Forget the collapsing euro - the real issue is beans

Valerie, you must have a very liberal interpretation of people's writing if that is how you think it sounds. Is it not possible to enjoy living in France and also miss comforting basics like tea and beans? Just because one misses them do you really think you should be telling them to go home?

Can one not just be British and moan at the cost of beans whilst appreciating life in general in France? No one will be going back to the UK because beans are difficult to obtain. The 'if you don't like the slightest thing about France you should go home' brigade should really get a sense of proportion.

Oh for goodness sake Valerie - have a sense of humour! Do you honestly think I truly believe pork bangers are going to be the new euro currency?

If I hear one more 'go back home' comment in response to a perfectly reasonable statement, I am going to scream.

Reading some comments here, it sounds like all the food in France is rubbish and quite a few people don't live here of their own free will! Libby, for instance, if you are so miserable in the back of beyond of French countryside, why don't you head back home? Life is short and you are the captain of your ship! I was happy living in England but decided to move to France to give my children more space to roam around, now I'm happier in France. Eating the occasional tin of baked beans or drinking 'English' tea reminds me of my time in England, but if it became an obsession, I would ask myself some serious questions...

We agree entirely about the so-called English Tea they sell over here. No wonder the French have such a poor opinion of English cuisine. I love baked beans with toad-in-the-hole, on toast, in fact with anything !! Sad I know, but I'm addicted - do you think there's a support group somewhere ? I'm sure the British government (under labour) would fund such a worthwhile social service. We're going to our family in Germany for Christmas to have roast turkey, mit semf probably; but at least I can buy proper baked beans and decent english tea in the Kaufhaus store - and we're taking the car, so I can probably hide dozens of cans around the vehicle (my wife doesn't share my love of beans - probably because of the after-effects!)

I have been desperate to get Yorkshire tea leaves and have failed miserably. Our local Shopi has tea bags but the taste to us is inferior and not as enjoyable. I've looked at several websites to get it sent out but the cost of postage prohuibitive. I don't know of a british shop near us, Rouffignac st cernin, 40 mins from Perigueux which would be o.k. and I do understand they have to charge more. I have to say I do envy a friend who lives in Britanny who visits the U.K. often and tells me they come back loaded with lots of goodies. When she tells me they are having Scottish roast rib of beef for lunch we drool. Have yet to find something as good here after 9 years but live in hope. Agree Branston beans superior to Heinz now. Far more flavoursome but it's good fun to make your own.

Yeah agreed Branstons are excellent too and Lidl's Hatherwood (that well known traditional British range...) are absolutely fine too. Especially as they are 0.69c a tin - so back in the realms of normally priced food. Unfortunately they aren't stocked all year round :(

Venison sausages do sound lurvely!

My local Carrouf sold Branstons beans with sausage for 1.70€ a tin compared with Heinz at €3.10. My son actually preferred them but guess what, Carrouf no longer stock Branstons. I'm buggered if I'm going to pay over €3 for a tin of beans and sausage!

But, if they can do it for Branstons, why can't they do it for Heinz?

Catharine: we are with you all the way on the holier than thou 'why do you live in France?' lot. The French have become 'international' which is why they gorge themselves on pizza, pasta, tacos, Chinese and Thai, Big Macs, etc. We have been told that we should go to the local eco markets, well we do sometimes, quality is pretty good but often weekly market and shop stuff is better, yes even supermarket stuff sometimes. We grow vegetables when we can and have bees, so we know the profit margins and how much extra eco producers chuck on top for that label. In an ideal world we would only eat organically grown food, but first let's get producers back on planet real. Then we have children who prefer baked beans, etc. They have school lunches (not very French really, but in their minds) and mainly live in the French speaking world, including at home with my OH particularly whose first language is not English anyway. However, they prefer English language television and some of the utter trash British people eat, like the Heinz benas (no others permissible). If we are to have truly cosmopolitan world then it is the holier than thous who need to climb down off their perches first and those who try to survive 20 odd years by pointing at things and kind of grunting next. As for me, I shall make Weihnachtsstollen this week and a few other typical German things having had my early years and part of adulthood there. When our daughters have a sleep over in a ouple of weeks the Indian cookbooks will be out and some nice Bangalore food prepared and eaten. Apart from that, France has plenty of crap food too but that which is of the highest standard we eat with the same ceremony and relish as any French gourmet. Anyway, what about the Euro? Or were they chocolate coins all along and are beginning to melt, do not waste them I shall eat the lot. Yummy, yummy death by chocolate overdose!

Well it's quite clear to me now that when the euro collapses and doomsday comes, the new trading pairs will be beans and pork bangers. All we need to do is establish a nominal value like the French did with the euro - one euro = 0.65f.

One Tin of Heinz (or OToH as it could be referred to?) = 0.99 € or something like that.....

Truffles in rich tomato sauce, mmmmm. I hear there is an Englishman, who imports such contraband, by the container load to the Pezenas area, language of the Occs. Where it is all warehoused ( spellcheck ) It must be he who sells on to Little Britain Magazins du Coin. You can't miss him, MU shell suit, trainers, semi automatic. Perhaps he could be approached for a group buy discount in the event of, say, economic collapse. I'm up for a bean-feast any day.

I get my "English Breakfast Tea" - strong as you wish, from Amway. Works for me.

Perhaps we could have clandestine "drops" of beans from those who understand the lack of this staple food along the lines of the resistance in WW2?

@ Hilary - oh yeah - same old same old - the "why do you live in France brigade" - grrr.

All very well to buy everything locally when you can afford it. Personally I see no difference whatsoever between buying pasta from Intermarche (which was made in the Netherlands) and buying pasta (from Tesco (which was made in the Netherlands). Obviously fresh stuff is a different matter but gawd, do I detest the holier than thou brigade. I love France and I also love a whole load of stuff you simply cannot source here. And so do many French people!

Gotta earn it somehow haven't we Catharine. I have started to plan my colleague in VN asking one of her Chinese colleagues to bring down sacks of lapsang so that if I get there this year (I am overdue for a new job there) I can load up a bit.

Comptoir Richard as per web address from Zoe below, my friend tells me via Facebook, will sell by the kilo on order and lapsang souchong would be 28 to 30 Euros, far better value than in 100gr bags.

@ Brian - yes do and will flog it via SFN - 50 / 50?!!

Load of old custard Roy!

I recently saw a tine of Bird's Custard powder in a supermarket in Bayonne priced at 3.95€ When I peeled the price ticket off there was the English price - 99 pence! What is all that rot that the UK politicians keep spouting that the weakening pound makes British gfoods more competitive abroad?

Tea can be obtained from La Route des Comptoirs @ www.laroutedescomptoirs.com which is an online bio shop in Montreuil (93100). 50 gr bags from my caravan lady but a decent price as said, perhaps the shop itself better. Next trip to India perhaps I should dump my entire luggage and fill up tea on the way home!

@ Alistair - yes he is well hot.

I heard there is a bloke near Mauleon (64 )who makes great back and streaky, dry cured, smoked bacon, vacuum packed, but you need to be near enough to him to collect it.

He needs a large enough number of people wanting bacon to make it worth doing.

contact him: alastair@eio.co.uk

PS, I hear he is also very good looking