I am noticing British goods are running out in the supermarkets here in France. We usually buy fresh food from the markets but for some items it just had to be the megre British shelf because there is no French substitute for real English yummies.
Examples
Birds custard has been unavailable since February. Custard powder does not exist in France, its either the extremely thin "creme anglaise" (laughingly english cream, which seems to be custard coloured milk) or make it yourself. Thanks Boris, as though i haven't enough to do.
Then Bisto gravy disappeared a month or so later. Lucky france does have several brands of stock cubes/ boulions/gravy mixes, phew...
Various brands of English tea next, there are loads of teas but not to match the flavour of a good English cuppa Yorkshire tea or PG tips.
Hobnob biscuits (really!!!), Nuf said
Plus ginger nuts and digestives, the only 3 types of British biscuits available here. I don't know why but the French just don't seem to have the knack of making a halfbdecent biscuit. And try dunking, you are in for a mess.
Today the almost empty English shelf had no baked beans, a staple and necessary fall back in our family. We could of course use cassoulet, there is lots of cassoulet. Closest to the UK's beans and sausage (with the French twist of real sausage plus pieces of duck, and the tomato sauce is pretty good too Fine for 4/5ths of the family, completely a no no for the veggi contingent.
Also today, no malt vinegar... Looks like it will have to be salad cream on our frites.
So whats left. A few cake mixes that no one buys and brown sauce. I guess the sauce will be next to go
It seems our ties to the UK are being cut from our stomachs.
