports recently, so I did a cost comparison using my shopping receipt last week. Sainsbury came out slightly more expensive than Casino in the first place and once I'd added the delivery charge (plus VAT) the bill was 50% more than I'd just paid locally.

All of which leads me to wonder what on earth you're all eating. [8-)]

[Swissie]

We digress here a bit, but never mind. Emmenthal and Gruyère are totally different cheeses - and sadly the French sell French made Emmenthal (shouldn't be allowed, as Emmenthal, like Gruyère is a region!) and it taste and feels like old wellington boots (with less taste!) - in the US they have similar rubbish which they cheekily call 'Swiss' but comes from Wisconsin. Fondue has different recipes depending on the region, but traditionally Gruyère and (proper) Emmenthal. Jura (Swiss) and Comté (France) are very similar to Gruyère - but like with most cheeses, the taste depends on quality and maturity. Like cheddar, which can range from the sublime to tasteless rubber (and could be made in Timbuktu!).

So I agree that the UK has excellent cheeses- and that it is great to have some as a treat- but with so many good cheeses here, it seems normal to eat them most of the time rather than import from Tesco.

[Swissie]

We digress here a bit, but never mind. Emmenthal and Gruyère are totally different cheeses - and sadly the French sell French made Emmenthal (shouldn't be allowed, as Emmenthal, like Gruyère is a region!) and it taste and feels like old wellington boots (with less taste!) - in the US they have similar rubbish which they cheekily call 'Swiss' but comes from Wisconsin. Fondue has different recipes depending on the region, but traditionally Gruyère and (proper) Emmenthal. Jura (Swiss) and Comté (France) are very similar to Gruyère - but like with most cheeses, the taste depends on quality and maturity.

So I agree that the UK has excellent cheeses- and that it is great to have some as a treat- but with so many good cheeses here, it seems normal to eat them most of the time rather than import from Tesco. When I first lived in the UK I did wish I could get Swiss/French cheeses and other foods, but quickly realised that if I was going to be happy there, I just had to get on with it, discover new foods and how to cook them (with just a twist of 'je ne sais quoi' / like I would use herbs and a dash of pepper in baked beans- and rosemary and garlic with the lamb, etc).

 Again, nothing wrong with occasional treats- back does it make sense to buy most of once shopping from abroad (back home) and import (+15%)?

[Richard51]

I agree - I like the French cheeses but the emphasis seems to be on soft cheeses - I haven't found an equivalent to cheddar. 

Back on topic - I wonder whether the whole food buying thing is a cultural one?  Our french friends all seem slightly food obsessed.  I mean, I like my food but I don't spend all day planning huge multi-course lunches and then start again for a similar marathon for dinner. They also seem to be more used to buying from small local shops rather than from supermarkets as the English do.  In contrast, we have one main meal a day - of one course (no starter and no dessert) - there is yogurt in the fridge and fruit in the fruit bowl if anyone wants anything else.  When I shop at home it's from the supermarket - and it's one big weekly shop.  Unlike my french neighbours I work full time so don't have enough hours in the day to go to the bakers, then the butchers, then the local markets etc etc buying just enough food for that day and maybe the next.  This is maybe why it doesn't seem such a huge leap for the English to go from ordering a weekly home delivery from Tesco to their UK address to doing a similar exercise (via an intermediary delivery company) to their French pick up point?

Mrs R51

[Swissie]

You've mentioned one excellent hard French cheese - a good Comté is yum.

[Mr Coeur de Lion]

I loved comte as well and thought it was the closest to cheddar I had found.

But now, I have re discovered cheddar! yum

[Swissie]

In the US they always ask 'would you like normal cheese or Swiss?' - which drives me mad as their so-called Swiss cheese is nothing like and has never set seen Swiss meadows! Yuk.

[chessfou2]

We don't really get anything from the UK (although we do ask family coming to stay to bring some bacon and we also had some friends bring a Bramley apple tree which is now flourishing in our garden).

As for cheese, a few comments.

I agree that emmental/emmenthal should come from Switzerland, which is certainly where the best stuff is produced. However, if you can find a Grand Cru from this side of the border, it is perfectly edible and sometimes even quite good.

If you are looking for a cheddar look-alike (although the real thing is available here from the better cheese shops and even from some of our local supermarkets, although the quality of their cheddar is miserable), I think you should try Laguiole ("Lie-oll"), which comes in four basic kinds (best are the sharp "vieux" - which is perhaps the most cheddar-like - and the smooth, flowery but well matured "Grand Aubrac").

Gruyère - bland? That's like saying that cheddar is bland.

I remember, many years ago, being delighted to find "Roquefort" on the cheese board of a US hotel ... until I tasted it ... it was the US pasteurized mass-produced rubbish ... YUCK! We now live in a village which has half-a-dozen flocks of brébis, the milk from which goes daily to Roquefort-sur-Soulzon ... YUM!

When we moved here, I did bring over a case of English "champagne" - it was the Ridgeview cuvée Merret from Sussex. It was Christopher Merret who presented an early paper to the Royal Society (1662, two years after its foundation), describing how to make the stuff about six years before a certain Pierre Pérignon produced anything (could Pierre read English? did the French steal the idea?*).

*edit - PS. I do know about Limoux - they apparently began producing in 1531 and Sieur d'Arques do some smart marketing with their "Première Bulle" (it's ok but doesn't compare with the best stuff from England or Champagne).

2nd edit. PPS. If you like baked beans (or even if not), you should try some "Haricots blancs cuisinés à l'Auvergnate". They are just so yummy. Instead of sugar (à la Heinz), they are flavoured with duck fat.

[Richard51]

[quote user="misplacedperson"]I've been intrigued by these reports recently, so I did a cost comparison using my shopping receipt last week. Sainsbury came out slightly more expensive than Casino in the first place and once I'd added the delivery charge (plus VAT) the bill was 50% more than I'd just paid locally.

All of which leads me to wonder what on earth you're all eating. [8-)]

[/quote]

I think Sainsburys, Waitrose M&S etc are all substantially more expensive than the big discounters Asda and Tesco.  It also depends on what you buy.  We tend to buy the special offer stuff and freeze it (Asda recently did a £3/kg offer on beef, pork and leg of lamb for example so we have a freezer full of large roasting joints and legs of lamb.)

[Judith]

Can only agree about Laguiole - just as good if not better than Cheddar, and in my opinon also better than Comté, but more difficult to find.  One of the few hard French cheese I actually like.

[mint]

Laguiole also my favourite but not always easy to find.

In its absence, I like Cantal entre Deux.

[chessfou2]

I don't think it counts as advertising if I mention that you can order Laguiole by mail order:

http://www.aubrac-artizana.com/Cooperative_Jeune_Montagne-c-272_1.html

or from the magnificent cheese shop in Toulouse:

http://www.fromages-xavier.com/index.php

The first link have a greater variety of Laguiole, including both the vieux and the Grand Aubrac (made from milk exclusively during the spring and summer months, when the Aubrac is covered with flowers - the resulting cheese has an exquisite flavour, but the vieux is sharper and may appeal most to cheddar lovers).

[YCCMB]

As this seems to be a rehash of the same thread (and, in some cases, the same posts) from several other forums, I might just as well add the following links that I lobbed into the discussion elsewhere:

[url]http://www.franceinlondon.co.uk/en-Article-380-Those-little-French-things-that-we-all-miss-Food--Wine--foof-french-food.html[/url]

[url]http://www.bonjourlondres.com/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?topic_id=2223&viewmode=flat&order=ASC&type=&mode=0&start=0[/url]

[url]http://www.bonjourlondres.com/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?topic_id=710&forum=2[/url]

Bref, it really doesn't matter where you come from, even France, there will be foodstuffs you miss and you'll go to great lengths to find and buy them.

I had an odd, asparagus-related experience the other week. As it was in season, and relatively cheap, I bought some in Tesco (cue outrage from some quarters, but we don't really have any bijou street markets with apple-cheeked peasants). Locally grown asparagus, with a lickle Union Flag on the label to prove it. It was nice, and so the following week I thought I'd buy some more. It was still the asparagus season, so I expected no problem, and indeed it was still the same price. Only no lickle Union Flag. Oh no indeed.....this lot was grown in....................................................................................

Peru.

So I didn't buy any. But then, if I lived in France, I wouldn't have such asparagus-related dilemmas. But would I buy "stuff" from the UK if it was significantly cheaper? Yes, especially for big ticket items and things where the saving was so substantial I'd be daft not to.

[Gardengirl]

In UK I've also bought asparagus in season from my usual supermarket and found it delicious. I refuse to buy it, or other fruits/veg in season which are from far-flung places. I also tell the manager why I'm not buying. There is little local food available, unfortunately; I do grow a very few of my own crops and a trip to the local WI market provides me with a good amount.

In France, I buy seasonal produce from our area, mainly from growers from the next few villages to us, at our local produce market. At the larger Saturday market, I'm wary of fruit/veg in season which is labelled 'pays' or 'France', unless I know the stall holder. We had a garlic fair here this week, with many other stalls joining in; cherries etc were on sale, which I didn't buy, as I felt they could be from anywhere. Our local cheries are delicious, come from the next village, and we watch them grow. I hope overdosing on cherries isn't serious!  [:)]

When travelling by car, about 3 return trips a year, I bring back UK foods which I really like which are cheaper in UK, but it amounts to very little.

[bubbles]

But, Betty, I always thought you WERE Peruvian.

I know photos can be misleading.

[Swissie]

Betty, I fully agree about yearning for special treats, we all do. And we all make use of car space on trips and ask friends to bring a few favourites over.

A  whole difference though to buying everything on line from Tesco &Co and having it shipped over every few weeks.

BTW, I 'participate' on 2 Forums, this on and TFF - and it is amazing how different reactions are from one to t'other on many topics.