Taking food to Spain

NiftyDigits

poodledoodledoo wrote: »

Lots of folk seem to do this...I wonder if rules are there but they just don't bother enforcing them?
Just out of curiosity, do meats and cheeses travel well in a cool bag? Did you freeze them first?

Freezing?? Sacrilege! For cold meats and cheeses, I put them in a cool bag(LIDL's are 49p), together with one of those cold gel packs. The food is still cold to the touch when I unpack it.
If you want even further protection, pack all of the foodstuffs in a white suitcase. Even less heat absorption.

But you'll be fine anyway.

InsideInsurance

Food in Spain, once you get away from the tourist traps, is both cheaper and better than British. Only bring for the first night/ morning or if you have difficult allergies otherwise you're just wasting time/ money bringing your own.

NiftyDigits

InsideInsurance wrote: »

Food in Spain, once you get away from the tourist traps, is both cheaper and better than British. Only bring for the first night/ morning or if you have difficult allergies otherwise you're just wasting time/ money bringing your own.

Please stop with the generalised nonsense. Some things will be better and some will be worse. Either way, If the OP wants to have some familiar products at hand, that is her prerogative. Note that there are five children in the party.

As an aside, I had some trouble locating Parmigiano-Reggiano and instead was offered Grana Padano.
As to wasting time and money...myself and my partner will happily disagree with you. We were able to ensconce ourselves by the pool and only emerge to place our M&S croissant and pain au raisin in to the oven for breakfast, as well as other delicacies for lunch and dinner. Only when we were comfortably sated and relaxed did we feel the need to explore the supermarkets. Some ingredients there(tried Mercadona, Carrefour, LIDL and ALDI) were inferior to the products to which we were used and I was glad to have brought high quality products of my own, which I could supplement with the best of what was available there.
Together we had a great combination of meals, relaxation and enjoyment.
So, how about being less judgemental and allowing the OP to run her holiday in the way that she sees fit?

poodledoodledoo

I think the subject of quality and value in the UK vs abroad is entirely subjective. There are also many variables such as special dietary needs, personal food preferences and so on. Some people like to take their own stuff, others don't. I basically would just like concrete clarification on the rules so my options are open. I don't plan on taking absolutely everything with me but would like a safety net of a few basics plus a couple of essentials for the children and myself in case the availability isn't what it is here.

Edit - I'd actually be rather tempted to take some fresh stuff in a coolbag if only for experimental purposes to see what survives the journey :rotfl:

NiftyDigits

poodledoodledoo wrote: »

I think the subject of quality and value in the UK vs abroad is entirely subjective. There are also many variables such as special dietary needs, personal food preferences and so on. Some people like to take their own stuff, others don't. I basically would just like concrete clarification on the rules so my options are open. I don't plan on taking absolutely everything with me but would like a safety net of a few basics plus a couple of essentials for the children and myself in case the availability isn't what it is here.

Edit - I'd actually be rather tempted to take some fresh stuff in a coolbag if only for experimental purposes to see what survives the journey :rotfl:

Take whatever you like within reason(of course in your checked luggage). Pack what you need to make your holiday the most relaxed and enoyable. No one is going to give you a hard time. Just pack safely and responsibly.

Stop worrying and start getting ready to enjoy.

InsideInsurance

NiftyDigits wrote: »

Note that there are five children in the party.

As an aside, I had some trouble locating Parmigiano-Reggiano and instead was offered Grana Padano.
As to wasting time and money...myself and my partner will happily disagree with you. We were able to ensconce ourselves by the pool and only emerge to place our M&S croissant and pain au raisin in to the oven for breakfast, as well as other delicacies for lunch and dinner.

Maybe I am just a little crazy but when I go to SPAIN on holiday I really want to eat SPANISH food rather than going to Spain to eat British or Italian food. If I want Italian food on holiday I would go to Italy for my holiday.

I am not sure the relevance of children? As per recent articles in the press this week, kids are massively more "adventurous" in eating foreign food compared to adults.

NiftyDigits

InsideInsurance wrote: »

Maybe I am just a little crazy but when I go to SPAIN on holiday I really want to eat SPANISH food rather than going to Spain to eat British or Italian food. If I want Italian food on holiday I would go to Italy for my holiday.

I am not sure the relevance of children? As per recent articles in the press this week, kids are massively more "adventurous" in eating foreign food compared to adults.

Who cares what you want? This thread is not about you.

Start your own thread if you would like some attention.

Do you eat just English food in England? Silly Billy.

InsideInsurance

NiftyDigits wrote: »

Do you eat just English food in England? Silly Billy.

Name calling? Really? Thought that was left behind when you left the playground

Where you live is clearly different, you are there for 300+ days a year for most people, arguably many dont make an active decision on which country they live in it is the one that they are born in (which they weren't really given much choice about).

Surely if you spend time and money to go to a foreign country it should at least in part be to engage in and experience that country and its culture of which food is a significant part. Arguably even trying the local take on foreign food is, Chinese food in England is very different to Chinese food in Latin America and both aver very different to Chinese food in China. Trying to recreate English version of Chinese whilst in Spain just sounds crazy (substitute in Italian or any other cuisine, Chinese is just an easy example)

Of cause it sounds like you are of the "little england" crowd

benjus

I'm definitely in the "eat local food" camp.

However, people travel for different reasons. A lot of people just want somewhere like home but with a sunny climate and a nice beach. If that's what they want, I don't see why they should be hassled for that choice.

The bit I don't understand is how they find room for it in their baggage allowance, as my bag always seems to be full to bursting...

jillie1974

when we go to a villa I always bring things like Ketchup, weetabix,other cereals and Super Noodles- things my little boy loves. Means he is happy as he has familiar food. You can pay 3 or 4 times what you can in the UK for them.