store cupbaord must-haves

[Ironjaws]

Take teabags, PG Tips are available, if you can find them, at a cost. Can't say about Spain but Portugal much cheaper than France and you can get an amazing range of UK goods at Iceland in Albufeira, including bacon.
In France, markets are more expensive but its small producers with veg and fruit hasn't travelled miles. Lidl remains high quality and reasonable price. The supermarkets have a policy that if they can source locally cheaper than central store they may do so.
Bring Marmite, Gravy granules and any 'must haves' but just enjoy what is local. Its good and you'll find it difficult to starve.

Cheapness also depends on your ethics! You can buy cheap in UK, IF you don't care about the producers or the damage through transport and feed crops for poorer people being abandoned for 'cash' crops flown to the wealthy in the UK!

 

[RichardHelen262]

Tea

There seems to be a recurrent cry of 'tea' on this thread. Having a newly acquired liking for herbal and fruit teas as well as traditional i will definitely have that in plentiful supply in the van.

Thanks for all your advice. Im looking forward to the experience and really want to support the locals wherever we go in return for their hospitality so will be searching out local produce etc. that will be part of the adventure for me.

So tea, beans, garlic puree, stock cubes and marmite have been added to the list along with various spices, curry pastes and marinades. feeling almost ready to go now - 74 days and counting!!!:dance:

 

[n brown]

we were once searched by French customs who discovered 27lb of Typhoo in a belly box.
'don't you worry about drinking so much tea ?' asked the douanier.
'yes' i said ' i worry i might run out '

 

[oppy]

we were once searched by French customs who discovered 27lb of Typhoo in a belly box.
'don't you worry about drinking so much tea ?' asked the douanier.
'yes' i said ' i worry i might run out '

27lbs of tea is great, but Typhoo ???????????????????????????????????, the guy's a weirdo :rolleyes2::rolleyes2::rolleyes2::rolleyes2: Why not take proper tea

Oh, I've just noticed, you're from Brissle, that explains it

 

[oldish hippy]

We take teabags, we think French ones don't taste the same. It's hard to find proper gravy abroad - I have been told you can get it, but we haven't seen it (any tips on that will be welcome guys). And if you are carrying cooking oil, I suggest decanting it into a (clean and dry) small plastic bottle - we use a 600ml Pepsi one - because the caps on most oil bottles aren't great and leak a bit, the juice bottles keep things cleaner.

i use the fruit shoot bottles the one the kiddies use or use a water bottle with a pull out to drink top that way you can packk olive oil and veg oil for cooking or take a sopray oil for frying

 

[oldish hippy]

27lbs of tea is great, but Typhoo ???????????????????????????????????, the guy's a weirdo :rolleyes2::rolleyes2::rolleyes2::rolleyes2: Why not take proper tea

Oh, I've just noticed, you're from Brissle, that explains it

mr brown he cant help it he a northern numpty anything north or brum is northern numpty territory

 

[Polar Bear]

I like to carry assorted stock pots and spices, garlic flakes and dried onions,like. 500g of Dried / Dehydrated Kibbled Onion / flakes / Burger / Seasoning | eBay others brands are available!
Onions can make the van stink so dried ones work without running eyes and you get the taste without the smell?

 

[clf86ha]

we buy these Maggi® So Tender® Products | Maggi® at home
they come in differing flavours, chicken is uber moist

 

[Channa]

I like to carry assorted stock pots and spices, garlic flakes and dried onions,like. 500g of Dried / Dehydrated Kibbled Onion / flakes / Burger / Seasoning | eBay others brands are available!
Onions can make the van stink so dried ones work without running eyes and you get the taste without the smell?

If with a fresh onion your eyes are watering you either have a blunt knife or a less than desired chopping technique! I can buy as we speak 4kg of fresh Nottinghamshire onions for £1

Stock pots and spices I agree with you , France Spain ..fresh garlic in abundance .....dead easy to prepare ..flat of the knive ,crush skin straight off chop as required.


sorry having a cheffy moment

Channa

 

[John H]

Strange how we all differ as we find aldi and lidl sell crap at cheap prices and if you want half decent food then they are actually more expensive than the other supermarkets.

I suppose it depends on taste and what you buy. We rarely eat ready-prepared meals and usually buy fresh ingredients. I had one of Lidl's tinned "steak" meals once and won't bother again. It is true that the fruit and veg in Lidl used to be crap but now that has changed (although I still can't find tomatoes etc as good as in Spain!). Also, we much prefer Lidl baked beans to the sugar-filled Heinz variety. Lidl do sell cheap crap (eg white sliced bread) but they also sell quality at competitive prices (eg multi-cereal bread) and their wines have won awards in competition with other UK supermarkets. When in the UK, we tend to do most of our shopping in Lidl and go to Morrison's for stuff they don't sell. Did get lulled into ASDA once or twice but discovered that, despite their so-called deals, our bills were higher but the quality wasn't.

 

[Robmac]

We use a combination of Lidl, Tesco, M&S and Waitrose for our shop. They are all close together in St Neots. Pretty much all of our meat comes from the meat market in London though.

M&S is very good quality, as is Waitrose, but a little more expensive. But I think Waitrose customer service is second to none.

 

[yorkieowl]

Were in Algodonales at present if I was coming again I would bring a huge tub of garlic puree (we use lots), haven't found it here yet, plenty of shops etc but very limited choice of fruit and veg, can only get baked beans from the next village, were not eating chocolate but if you like your cadburys choc like we did, make sure you bring that too.

(Hate preparing fresh garlic).

 

[vwalan]

Were in Algodonales at present if I was coming again I would bring a huge tub of garlic puree (we use lots), haven't found it here yet, plenty of shops etc but very limited choice of fruit and veg, can only get baked beans from the next village, were not eating chocolate but if you like your cadburys choc like we did, make sure you bring that too.

(Hate preparing fresh garlic).

hi. strange you are in algonales i have a uk friend called steph that lives their with her young daughter. must get to see her one year. if you should see her say hello.
i dont use garlic . that ,being shot with silver bullets ,or having a wooden post pushed through your heart is meant to be bad for us .
have managed to get round the sunlight bit though. and sleeping in a coffin . ha ha . have a good one.

 

[Polar Bear]

If with a fresh onion your eyes are watering you either have a blunt knife or a less than desired chopping technique! I can buy as we speak 4kg of fresh Nottinghamshire onions for £1

Stock pots and spices I agree with you , France Spain ..fresh garlic in abundance .....dead easy to prepare ..flat of the knive ,crush skin straight off chop as required.


sorry having a cheffy moment

Channa

Do you sleep in your kitchen?

 

[vwalan]

Garlic is good,but only if served with meat or fish.

not for dracula though. ha .ha.
i used to be a chef so understand cooking quite well.
but still dont eat garlic ,or green cheese. in fact quite a few foods i dont eat . i,m alergic to penicilin and green cheese gives me mild problems .
but just as well some do like it .

 

[ScamperVan]

Do you sleep in your kitchen?

We make awesome, from scratch, curries in our 6.5m mh - downside is the lingering smell but they are worth it

 

[Polar Bear]

We make awesome, from scratch, curries in our 6.5m mh - downside is the lingering smell but they are worth it

We have a friend who we used to convoy up in the campers with who loves cooking strong smelling foods in his van.
I think he doesn't notice that he brings an aroma with him wherever he goes?
Personal I like to taste and enjoy my food, then forget it and not be reminded all night long.

 

[Deleted member 13543]

Coarse marmalade and crispbread from Aldi, plus Marmite of course (horrendous price in France IF you can find it!) as French marmalade is a bit wishy washy for our taste. Their jam is lovely, though, so don't bother taking that. As far as teabags go, I agree, but husband likes green tea, and is quite happy with the Casino own brand. Part of the holiday is going to strange new supermarkets, and seeking out new food to try!

Have fun!

 

[Asterix]

Shopping when away is more fun then when at home, and it always good when you buy something and have no blooming idea what it is.

I went to Lidl in Lagos a couple of days ago,in the bakery section they had what appeared to be similar to Greg's steak bakes,took a punt and brought a couple for lunch,thinking I'd have either steak or cheese. Heated them up and sat down with anticipation only to find they were apple!!

 

[n brown]

I went to Lidl in Lagos a couple of days ago,in the bakery section they had what appeared to be similar to Greg's steak bakes,took a punt and brought a couple for lunch,thinking I'd have either steak or cheese. Heated them up and sat down with anticipation only to find they were apple!![/QUOTE in case you don't know- in nearly every cafe they have little triangle sausages, these are bacalau- cod and spud things,tasty ! small chicken pies ,empadas de galina, and a strange but tasty prawn and white sauce pasty thing,camarao. i usually buy one of each and a pastel de nata, custard tart.yum !