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John fancied a change and wanted some  gravy granules , no such thing in Canadas in regular supermarkets so  he went to " The  English Shop ". He was happy to find a 500gram round box which he bought ,  he came home very pleased with himself, of course he never goes shopping alone. He gave
me the credit card receipt..I nearly choked  It was $15.99.. that is  more then a UK  tenner  a  box and I just checked it is  2.77 in Tescos.., tescos own is on sale for  1 UK pound What a rip off, I guess that shop has seen the last of me. There is no way that can be condoned.

What do you think?


Anyone fancy a swap for seeds LOL

XX Jeannine

 :o would have been cheaper to send you a rescue food parcel  ;D

I'll happily swap you some gravy granules for some cinnamon gum. I usually stock up once every 18 months but I've run out already  :'(

In the 1960's my husband was in the RAF and he had an accompanied posting to RAF Eastleigh in Kenya.  Most food items we could buy were locally produced but at the 'NAAFI' we could at times get 'British' brands and my special treat on occasions was a small tin of Heinz Baked Beans - in the UK it cost about six old pence but there it was the equivalent of about  five shillings!   

 
  What a rip off.  My stepdaughter as the same thing in Oz.  When we go over we go loaded with tea bags,chocolate etc  I no they sell these things abroad but they don't taste the same as the English  stuff.
There's ''English Shops'' over there as well and there a rip off to.  What I do go mad on over there is all the lovely unusual fresh fruits and fish.( Whoops sorry gone off subject a bit)

Do you think the same applies here with Chinese, SE Asian, Indian etc shops ?


How does the price of something like Vegemite compare ?

ain't this the same all over the world??  if you don't like the local produce, you'll always have to pay through the nose for imported stuff!!

I have the same thing over here in France.  I have adapted to many things but Bisto gravy powder is a must, especially if you have not done a roast and made your own.

When we have visitors they invariably bring Cheddar cheese, marmite and bacon.  I found a substitute for Cheddar - Cantal; but now the upermarkets are stocking Cheddar at a really good price.  I am not a fan of Marmite, my OH and daughter love it but six jars in the cupboard is enough.  UK bacon - bring it on.

I really miss Bisto, HP sauce, brand named baked beans, Quorn and halloumi cheese.  I can get these at a premium, but it is a premium.  I understand that the Uk produce shops need support in order to survive but blimey you need to really want it.

Postage from France is much cheaper than from the UK so if you want some maybe we can do a seed swap?

 Heinz tomato soup was the equivqlent of nearly  4 quid a tin

Heinz beans are here but different. HP sauce also but the seasoning is hotter.These two are in the regular shops though.

I guess I shouldn't complain I got a turkey for 88cents a pound.

aj I can send you cinnamon gum no probs.. what brand and how many do you want. I would post it from the US not Canada. The US has the Priority shipping pouch, comes in various sizes, the best one is about the size of a magazine, rule is, you can stuff what you like in it up to a max weight of 4lbs and as long as it seals it goes, this size costs about $11 but there is a smaller one about $6 I think, it will take two videos, again stuff what you can in.There may be a small er one still.

I was an idiot really, I should have gone to  Macro and bought the huge commercials one and stuffed them among the furniture.

i'll happily do you food parcels of gravy granules or anything else  in return for food parcels of crest cinnamon toothpaste.

I cant stand mint toothpaste it makes me gag. I have to get peeps to get the cinnamon stuff when they go to USA.

No probs, brownowl, I  just need  how much you want.. is it Canadian or US,,mkaes no difference as I shop in both.In fact going to US in the next couple of days,maybe tomorrow so PM your addy  XX Jeannine

the stuff I end up taking to me when I visit friends in France and the Netherlands ranges from cheapo Lemon Curd (the cheaper the better  :o ) , tea bags, bacon, butchers sausages, jams, cheap chocolates etc.
And if we are going to stay for a while we always take a batch of ingredients to make green curries  ;D (can never seem to find kaffir lime leaves or lemon grass)

I think you were ripped off Jeannine.  My brother lives in the USA and buys the occasional food item from the English shop.  He said they charge an arm and a leg.  It's mainly sweets and chocolates that he misses.

When we visit him we take loads of packets of Angel Delight chocolate desserts as his wife got to love it when she lived in England.

when John Lennon did a session for the OGWT once he had them send over a crate of Chocolate Bath Olivers as his payment. So if he found it a struggle, you've got no chance  :D

Let me know ASAP if you need anything sending.  My daughter is over at mo, but going back to Toronto next week.  Came home due to her Dad almost making me a widow.  Can try and shove some stuff in her bag along with her Easter egg.

It is the same the world over with imported foods. I know the expat Brit population of several countries whom I have met simply do not realise the things they can not get abroad when they, for various reasons, make the move.

Marmite seems to be high on a lot of lists. Fortunately one jar of that lasts a year.

I remember the first time we went to Portugal and there was a British shop there which announced it had Branston Pickle in. It was 5 times the price it was in the UK at the time.

Every one seems to miss different things. My friend went to visit her daughter in France and had to take with her a stack of Oxo chicken stock cubes. I prefer the knorr chicken stock cubes but it is a personal taste.

Bisto gravy granules are good I agree but I could live without them. Personal taste again.  I can not find a substitute gravy granule, and the supermarket's own brands of these do not taste any thing like, so if he had bought a cheaper version, it would have been wrong. I often go for shop's own brands and on some things like tinned tomatoes I can not spot much if any difference.

My big problem with travelling is that I find things abroad which can not be found in the UK. Mushroom stock cubes for making mushroom risotto are almost impossible to find here in the UK at any price.

The most unlikely thing some one told me they missed was a hot water bottle. She had married an Egyptian and said that in winter, at night, she really missed having a hot water bottle for her feet. She could not find one and when she asked a relative who was visiting to bring one for her, they thought she was joking.

One thing I would ask any one who is visiting a friend or relative abroad is to ask them if there is anything they would like bringing a few weeks before leaving, to give them a chance to think about it. Often it is silly little things like dried mushy peas or Paxo stuffing. Fray Bentos steak and kidney pie. Heinz baked beans. I can not pack a lot of cans in a suitcase of course but I know when I do take them they are stashed away until they get that craving again.

Lottie Lou that would be super, if she then posts then from within Canada to me I can repay her the postage and send soemthing to you too.I don't care if itis genuine  Bistro ot Tesco or Asdsa own as long as it is the granules not the powder.

Tkankyou XX Jeannine

Is it the original granules or the onion ones?

Original please.. thank you XX Jeannine