Ready Meals
 

As a recently arrived expat familiar with the range of food available in M&S, Tesco, Sainsburys etc, is there anywhere here which is just a little bit different to Woolies and Coles. It's great to be able to get such a lot of fresh produce and good quality too but sometimes it would be nice not to have to cook and just wang something in the oven. Other than five hundred varieties of Lasagne there seems to be little else to do but start from scratch. Anyone know of any other stores to recommend, Brisbane area in particular?

I shop in safeway, and working shifts, appreciate their Lean cuisine range, fishy and curry and pasta type concoctions... eg, beef satay, tasmanian salmon with sauce, and fettucinne verdi with a funny smelling sauce...But I too am getting frustrated at the lack of 21st century convienience.I think thats why everyone here eats take out all the time ( and why aussies are so....chubby!)
so maybe Iceland should set up here and give us our frozen gear!!
most people are very good cooks, especially with the abundance of fresh veggies and ingredients...but I'm still too lazy to bother!!!

and dont even dare asking for micro-chips!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Re: Ready Meals
 

I think the short answer is "no", although I'd be happy to be proved wrong. I seem to remember reading an article about this in Business Review Weekly about 5 years ago predicting that the ready meal phenomenon started by M&S was about to hit Australia...still waiting! You're right on the lasagne too. Same in Sydney. I wonder why lasagne and nothing else?

It reminds me of the UK say about 15 years ago (I'm not complaining just making an observation) which is probably when the ready meal phenomenon and supermarket own branding really took off. I suspect back then it all started with the humble lasagne too (with Black forest Gateau for "dessert" no doubt, the height of European sophistication).

I posted on this before, I want Aunt Bessies Frozen Roasties, Frozen Cauliflour Cheese and also Yorkshire pudding Please

I miss Iceland and Sainsbury and Asda Frozen sections so much.........I had to peel spuds last night!!!!

.....drooling now at the thought of a quick easy meal.....

Cheers

Ah I should also of said - that while I agree this is because the brand marketing etc is 20 years behind, on the plus side I have a local butcher, local bakery, local shops, all this nice side of what is disappearing fast in the UK...so maybe I will learn to like peeling spuds!

Cheers

My wife found a good butcher who was very helpful. Most in the UK now seem to be on vans parked in shopping centres holding some kind of auction of cheap cuts. Certainly notice the difference in quality in beef, lamb and even chicken here, presumably 'cos they don't breed them to be cheap and tasteless. Most meat seems to be the quality of stuff like 'Taste the Difference' ranges in UK but at normal prices. Ah well, time to get the cook books out again and remember how to make real food I suppose.

Re: Ready Meals
 

I'm over in Melbourne on holiday at the moment and we had a family BBQ last Sunday.

Went to the local butchers and bought the following for $95.00.

12 x Large (and I mean huge) Chicken Breast Fillets
10 x Porterhouse Steaks (very big too and really good quality)
8 x Beef Hamburgers
12 x BBQ Chicken Kebabs (on sticks)

I had a big smile on my face when I left the butcher (and when I'd made a mental calculation in my head of what it had cost in UK Pounds as I used my UK Credit Card!!)

Meat tasted fantastic too!

The supermarkets are a bit sad compared to the small airport sized ones we have over here aren't they?!
Must admit we noticed, during our trip the lack of convenience foods. A business opportunity for someone out there!
Shouldn't moan really, as you all said at least you still have local facilities and decent tasting produce.

Re: Ready Meals
 

On this note - well ok off at a tangent..
probably the only thing I miss from the uk is the variety of convenience Vegetarian food - especially Quorn which for some reason doesn’t seem to have hit Melbourne yet.

btw.. $95 is not really equivalent to 30 odd quid, more like 55 quid when you consider local wages etc. dunno if that is still cheep for 12 bird breasts etc.. so long since I bought anything like that. :)

Joe.

the other problem with the sad supermarkets here in oz is they only really supply oz grown food so seasonality is an issue.

in uk, well London, the big supermarkets fly the fruit and veg in from all around the world so when one area is out of season another is in. took some getting used to for us when things were'nt available for 10 months a year.

the other interesting (?) is that the supermarkets here are more expensive than the small butcher, green grocer, fish monger - its like they expect you here to pay a premium for the convenience of shopping in their horrible supermarkets. If you have the time the local shops are far far better.

Re: Ready Meals
 

Well, that's just sorted my weekly shopping out - no need to look any further. Is the rabbit food (OK healthy fruit and veg) equally good value? If so , it will please the other half

surely one of the main advantages is to get away from all that process shite they try to get you on over here..

I did some work here in an american airbase 'supermarket' called commissary
1

i'll start again ...;-)


1 you can't get a peice of meat that doesn't have another meat flavour ie chicken with bacon flavour

2 american food is so heavily processed and full of chemicals you can even get cheese in an aerosol can (I kid you not)...

3 a remark from the manager "americans love fast processed food so they can hurry up 'n' eat and do nothing"...

cheers

richard

Re: Ready Meals
 

Not sure about the fruit and veg, although I agree that it is definitely better value if you buy from the fruit and veg shop rather than the supermarket. Looks much fresher too!

There are also plenty of farms that have stalls on the roadside and you can buy from them. Most are very trusting and just have a box that you put money into, but of course you won't get the "perfect" looking piece of fruit or vegetable as they've been grown naturally so your cucumber may be a bit wonky!!!