overmonnow Posted September 25, 2004 Share Posted September 25, 2004 Hello,We have managed to save up a lot of Nectar points and vouchers for food and have decided to do a "definitive" non-perishable shop before we move over in 3 weeks...What would people recommend we stock up on that isn't easily available or cheap in France...We look forward to hearing from you...Emma-Jane Lockhart Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teamedup Posted September 25, 2004 Share Posted September 25, 2004 Maybe you should make a little list of what you like and then it'll be easier to say whether it is available here and if it is pricey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrisb Posted September 25, 2004 Share Posted September 25, 2004 .................PG tips, Branston's Pickle, Packets of fruit Jelly - can't say I have missed much else!! Oh, and also condiments to go with roasts, such as redcurrant jelly, horseradish, mint sauce etc RegardsChris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annabell Posted September 25, 2004 Share Posted September 25, 2004 Gravy granules, mushy peas - yummy! HP and Worcestire Sauce, Atora Suet, Marmite, Mint Jelly.Its funny because a friend of ours gave us a Fray Bentos Pie and some Mushy Peas which we ate with glee lastnight. The funny thing is though, I never even bought a Fray Bentos Pie in England so I don't know what I was so excited about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaligoBay Posted September 25, 2004 Share Posted September 25, 2004 Amber, have a skwizz at Best of British, that might give you an idea of what Brits in France hanker for:http://www.bestofbritish.fr/British products are getting easier to find - 4 years ago, I had to go to the Asian (foreign!) store to get anything British, but now they're usually in Hyper U or the big Intermarché.I fully understand the Fray Bentos experience and my little missingness is oatcakes - don't know why, I just love 'em, and I've never seen them here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russethouse Posted September 25, 2004 Share Posted September 25, 2004 Baked beans Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LesLauriers Posted September 25, 2004 Share Posted September 25, 2004 Shredded Wheat, Shreddies, Digestive biscuits, cranberry sauce, horseradish sauce, but nothing that you couldn't live without.BTW Saligobay, not in your region I don't think but Périgueux Primeurs have oatcakes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mpprh Posted September 25, 2004 Share Posted September 25, 2004 HiI only buy malt vinegar, teabags and best back bacon in quantity from UK these days.However, if you are heavy users you could think of large pack sizes of HP sauce, Marmite and Branston.Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catalpa Posted September 25, 2004 Share Posted September 25, 2004 for me...- Hellmans mayo- M&S red pepper & onion relish - the most versatile red stuff out of a jar I've found- Discovery Creole recipe sauce- Tesco Korma sauce (diluted with******onut milk + add chopped fresh coriander makes a superb sauce for white fish, esp monkfish)I can live without all of them but I do like having a few jars in stock.One thing I can't find that is bugging me is fresh root ginger. Anyone else found a super / hyper that stocks it? Preferably in Manche / Calvados?Caroleupdate:I really do *not* believe that the software prevents the use of the word c o c o nut. That's insane!ROTFLMAO! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Val_2 Posted September 25, 2004 Share Posted September 25, 2004 Most "favourites" of the british you can find a lot easier now in France from larger super and hypermarkets and the Comptoir Irelandais shops. However as I do a lot of baking I stil have to get stocks in of things like Mixed Spiced powder, Baking Powder,Suet and decent curry powder as you can use a whole jar of it here and it is still tasteless. Other things we love include Vegemite as opposed to Marmite which is freely available here and Heinz Spaghetti rings. You will find that the longer you live in France the more you adapt your tastes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaligoBay Posted September 25, 2004 Share Posted September 25, 2004 2heads - fresh root ginger - readily available in Leclerc and others down here in Medside 34. Come on down, the water's lovely Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexis Posted September 26, 2004 Share Posted September 26, 2004 I agree with Val. The longer you live here the more you adapt. Or get used to doing without. I used to have very long lists before but now it is just jellies for OH trifles - yes I know it is 'common' to use jelly - suet, Paxo, golden syrup....I hoard golden syrup so it goes black and I have to chuck it.Anyway, there are English shopping sites where you can get most things if you are desperate for strong white flour or anything Mr Cadbury makes.....I have used one site once and they were very good. Not used them since as been in the UK and shopped but will no doubt order again.Ooh currants can be difficult to find too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaligoBay Posted September 26, 2004 Share Posted September 26, 2004 The problem with currants, Alexis, is that you never know where they're going to be!Leclerc sell piddly little packets, and they're beside the baking stuff, along with cake candles, powdered almonds etc.The small SuperU sells nice big fat bags of currants, raisins, sultanas, but they're between the Viennoiserie and the fruit&veg, with not a cake candle in sight. Now - bicarbonate of soda. I've NEVER seen a tub of this in a supermarket, it's only sold in those annoying little sachets. But it exists in tubs, because the épicerie in the village has nice big ones (ooh err missus!). Unless the supermarkets are hiding it between tins of Felix and Whiskas.Rolled oats - as in Scott's Porage Oats - brilliant for Anzac biscuits etc, the staff in Intermarché said they'd be in the animal section! Baking is a different art altogether in France. Haven't set eyes on Cream of Tartar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Val_2 Posted September 26, 2004 Share Posted September 26, 2004 I got a large tub of Bicarbe from LeClerc about two years ago and keep it in a glass jar so it dosn't get damp. Will need to re-buy again soon as I use it a fair bit with plain flour. Currants are known as Raisins de Corinthe and are freely available I find in the sections that do all the dried prunes,figs,apricots etc and not usually inthe Vahine type cake accessories. Agree about the jellies, can't have a really good trifle without the jelly soaked sponge fingers and as for english sausages, even our cats wouldn't touch one, give me lovely french ones every day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Judyc Posted September 26, 2004 Share Posted September 26, 2004 I never thought the day would come when I wouldn't love Heinz Baked Beans, but now I much prefer 'Haricot Lingots' (Belle Chaurienne, cooked in goose fat, I think) and only eat Heinz when husband has a longing for an English 'fry-up'.Things we bring back - Tea bags and digestives, poppadums, bombay mix and indian pickles, j-cloths (can't stand the insubstantial french ones) and the odd tin of M & S chunky chicken. As we are nowhere near any sort of takeaway, it is lovely to have an 'instant' dinner once in a while after a hard day's work. We are also lovers of oatcakes!Oh, and don't forget the Christmas pudding, mince pies/mincemeat and cranberry sauce!Good luck in your new home!Judy47 Lot-et-Garonnewww.faysselle.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teamedup Posted September 26, 2004 Share Posted September 26, 2004 I buy tubs of bicard easily enough. Currents too. Raisins, now that is hard and I can't remember seeing any decent ones in years.We still bring the same things that we always have. If we don't have them, then we don't, but a few treats are very nice from time to time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deby Posted September 26, 2004 Share Posted September 26, 2004 Try using madelaines for your sponge when making a trifle - even nicer if you dip them in something like cognac, pineaud or calvados!We always buy tea-bags, walkers crisps and chocolate buttons for the kids oh and my daughter absolutely adores Heinz tomato soup - fortunately (+expensively) available at the local intermarche.Deby Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Val_2 Posted September 26, 2004 Share Posted September 26, 2004 [quote]Try using madelaines for your sponge when making a trifle - even nicer if you dip them in something like cognac, pineaud or calvados! We always buy tea-bags, walkers crisps and chocolate buttons for ...[/quote]Know what you mean. Local Géant was selling teeny weeny tins of Campbells condensed soup,remember those when you were ill as a kid and it always tasted better than the other makes,and they were charging over 2€ per tin which would only be sufficient for two at a squeeze. Local Super U here sells Heinz Beans at 1,85€ per tin which I suppose if you are desperate still makes a relatively cheap instant meal on toast with no waste. Parsnips are another thing the locals only bother with to feed the cattle and wouldn't dream of eating,but once they try them roasted they can't understand why there aren't more available here as all I ever see are shrivelled up little specimens. We're growing our own this year but need frost to help them in the winter and we live in a virtually frost-free part so it will be interesting to see how they do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexis Posted September 26, 2004 Share Posted September 26, 2004 Just thinking that I have never seen cream of tartar. Bicarb is easy to find around here. Try the pharmacie if you can't find it in the supermarket.I have only seen currants once, in Carrefour, but I already had 'supplies' so didn't buy them.Can't you get the flaçons d'avoine for your oaty things? Always in the cereal section. In fact, it is either Scott's or the other one. Memory lapse. Red box. Lot dearer here though.In the new Super U in St Meen they have an English section. It is about 1m long with salad cream, mustard, brown sauces etc. At the Intermarche there they sell parsnips in season. Don't care for them myself but I grow them for a friend.When I really fancy English food, I am lucky that Jersey is not far away. Then I get there and look at the prices!!!Still, I like looking at labels. How sad it that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teamedup Posted September 26, 2004 Share Posted September 26, 2004 I have bought cream of tartar from the pharmacie, but it cost a fortune. A tub from the UK usually lasts me ages and ages and is relatively cheap too in comparison. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dog Posted September 26, 2004 Share Posted September 26, 2004 Refried beans, Fullers ESB, Haloumi cheese, perhaps baked beans but if you add some ketchup hint of garlic lemon juice and condiments French Haricots can be made like Heinz Haricots. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annabell Posted September 26, 2004 Share Posted September 26, 2004 Sorry, but i am obsessed with gravy granules at the mo, and what I also miss are the sachets of gravy granules that are flavoured ie; chicken flavoured with sage etc, or lamb flavoured with mint (these go down a treat when entertaining French folk). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Millymollymandy Posted September 28, 2004 Share Posted September 28, 2004 JALAPENO PEPPERS! Strangely, all French supermarkets stock loads of Mexican stuff from the Casa Fiesta range (or the other brand which I've forgotten), but never Jalapenos. Can't live without them! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Battypuss Posted October 3, 2004 Share Posted October 3, 2004 Have found root ginger in Intermarché here in St Lô. I never go back to England, so use epicerieanglaise for anything I crave. Excellant and fast service, plus they will buy whatever you ask for! (Have already ordered the Christmas Turkey) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
isabelmaidment Posted October 3, 2004 Share Posted October 3, 2004 No co co n u t. No stopcock on the Screwfix plumbing forum and try looking for anywhere in Middlesex on one of the US sites censors.Anton Redman - beginning to enjoy new soubrouchet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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