Empty fridge syndrome

[hilldweller]

If that is a great thing of Benidorm, I’d hate to see the rest of it.

Nice mis-quote. "One of the great things". Is it not great to be able to go shopping and buy just what you want ? Just down the road is the Chinese supermarket where you can buy anything from a knitting needle to a wetsuit, a plug or a brass screw. Or the motorhome shop where just about all your spares are available including ACSI books.

Then you can wander down to the immaculate beach, sit and have a crepe as good as any in France with a coffee and brandy and just chill out people watching.

 

[bigalw35]

Just smiffy you have obviously not tried Andouillette then!

A bit like haggis then ??

 

[PeteH]

Oi! Wot`s wrong wiv a Aggis? then.

 

[bigalw35]

Oi! Wot`s wrong wiv a Aggis? then.

Absorutely nuffink, brought 3 today to take to Germany, I luv it ?

 

[TinaLes]

Some people think its Offal, personally I love it, Black Pudding also...yummeee.
Its the look of Tripe that puts me off, but I must admit, I would love to try it, cooked by someone that knows what they are doing. Never see it here down sarf.
LES

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[autorouter]

We are addicted to Tetley's Tea Bags, and like others we take a couple of 500 packs at least. When we eventually found them in a shop in France, they turned out to be tiny pyramid-shaped ones with string attached. You need at least two of them per cup to make a decent brew.

Instant coffee is difficult to find, but the selection of coffee beans and ground coffee is better than UK.

I appreciate it's a minority interest, but cole slaw salad is almost impossible to find in France and Germany. Lots of very similar offerings, but none of the genuine article.

 

[denisejoe]

Agree with the above, so walkers crisps, bovril, bacon, decent British cheese, Tuna, baked beans and tinned tomato ?

Edit: The captain's fish fingers, nearly forgot ?

I buy crisps in France but they have to be ”Ancient“ most brands are ok cant stand walkers

 

[denisejoe]

I always find it Unbelievable that "UK Style Bacon" Smoked or unsmoked, is not popular & readily available all over the world!
Its not difficult to produce, and apart from veggies, vegans,or people with dietary restrictions, I cannot imagine many people that wouldn't instantly love it, and adopt it, as we have, as being an essential item on their regular shopping list.
Smoked meats/sausages from France, Germany, Italy are great, especially with some lovely,accompanied with, but too many to mention cheeses, BUT, there is no substitute for a Bacon roll or sandwich in the morning IMHO.
LES

I have gone off bacon as if you don’t mop out the pan you are just boiling rather than frying bacon, now into proper pork low fat sausages from our butcher who makes his own

 

[Nanniemate]

I can live without a Frey bentos - but bacon ???? Mind you those frenchies do have mergeuz sausages

Until the introduction of Lidle/Aldi to the UK wasn't the best selling bacon Danish remember the sizzle adverts.?

 

[bigalw35]

Some people think its Offal, personally I love it, Black Pudding also...yummeee.
Its the look of Tripe that puts me off, but I must admit, I would love to try it, cooked by someone that knows what they are doing. Never see it here down sarf.
LES

I used to have a Doberman and was told that they loved tripe, not mine though nor me when I had to cook it, it stunk the house out and my dobie would not go any where near it.
When we go to Norfolk we go past “Emmerdale Farm Shop”, a few hundred yards off the A12 at the Norfolk end of the A12, a very very good shop and all their produce is very good but their black pudding is to die for

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[denisejoe]

I used to have a Doberman and was told that they loved tripe, not mine though nor me when I had to cook it, it stunk the house out and my dobie would not go any where near it.
When we go to Norfolk we go past “Emmerdale Farm Shop”, a few hundred yards off the A12 at the Norfolk end of the A12, a very very good shop and all their produce is very good but their black pudding is to die for

We had 2 german shepherds who loved tripe raw like a fool I went to the local butcher and asked if he could get undressed tripe for the dogs he said yes but it would have to be the complete though, went back a couple of days later to pick it up and there were 2 large black bags full of it i emptied a shop of plastic bags then went home to cut it up,2 gsd sitting salivating whilst I cut it up took 3hrs Denise went mad and wouldn’t come into the kitchen

 

[Larby]

We carry bacon, Clover, sausages, ALDI baked beans, 1/2 loaf of Warburtons, the remains of the freezer indoors. 1000 Tetley tea bags, salad cream, Branston, malt vinegar !
We supply beans on toast to some Germans and they feed us their local sausages.
Our French friends get McVitie's Chocolate digestives for madame and liquorice assortment box for monsieur. Their son likes Galaxy hot chocolate.
We also take Tetley one cups for a German guy.

 

[Reallyretired]

Tea bags and Azera instant coffee and maybe a frozen homemade bolognese and curry or two for emergencies otherwise we shop. Well I shop and Nick wanders around carrying the basket, he doesn’t even go into shops in the UK so this is progress.
Lidl do a nice sugar free luxury muesli in the UK and it seems the same in Spain , France and Germany so far, oh and Denmark.

The only time we took loads of food was last year when we went on our 6 week tour of Norway.

Why Azera in UK. I like it too and always buy it in France, never seen it around here in UK.

 

[Jewellbags]

No one mentioned crumpets - have to take them , which also means marmite

 

[carolyn]

Why Azera in UK. I like it too and always buy it in France, never seen it around here in UK.

It’s our favourite instant and it’s always on offer in one of the big supermarkets in the UK so I make sure I stock up on the “full fat“ and the decaff when it is on offer as I am far too mean to pay over £5 a tin and we drink a lot of it and quite strong.

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[GMLS]

Mainly meat as always found it much dearer and of varying quality in France.

I'm also not embarassed to say I generally take loads of DDH IPA, but thats just me and I do try some local stuff

 

[spitfire]

Agree with the above, so walkers crisps, bovril, bacon, decent British cheese, Tuna, baked beans and tinned tomato ?

Edit: The captain's fish fingers, nearly forgot ?

We do have tinned tomatoes and tuna in France !
Teabags are a must but is funny I now take french stuff I would miss lol

 

[yodeli]

cooked by someone that knows what they are doing.

Agree!!! They can be really really nice! I know it now. But when I was a teenager my mum decided that I had to have some .... in a tin.... gosh ... horrible !! I thought I was going to die! I still tell off for that. Tripes have to be eaten in a restaurant known for their tripes . So firstly better to look in Caen, it's supposed to be the best place to have them. Then enter in google "où manger les meilleures tripes" and I'm sure you'll have all the answers you're waiting for!

 

[spitfire]

One of the great things about Benidorm is you can buy all the British stuff you've been craving on the way there. Even the Scottish things square slice sausage and those ghastly frozen lamb mince meat pies ?

We haven't found any Scottish pan bread yet mind, that's great toasted. But you can buy very similar in English Asdas, think it's called "irwins" Irish loaf ??

Best toast is Scottish plain bread but don’t eat the crusts if you don’t want a visit to the dentist lol

 

[pelican]

Agree with the above, so walkers crisps, bovril, bacon, decent British cheese, Tuna, baked beans and tinned tomato ?

Edit: The captain's fish fingers, nearly forgot ?

Wow you know how to live.

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[Jewellbags]

Bugger yes fish fingers

 

[Dorwyn]

A couple of frozen meals so we don't have to shop till we get further south (can't get more in the freezer anyway), tea bags, essential for Mrs Dorwyn, supply of pills, and we do like our local butchers' sausages until we get into merguez country. That's about it. Oh, Weetabix, but if we're going to Spain or Portugal it's available in France now. Mind you that don't go into t'fridge.

 

[TinaLes]

It’s our favourite instant and it’s always on offer in one of the big supermarkets in the UK so I make sure I stock up on the “full fat“ and the decaff when it is on offer as I am far too mean to pay over £5 a tin and we drink a lot of it and quite strong.

With you carolyn on Azera, its the only instant coffee that we enjoy, tried others like Milenco etc, but Azera Intenso, or Espresso are good when you want an instant coffee, add milk before hot water, lovely result.
We bought 6 tins last month at Tesco £2.75 each, Sainsburys £5.49 each!, yea right.
We do take our percolator with us in the van, so if I need something stronger that hits the spot in strength, with breakfast, then its got to be Lavazza Qual Rossa. I also get that in twin packs when on offer, and it keeps well.
Wake up & smell the coffee as they say
LES

 

[TinaLes]

I have gone off bacon as if you don’t mop out the pan you are just boiling rather than frying bacon, now into proper pork low fat sausages from our butcher who makes his own

We find the same, unless we buy The Dry Cured type, no water in the pan problem then, the Lidl Smoked Back is fav at the moment, give it a try.

Agree!!! They can be really really nice! I know it now. But when I was a teenager my mum decided that I had to have some .... in a tin.... gosh ... horrible !! I thought I was going to die! I still tell off for that. Tripes have to be eaten in a restaurant known for their tripes . So firstly better to look in Caen, it's supposed to be the best place to have them. Then enter in google "où manger les meilleures tripes" and I'm sure you'll have all the answers you're waiting for!

Thanks yodeli , so Caen is the French home of Tripe, well I never!, haven't read any stories of UK Northerners eating it whilst on their travels as yet, you would have thought the string vests and flat caps would blend in well over there, almost home from home
Le Bistrot Far, looks like its worth checking out for my first experience, found a recipe with list of ingredients, wish I hadn't looked at it now. It must taste better than it looks, I guess?
LES

 

[pelican]

Ann likes to take Branston Pickle (small chunk)
Salad creme can be difficult to find too.

You should try Pontins

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[denisejoe]

We find the same, unless we buy The Dry Cured type, no water in the pan problem then, the Lidl Smoked Back is fav at the moment, give it a try.

Thanks yodeli , so Caen is the French home of Tripe, well I never!, haven't read any stories of UK Northerners eating it whilst on their travels as yet, you would have thought the string vests and flat caps would blend in well over there, almost home from home
Le Bistrot Far, looks like its worth checking out for my first experience, found a recipe with list of ingredients, wish I hadn't looked at it now. It must taste better than it looks, I guess?
LES

We've tried various "dry cured" bacon but still not that dry, still need to mop some water, including the Lidl Smoked back you've mentioned. Still buy it occasionally but nowhere near as regularly as we used to.

 

[Camdoon]

I noticed someone mentioned Worcester sauce earlier in the thread.
Sorry to be pedantic but the proper stuff is 'Worcestershire' sauce available all over the world and made by a French company in the original Worcester factory.

Was in a pub once in Worcester waiting for a mate and listening to others" conversations, this intense female was regaling that fact. One of those conversations you wished you had missed but now, even though I have no connection with Worcester and cannot remember why I was there or whether it was another town, I still correct everyone to this day. This has gone on for 20 years and involves correcting TV chefs as well Help me At least you are from Worcester.

 

[Camdoon]

We've tried various "dry cured" bacon but still not that dry, still need to mop some water, including the Lidl Smoked back you've mentioned. Still buy it occasionally but nowhere near as regularly as we used to.

Try making your own bacon. It is not difficult. There are numerous Youtubes and apart from pork belly and salt the rest depends on what you want to include. Trying to cut down at the moment but home cured bacon doesn't last long.

 

[Chockswahay]

OK, just poking my nose in here ....... this thread is a wind up....right?

Otherwise why even bother to go abroad!

I will agree. Benidorm is for those who don’t like to travel away from the UK but as for France....... life is for living!

Why don’t you just stay in the UK and eat nice ‘safe’ and ‘proper’ food?

 

[Marty Gilly and Pup]

There will probably be limitations on what fresh food you can take there or bring back. Before EU we were limited as to what we could take abroad and more especially what we could bring back.

This is a good point actually, bearing in mind likely future disputes and disagreements over regulatory alignment.
it’s quite possible that restrictions will be theoretically in place. Of course finding your hidden teabags or smuggled bacon would be tricky to enforce totally. However if that were to be the case and your fridge (and cupboards) got emptied at Calais, that would reduce the number of vans crossing by a very large number going by a few on here who it seems would not be able to cope without their British foody crutches. Interesting ?

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