Food bargains from abroad?

miggy

Pitlanepiglet wrote: »

France isn't as cheap as it was owing to the effect of the Euro and the poor exchange rate so you'd need to have a good idea of what you are actually paying for items....

Thanks Piglet - I'm a coffee-holic so I will be looking out for coffees. They would be nice as presents too. I am now almost regretting that I recently bought some new pans as I think a couple of people have mentioned that kitchenware is good... nevermind, there is usually a gadgetty kitchen shop somewhere with other things to tempt me. I might also give the ready meals a go as I have a teenage DD who likes things where you add water. Oh, and the fish soup, I will have to look out for that, very French!
I am increasingly sure we will need to take a trailer for all the treasure I will want to bring home... not very OS!

miggy

Belnahua wrote: »

I don't know if you'll get Spanish delicacies in France, but look out for a spicy red sausage called "sobrasada"; it's from the Balearic Islands, and you can't get it in this country, but France may have it.

It's great spread on a crusty roll, or as a pizza topping!

Now I have to admit to being almost totally ignorant of Spanish food, but I like spicy sausage on pizza. Thanks!

miggy

ghandi wrote: »

Chorizo is very, very cheap at Calais (Auchan Hypermarket) near Eurotunnel entrance. My wife was there last Saturday but never bought me any!:mad:

Awww - it's a hard life! :rolleyes: Sorry you missed out! Am starting a spicy sausage list...
(Thanks for the tip:) )

miggy

liz545 wrote: »

The exchange rate means things aren't as cheap as they were, but you can still get bargains on some of the things that are still luxuries over here. I tend to pick up jars of dried wild mushrooms (I like the Sabarot brand), posh biscuits (particularly the Jules Destrooper ones), nice jams, coffee, cheeses and charcuterie (especially thinly sliced parma ham and salami-type saucisson sec) and rilettes, which are like a kind of pate (shredded pork packed under a layer of fat - I like the Bordeau Chesnil brand in the red tub). You can usually pick up nicely packaged Dijon mustard, herb vinegars and olive oils for not a lot of money, which are nice to cook with or give as gifts; and I always bring back Marseille soap - it's made with olive oil which is very moisturising for the skin, and you can get big cubes of it as well as normal blocks. Good fragrances include miel (honey), lait (milk), vanille, tilleuil (lime blossom), figue (figs) and verbena (lemony scent). Mustard, nutella, gherkins etc often come in reuseable juice glasses with fun cartoons on the outside (Asterix/Disney etc) which the kids may like; and next time I go I'll be keeping an eye out for this - speculoos spread, like nutella but gingersnap flavour! If anyone in your house likes french liquers (like Cointreau, Grand Marnier, Creme de Cassis etc), they tend to be much cheaper as well. You probably won't be far from a supermarket - Carrefour, Monoprix and SuperU tend to be everywhere! This website may also be helpful: http://www.day-tripper.net/price-surveys.html

Liz, what a fab post, thank you! I have looked at all the links, the day-tripper one is especially interesting though I notice they haven't updated all the prices (maybe it was getting too much?)
You seem to go for the same things I would and I am going to print out the thread to take with me - want to come shopping with me?!

miggy

Diane_239 wrote: »

Does anyone know if there any cheap foods from Floridea?
were going in Dec/Jan.

I have never been there Diane - is America still uber-cheap for eating out? Hopefully someone can come up with some good ideas.

ghandi

This is the Auchan (Calais) website, it gives you a good idea of the prices.

http://www.auchancalais.com/shopping_centre.asp

Spendless

Diane_239 wrote: »

Does anyone know if there any cheap foods from Floridea?
were going in Dec/Jan.

Do you mean Florida? If so do you mean to bring back? If you do, we love rice-a-roni. It's a flavoured rice and macaroni mix (bit like savoury rice), and always fetch some back. They also have a wide range of sauces, we fetched back several different bottles of bbq and hot sauces, though you may need to be careful with glass bottles and any hand luggage restrictions.

We drove into an area where a wal-mart was, and picked up stuff there. There was a dollar store too, and I picked up loads of Disney related stocking filler items.

harvestmoon

Sorry, this may appear curt but i sent a long reply and the site lost it.
Coffee, flavoured cooking oils - basil, garlic etc - red/white wine vinegars - and others, knorr stock cubes - better flavour so dont need as many.
Fab con - you can buy condensed in little 'sausages' up the same aisle, and you tip them into the old container and add water. Big saving.
Fab flavoured soup sachets.
Cornichons, olives, anchovies - not the salted ones but in vinegar/ herbs.
Unless you live in the extreme south of uk and can get a dead cheap day return crossing, i dont think it's necessarily cost effective to go shopping there BUT the food is tastier and unusual and I love it, and for party shopping - eg booze, well worth it.
I hope this helps - and just in case anyone can help me - is Auchan cheaper tha Carrefour in Calais?
Enjoy!

ghandi

harvestmoon wrote: »

I hope this helps - and just in case anyone can help me - is Auchan cheaper tha Carrefour in Calais?
Enjoy!

Auchan is cheaper for wine than Carrefour, I don't know about other items.

For all tobacco products it is cheaper to go across to Belgium than buy in France (France strictly controls the sale of tobacco products).

miggy

Spendless wrote: »

mustard comes in really decorative glasses, nice to keep when contents are used. Once I even saw some with different zodiac signs on so nice for a pressie. Pepper sauce, but we have used our last so can't give you brand. I love the jam 'confipote'. Runny with lots of fruit bits and the kids hate it-so more for me.:D They do a fizzy apple juice that looks like a champagne bottle, and I buy this for the kids for christmas day. You can get re-fills for hand-soap quite cheaply, they come in bags, just snip top off and pour in your old bottle that's something I've never seen here. Baygon insect killer cos I find it gets rid of everything.:o I love shopping in France.:j

Oh dear and I have a weakness for nice jars, as DH will tell you, shaking his head sadly at the clutter they make in the kitchen! Perhaps I could develop a sudden desire for mustard and he won't notice the jars come with it!
I will look out for interesting pepper sauce and for 'confipote', which I think sounds yummy for rice pudding... and thanks for the tip about hand soaps, the refills in the UK seem to be the same as the original except that the dispenser thingy is missing, so bags of soap sound good.
I'm hoping I won't need insect killer but you never know!
Thanks for posting