Definitely! My partner is a real meat-hound and he loves the packed ham (so much better quality) and shoulders of pork. We live off cheap chorizo, lots of ham, sliced roast pork - and we both prefer the sausages over here. Ironically, we prefer the cheap sausages which are about on a par with the ones we loved back home.
If you get a couple of chickens, you’re set. Minus food and initial cost (we paid 7.50€ for each of ours) we have 4 chickens, get a good 20 eggs a week for the cost of a bag of food a week (about 2€) and the retail value of 20 organic, free-range eggs is about 8€! Chorizo omelettes, scrambled eggs, egg and sausage, lots of quiche (you can get fantastic pre-rolled pastry) and we’re eating for a lot cheaper than we did in the UK. Our hens are a life-saver!
Kerrumbs! Poss depends where u are? Re ageism - really don’t want 2 sound flip but maybe they don’t have it in France? What I mean is, in my experience the whole family have had one main family home where all generations at least spend the summer, older people stay active longer and usually continue to live as part of the family. Are things changing now? I know there are Maisons de retraite etc.
Re racism - racism thru ignorance - the worst type - & I met plenty of people in the UK who were the same. And just heard a comment on PM: “they come over here, take our jobs…” (afraid our bureau is a corner of a foreign land which is forever England - but the kitchen est toujours France Bleu!)
Bourganeuf (our local town) has a substantial Turkish Muslim population (hence we have 2 kebab shops!) but I haven’t yet encountered anything to suggest they’re resented - then again they’ve been here for yonks!
Years back in Brittany my (very nice) macon found me someone to do the tiling. He asked me three times if it was ok because the bloke was black. He explained that on several occasions he’d taken the bloke on site with him and the clients had a problem with the guys skin colour. And as the macon explained “I’m sorry I had to ask, its just a bit embarrassing as he’s a good friend of mine”…
Well interestingly I was chatting to a friend in the UK Sunday evening, and she was saying that with the increases in fuel and food prices they are £200 per month worse off (family of 4)!
Unfortunately these days I think most things are a great deal more expensive in France than they are in the UK - except property and wine of course :-). I guess it depends on your individual circumstances but regular family life is trés cher, we’ve been here a long time and the children were born here so we are used to all the French products and can find most things - but they are expensive and try as I might, I can not adapt to the UHT milk no matter how cheap it is. On that note - I do give it to the kids though and I’ll just stick with the wine and a creme egg!
Cheers
thank you Emma… money we’re bringing and patience too i hope - but mainly a desire to live a different life. i’m sure our eating - and drinking - habits will change too. The lack of gammon, bacon, sausages and most things pork will be a righteous shock for the husband - but he intends to make up for it with bread, which must be a good thing! Plus, i’ll (eventually) get my wish fulfilled to keep a couple of pigs… best, Teresa x
We’ve found the same thing re machinery, too. Things like heavy-duty shredders (not the electric DIY shop type) are cheaper back in the UK.
As you say, too, there is another side to the coin. Apart from wine, the things our British friends take home in huge quantities after staying with us are ready rolled pastry cut into a round to fit into a tart tin and lardons.
You’re so right, Emma. Life is different here and, for my partner and I, that’s a huge plus. Adaptability is the most important thing for anyone living abroad. When we first moved almost five years ago we always had a huge list for friends coming over to see us but I’ve since discovered that at least 50% of those items can be bought here, it was just that I didn’t know what I was looking for. 45% are things I soon realised I could do without because we live differently here. And the remaining 5%? Dry sherry (I can’t live without a chilled fino with olives from time to time) and dried fruit at Christmas - because it’s very expensive to buy it in the huge quantities I need at that time of year. The balance might shift a bit when we start decorating after the builders move out, though!
I’d agree with most of what’s on here already: buy up the chemist aisle in the supermarket. If you like spicy food, get that in too. Paint and seeds are always useful and won’t go to waste. As for baking, there are self-raising flours, bread flours, icing sugar etc - but no peppermint essence and dried mixed fruit can be hard to come by. Bacon is available (jambon de bayonne) but it’s really expensive. Gammon is impossible to find. I’d have brought peppermint essence and lots of mixed dried fruit!
The final thing is that ‘you’ll live’ no matter what you forget, as long as you bring money and a shed-load of patience! There are lots of online services that can suit you, but the more you adapt, the easier it will be.
I think larger agricultural machinery seems to be worth buying in England, ie garden tractors and the like. I’ve read this very useful thread a few times now, but I’m not sure if anyone has mentioned paint yet?
Is there another side to this coin, things that would have been cheaper or better to have bought in France instead of taking up valuable space in the lorry? (OK apart from wine)
I use pineau for sherry and icing sugar is fairly easy to find. Beghin Say have one - can’t remember what it’s called. It’s sucre glace. But I’d agree about dried fruit. They’re sparce and expensive when you do find them.
My friend Edward makes Christmas Puddings for his french friends - and has taught them that what the french call “creme anglaise” isn’t! Praps we should have a recipe section where people can share their recipes for chutney and similar - unless of course it’s a closely guarded secret?!
you don’t have to miss out on chutney, i make a load once a year when we have our annual glut of fruit, also it makes a great present for your friends including the french who, when you expail how you use it, ie not on toast for breakfast as one friend did, absolutely love it
When we moved 3 years ago there were LOADS of things I missed. I think it was a lot to do with being out of my comfort zone and being a bit home sick. However we eat differently here (eg we don’t usually have chutney with our cheese) and so I do find I can manage with the bits and pieces brought by friends and family. Believe me you will have enough visitors to keep your larder topped up. One thing though, do make sure you’ve got all the white goods you need for your kitchen as they do seem to be extortionate here. Good luck.
