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Help me buy decent tea and cheese without going bankrupt!!

Help me buy decent tea and cheese without going bankrupt!!

Old Aug 27th 2011, 3:10 am
  #31  
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Default Re: Help me buy decent tea and cheese without going bankrupt!!

Parliament and Winchester in Cabbagetown next to the Tim Hortons an Indian lady sells Yorkshire Tea and British chocolate.
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Old Aug 27th 2011, 3:16 am
  #32  
 
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Default Re: Help me buy decent tea and cheese without going bankrupt!!

Originally Posted by lmartin999
I used to quite like Meinhardts. Problem is to get decent meat and produce etc in Canada you have to go somewhere wanky. I only once went to Costco, strangest experience of my life. We wanted to go in and see whether we might want to buy anything or not (never having been there). We were barred at the door, no card no browsing. They were hard-core about it too. Worse than trying to get into a nightclub in the UK while wearing trainers.....
So, we lined up, paid for some crappy membership. Walked round, looked for the cheap booze. Found none. Decided to leave. Refunded our membership on the way out. Never been back.

Pure hell on earth.
You can ask for a day pass at Costco.
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Old Aug 27th 2011, 3:36 pm
  #33  
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Default Re: Help me buy decent tea and cheese without going bankrupt!!

Originally Posted by lmartin999
i would also kill myself if I had to go to the Real Canadian Superstore. If for no other reason than they don't take AMEX. Oh, and they have a really shit name.
wow, bit of a shopping snob aren't we.
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Old Aug 27th 2011, 4:58 pm
  #34  
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Default Re: Help me buy decent tea and cheese without going bankrupt!!

I bought some Yorkshire Tea in London Drugs this week, $6.99 for 80 bags.

I buy Kraft cheddar chesse, the large 700g block (yes, it's orange, but I like the taste better than other brands of cheddar) - it was on sale in Save On Foods this week for $8.99
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Old Aug 27th 2011, 5:55 pm
  #35  
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Default Re: Help me buy decent tea and cheese without going bankrupt!!

Originally Posted by el_richo
Whole Foods
He said without going bankrupt
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Old Aug 27th 2011, 6:04 pm
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Default Re: Help me buy decent tea and cheese without going bankrupt!!

Originally Posted by adele
I bought some Yorkshire Tea in London Drugs this week, $6.99 for 80 bags.

I buy Kraft cheddar chesse, the large 700g block (yes, it's orange, but I like the taste better than other brands of cheddar) - it was on sale in Save On Foods this week for $8.99
I bought some cheese and tea bags in Costco. Seems OK to me, what's the big deal about cheese and tea bags anyway?

Bigger things to be concerned about now in BC, like the fiasco that has been created voting out the HST.
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Old Aug 27th 2011, 6:05 pm
  #37  
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Default Re: Help me buy decent tea and cheese without going bankrupt!!

Originally Posted by lmartin999
You are in Canada now. Forget you ever heard of Waitrose and accept that this is now how life is. Welcome to the dream
Just because he's moved country doesn't mean he should abandon all the things he likes. Look at immigrants in UK. They live their lives as if they never left their homeland, especially when it comes to cuisine.

Excluding the Benidorm crowd, Brits have about the most diverse taste for foods of different regions, than any nationality in the World. Canada has bugger all to offer brits, increasing the appetite for delicious British and foreign cuisine.

Given the sucky Canadian contribution to the culinary map, and the huge number of Brits in Canada, it's amazing that British food, which is world renowned and loved by others including Canadians, is only available in expensive stuffy boutique stores, and usually way out of date.

There is nothing dream like about cuisine in Canada. It's very limited indeed, and most is just expensive American trash. The British have a deep and rich culinary culture which should be the envy of other countries. Suggesting that one should abandon this is a bit preposterous.
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Old Aug 27th 2011, 6:14 pm
  #38  
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Default Re: Help me buy decent tea and cheese without going bankrupt!!

Originally Posted by fasea
Thanks for the advise!

We plan to go a trip to Canadian SuperStore when we move into our flat to stock up so I will try out the PC "English" tea or get Tetley, whatever I can find.

Actually went to Santa Barbara Market today on Commercial (our temporary gigs arnt too far away and I had a local recommendation) It was brilliant. Definitely recommend it, the fruit and deli counter (including lots of cheese) was really nice and actually quite reasonably priced - fruit definitely so.

Looks like were be doing the normal monthly fill up at Canadian Superstore and buying fruit / veg / cheese / milk etc from either this place or another like it. Just hope its that nice all year round ....

Cheers Me'dears.

Andy
You should also look to the US for much better pricing on most things, especially cheese. There are import limits but these are fair, although the $20 dairy limit per person could be eaten up quicker than the product itself.

Popular US destination for shopping from BC border is Bellingham, where you'll find Costco in addition to most of the other popular shopping venues, such as Target and Walmart (shudder). There is a perception that the US pumps their food with mind control drugs and growth hormones. Most of the food we buy from there is high quality and guaranteed to be free of such modifications. The equivalent Canadian food is more suspect and higher priced.

There's no tax on almost all foods you could buy, so nobody at the border is going to worry about you bringing in groceries, but make yourself aware of the limits and stick within these. They are generally more than adequate. You'll save a small fortune on expensive foods this way, but take a cooler and then buy a bag of ice down there, to keep chilled food in good nick.

Cheers

Last edited by canadian_critic; Aug 27th 2011 at 6:16 pm. Reason: Bloody auto-correct
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Old Aug 27th 2011, 6:20 pm
  #39  
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Default Re: Help me buy decent tea and cheese without going bankrupt!!

Originally Posted by adele
I bought some Yorkshire Tea in London Drugs this week, $6.99 for 80 bags.
Yes this stuff is the dog's knackers. I bought 10 boxes when it was on sale thinking the regular price was $12 or something, but $7 is a bargain and it's strong enough that a tea-bag will make 2 cups, living up to good old Yorkshire frugality.
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Old Aug 27th 2011, 7:23 pm
  #40  
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Default Re: Help me buy decent tea and cheese without going bankrupt!!

My sympathy to you. The cost of living in Canada comes as a shock, particularly the cost of food.

Tea. Red Rose tea is one of the cheapest and isn't bad -- an Irish Breakfast Tea type of teabag. However, I go back to the UK once a year and bring back loose tea. Sometimes I buy it from Fortnum and Mason's -- even that is cheaper than the "boutique teas" you get here, which are mostly rubbish.

Cheddar, as other posters have said, you'll get over it. The cheese may be very expensive, but it is very good. I recommend some of the french style cheeses, even though you need a second mortgage to pay for them.
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Old Aug 27th 2011, 9:01 pm
  #41  
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Default Re: Help me buy decent tea and cheese without going bankrupt!!

Santa Barbara's great.

Also on the same side of Commercial is Norman's Fruit Salad and Triple A - great for fruits, vegetables and some staples. Donald's Market on Commercial and 7th is another favourite of mine - reasonably priced chicken (for here). There is also a chicken shop (forget the name) on Commercial and 1st - all free range chicken.

I was also going to suggest London Drugs - you can often pick up decent tea. Likewise for Shopper's Drug Mart.

For cheese?

Ugo & Joe's on E Hastings and Nanainmo is a favourite.

Benton Brother's is another: http://www.bentonscheese.com/
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Old Aug 27th 2011, 9:38 pm
  #42  
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Default Re: Help me buy decent tea and cheese without going bankrupt!!

Originally Posted by canadian_critic
Just because he's moved country doesn't mean he should abandon all the things he likes. Look at immigrants in UK. They live their lives as if they never left their homeland, especially when it comes to cuisine.

Excluding the Benidorm crowd, Brits have about the most diverse taste for foods of different regions, than any nationality in the World. Canada has bugger all to offer brits, increasing the appetite for delicious British and foreign cuisine.

Given the sucky Canadian contribution to the culinary map, and the huge number of Brits in Canada, it's amazing that British food, which is world renowned and loved by others including Canadians, is only available in expensive stuffy boutique stores, and usually way out of date.

There is nothing dream like about cuisine in Canada. It's very limited indeed, and most is just expensive American trash. The British have a deep and rich culinary culture which should be the envy of other countries. Suggesting that one should abandon this is a bit preposterous.
go and have a lay down FFS....love this one, " The British have a deep and rich culinary culture which should be the envy of other countries"
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Old Aug 27th 2011, 9:43 pm
  #43  
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Default Re: Help me buy decent tea and cheese without going bankrupt!!

Originally Posted by Boy d
go and have a lay down FFS....love this one, " The British have a deep and rich culinary culture which should be the envy of other countries"
The big problem is that nobody told the other countries.
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Old Aug 27th 2011, 10:10 pm
  #44  
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Default Re: Help me buy decent tea and cheese without going bankrupt!!

Originally Posted by canadian_critic
You should also look to the US for much better pricing on most things, especially cheese.
Ahem. Quality cheese, made from raw milk, is not legally sold in the US. I have a friend who visits by private plane, he fills the plane with cheese unavailable in the US and sells it on.
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Old Aug 27th 2011, 11:11 pm
  #45  
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Default Re: Help me buy decent tea and cheese without going bankrupt!!

Originally Posted by dbd33
I have a friend who visits by private plane, he fills the plane with cheese unavailable in the US and sells it on.
Are you sure that's not just a new street name or cover story?
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