French supermarket query - aidez-moi!

m0rgana

Hi everyone

I'm going to be spending Christmas at my mother's house in the South of France while she is away with her partner - I'll be arriving on the 23rd, and staying for a week. There will not be any fresh food or xmas provisions in the house when we arrive, as it will have been empty for a few weeks prior.

It has now occurred to me that food shopping may be less easy than I'd originally thought. None of the supermarkets deliver to this rural area, and I only really have a day (xmas eve) plus possibly some of the late afternoon of the 23rd to do the shopping.

Now, I may be correct in assuming that larger French supermarkets are open on xmas eve, and some googling has suggested that this is the case. However, I would rather be certain and can't see any information on the supermarkets' own sites about xmas opening (I read French pretty well so it's not a language issue, the info simply isn't there!). I have also emailed what contacts I can find at Leclerc, Intermarche etc, but no reply as yet.

Does anyone here spend significant time in France and have an answer to this? If it helps, I will be fairly near Toulouse.

If it sounds like too much of a gamble (I am 'hosting' and have a group of six people to cater for so can't really let people down at xmas!!) then what would others suggest? My fallback at the moment is simply doing my food shopping in the UK (I live in London and will be travelling by Eurostar) and finding a really good food chiller bag that will keep things fresh on an 8 hour trip. I will, at the very least, be doing this with as many non-perishable items as I can carry - it's all a bit tricky though as I won't be driving though a friend is hiring a car to take us to the house at the other end.

...or am I needlessly panicking! Does France shut on xmas eve? :eek:

Macadamia

m0rgana wrote: »

...or am I needlessly panicking! Does France shut on xmas eve? :eek:

In my experience there is no need to panic – France does not entirely shut on Christmas eve and if you have the afternoon of the 23rd as well (which I think is a Monday this year) you will be able to get stocked up.

Do you have a menu in mind? Or closer to the time will you have a shopping list? I ask this because some of the supermarkets have click and collect depots which could make things very easy.

Macadamia

And other things to add. ....
If you want traditional Christmas things like a Turkey, stuffing, and crackers (the pulling, not the cheese biscuit kind) it would be better to take them with you if you have room. I have found big Turkeys for christmas dinner in France (at both Super U and carrefour) the last four years, but it was a bit of a hunt and the choice was limited.
I hope you have a great time!

m0rgana

Macadamia wrote: »

And other things to add. ....
If you want traditional Christmas things like a Turkey, stuffing, and crackers (the pulling, not the cheese biscuit kind) it would be better to take them with you if you have room. I have found big Turkeys for christmas dinner in France (at both Super U and carrefour) the last four years, but it was a bit of a hunt and the choice was limited.
I hope you have a great time!

Thank you! I'm vegetarian myself so not so bothered about the meat elements of the dinner (though my guests will be, I will pass this message on!) but will certainly be bringing enough non meat-based treats along with snacks and chocs of the sort I normally want at xmas in my luggage with me...hadn't thought about crackers, but that's a good point - they're very light so shouldn't be a problem transporting!

I'd thought about doing the click and collect thing, and may look into that. But because of being veggie (in France in particular) I like to have a good look at what I'm buying and am not sure it would be so easy on the website - I may be wrong though, will have a look.