I have! My local (hallal) butcher is very proud of his Blonde de Limousin beef and veal and it is gorgeous, grass fed right through the winter.16 odd Euros per kilo for most steaks and roasts. You can also go on the internet. Just don't buy it from supermarkets, they all treat you like idiots.
We are now nearer to moving Shirley...contracts signed today and we are selling off a fair whack of furniture/odds and sods. One couple who came over at the weekend and bought some bits have been badly 'burned' in Spain and lost a lot of money. When a chap wanted to buy their Spanish house, signed contracts and put down a deposit, they hadnt expected him to then change his mind. They thought at least they would keep the deposit. They refused to give it back, he sued, the judge found in his favour and they had to find twice the deposit to pay him back! They are now moving permanently to France, a brave move, I think I would have gone back to the UK and never moved again!
We'd be very interested Brent....!
Interesting, and a great idea for the kids and teachers alike. I think everyone is shocked by the price of houses in the UK...well...some parts of the UK, mainly London and the South East.
Cost of living? generally? we live half the time in the South West of France the other half in Berkshire. Cost of living in the UK, including clothes and food is less than in France and we spend the winter months in the UK so have heating bills as well. We enteretain a lot so I spend quite a bit on food, and our food bills are def. lower in UK. Wine for OH is cheaper in France...as is beer. But food and clothing def. DIY stuff, paint etc. cheaper in UK. All our Brit friends in France bring over all their DIY stuff from UK.
Salaries are higher in the UK, I do wonder sometimes how people living on low incomes in France manage, I guess they must be in receipt of benefits.
John, excellent comment. However, could you please do everybody a little favour? Please would you break down your posts into sentences instead of just a couple of commas in a single paragraphs. It is kind of 'phew' rattling through this one. ;-)
We have just returned from an English afternoon at one of the local schools where we speak only English with the pupils and introduce them to samples of English food some were obviously keen to learn others not so but vultures is the only word that can describe them when it came to the food, one of the teachers filled his plate raving about the taste which prompted the same sort of discussion as on this forum, he was in agreement that food in France had been in decline for some time and very expensive in restaurants which had been resting on their laurels for some years, his ambition was to teach in the UK but was astounded by the cost of housing and rents plus the general cost of living but then he was talking of the London area
Agree John. The worst meals in France have been in the South West, the best meals in the Provence area, Paris of course, Brittany and Normandy. The Alsace produces wonderful food, but I am not so keen on that specific cuisine. We live in the South West but have a holiday home in the southern Languedoc, the food there not so brilliant either.
Had the same here Carol this one was just outside Clermont Ferrand late in the evening tired and hungry on our way down here about 5 years ago, spotted a the sign the place was packed car park full of trucks and cars, the restaurant was split in half by the free salad bar truckers one side car drivers the other or what ever took your fancy limited menu but what there was was very good, the wine came with the meal. Normandy Brittany area were the best meals then the Alps , Provence some good meals in out of the way places the South west is well down the list for us
Love it! times change and the description above is certainly one for the archives..! our best meal in France was at a truckers cafe. Not two chairs matched..we had the only car in the carpark, all the rest were lorries. There was no choice of menu and it was truly one of the best meals Ive ever eaten...right down to the cheeseboard which looked like a small table top...with over 40 types of cheese. They brought it over...left it on the table next to us and never took it away....cheese heaven. Superb red wine...in a litre carafe and change from £10... those were the days!
My first wife was Corsican. Her father was a hotellier in Porto-Vecchio. He had a chef who cooked a perfect blend of French and Italian food and on my 'honeymoon' I consequently gorged and gorged on it. She and I have always remained on good terms so that last time I was on the island I went to the hotel that her brother has nowadays. There was a perfect blend of hamburger and chips, blahhhhhh! He told me that tourists from everywhere, including France, now prefer that to what they used to do. He is even more Corsican nationalist than his father because the stews made with wild game, pork charcuterie, fish soups, herb tarts, local cheeses like brocciu, stuffed pasta and numerous traditional galettes and cakes made with chestnut flour are no longer popular except in Corsican restaurants in Paris, Marseilles and so on. Minced up beef on a bit of white pap with ketchup is favourite now. So much for 'French food'.
Can you be more specific on place/address. I am near Carcassonne
Steve
So we all seem to agree that with few exceptions these days the idea of wonderful eating in France is but an almost forgotten dream. The perception of motoring down to Monte, pulling up at some small wayside auberge with a magnificent lunch washed down with an inexpensive bottle of local wine, seated in the courtyard next to a tinkling fountain, with a moustachioed, apronned garcon, giving the local knowledge. Afterwards a nice cafe with Armagnac, back in the Bentley with the blonde and onwards.......... Happily, apart from the Bentley, I managed to get a few of such days in in the sixties and seventies! I have very found memories of one such restaurant where the wine list had not been reprinted since the war (new wines added in pencil only), a little old lady running the joint, all the waiters "gay" ((it meant fun then) and a gleaming brass and chrome kitchen. It closed down and hwas bought by a Brit to turn into a house and he's run out of money. Now round here many of the better restaurants seem to have some Anglo input, and the "interpersonal" skills are far superior to the often surly locals. My non European, non British, wife says you eat much better, cheaper and more adventurously in the UK.
We have all got to go of something. As a nurse I ignore most of those warnings...never took notice of the give up butter...give up meat....dont eat fats.....I do what feels ok and am moderate in all things....am sure that is the recipe for a good life!
I agree that is if you can put up with the "themed" Tex Mex decoration. They are good with children too. Best beef is Chez Moi on the barbie- decent size piece - with a pull down lid over to get that real smoke flavour. Please no warnings re cancer!
That just reminded me. Best red meat we ever eat in France is at the Buffalo Grill. Make a point of stopping in hotels near one every time we travel back and forth. Never had a steak, burger, rib or any piece of meat less than totally scrummy from there. Mentioned it to a friend who is a bit of a wine and food snob and he enthusiastically agreed that the meat was of the highest standard and reliably tender.
Fantastic! oh to be that unconcerned!
I would order the mammoth in the bottom corner, just to avoid the duck, duck or duck. Bit old and tough perhaps but anything but bl**dy duck.
We have found a rather lovely restaurant...that does one set menu with around 8 courses and matching wines for a set price. Its been the same menu since we moved here 5 years ago, and I am sure for much longer than that. 6 of the courses contain Duck in some shape or form, the only courses without Duck are the cheese course and puddings. We take visitors there who love it, I am just grateful for the cheese and pud!
Wherever its provenenance, the only fresh lamb Ive eaten here which goes under the label 'French', didnt come close to the frozen New Zealand lamb. Ive eaten plenty of pretty awful English beef as well. For me the difference in the UK is that I can go to my butcher or even pretty much guarantee tender meat by buying from Waitrose or 'taste the difference' the premium line from Sainsburys, sadly I cant manage that here. In fact the discussion yesterday prompted me to try steaks from Lidl. Bought their most expensive, marinated the meat, thwacked it to tenderise, seared it, cooked till medium rare, rested it for 8 minutes before serving. Nick and I chewed and chewed and chewed. After 20 minutes he said 'lovely meal....er....would have been a lot better without the meat!' maybe I should stick to pork, the last belly pork I cooked here was stunning.
We have a small group who eat together, taking it in turn to provide dinner.
The last meal included venison, shot on the farm by Michel and the sweetest goat cheese made on the farm by his wife.