Hi Danil, and everyone, thanks so much for the enthusiasm and good ideas. I think I am going to go down the road of the van, and dropping shopping orders off. I guess people will have to pre order and I will quote a price for the order.... It is early days yet and I am now negotiating with my better half to dip into our savings.

Any further ideas or tips would be appreciated and I will keep you informed of how I am progressing without breaking the advertising rules on the forum. This has been a great forum for getting a feel for the demand, and after only a few days. It has also helped to convince my better half that there may be a market for the TEA BAG MAN...... Might have to change my name on the site.


Thanks again everyone

Earl Grey

As in Earl Grey the T Man

Pete,

I have just been involved with the formation of the Association of British Expats in Italy. We had our inaugural celebration at the British Ambassadors Residence in Rome 2 weeks ago. The Club is very Rome centric at the moment, but we are hoping to expand it to the whole of Italy and have some contacts who are interesting in helping out.
The reason I mention this is that being a member you get access to the Embassy commissary, where they sell a selection of British goodies.
If you are interested I can send you some more detail and you could think about joining. Would be good to increase the membership of the Club as well into other areas.

Let me know

Is this an open invitation or a private one on an open forum to Pete Grey?

And do the local consuls have a commissary?? I think you should also tell us what a "selection of goodies" is - if it's two teabags and a mouldy digestive I'm fine thanks but if the odd Crunchie or two makes an appearance I'm in!!!

I've seen Fray Bentos pies, Heinz Beans & tinned haggis in Barga and there's an oriental grocer in Siena who has quite a British selection with Marmite, HP sauce, Branston Pickle etc.. Bizzare but there you go.

If you were in a big city then it might be worth it, or maybe you could set up an internet business. It seems the supermarkets don't do online delivery in Italy and so you wouldn't be strangled at birth in the way online groceries are in the UK by the likes of TESCO etc. I'm guessing this means you won't have to spend so much money trying to find market share.

As someone who has been involved in imported foods and the grocery business in the UK - do your research well. Don't rely on a small group telling you they want this stuff - they will disappoint you.

Esselunga does on-line delivery and they are in most of central Italy, Lombardy and a few places around the Veneto and Emillia. If any supermarket here is ever going to be a Tesco's it will be this one!!!

In that case cancel the advice!! Actually, supermarkets are subject to more restraint in continental europe so their influence tends not to be so pernicious.

Alternatives:

You might like to try to persuade small grocery shops to take some British lines - You could import them and re-sell making a small profit.

Or if you know other brits you could start a food co-op and bulk order the things you need and distribute them to co-op members. You can reap some reward by taking some of the produce free to compensate for the work. You'll also find that members will save money as the prices in supermarkets will inevitably be inflated to compensate for the risk of stocking minority products.

The thing you said about relying on a small group is very true though! Another forum I go on had an English guy up in Verona who owns a shop there trying to drum up interest in bringing stuff over on special order from the UK. There was a flurry of interest but when it came down to the nitty gritty no-one bit....I think when people start to look at the cost of their much wanted item with the extra on top to make it worth the while of the importer it starts to look much less like a necessity! My thought anyway....

I have to say this is true... there was an international market in Torino last weekend. Lovely man from Somerset selling cheddar and loads of Jams and chutneys etc... however the cheese had loads of stuff added (like chilli and spring onions) and was €5 for about 200g which seemed steep to me... plus the jams and chutneys were €5 a jar... the kids wanted lemon curd and all I could think of was: 'I can make that myself for less than that.' and so we walked away... don't know if we're just tight but I think it was knowing how much I can get things for back in the UK and I was going at the end of July... the german sausages and pretzels were another matter, I think it's knowing that I don't get those... maybe it'll be different for those who don't go home so much.... just my thoughts.....

Oh blimey Testa - you've just reminded me ......I have a bag of crunchies in my bedside cabinet (hidden from my kids) and i had completely forgotten they were there - I might just go and have one now

Well I stock up at Christmas from the American women's Xmas fare - it's like going to a WI market where the jams and cakes are concerned!! Didn't actually get any this year but I did the year before. A normal sized jar of homemade chutney or similar is about €3 which I don't think is bad knowing it isn't all processed stuff in it! I think I've paid about €3 or 4 for Gales lemon curd but it was a long time ago so I can't remember! Those flavoured cheeses never come up to their promise either I think. I had a pecorino with chocolate in here and it was vile!! The best one ever though has to be Little Scarlet Strawberry Jam by Tiptree. I think it is easily a fiver or more in the UK - I may have had it once but it was nothing special -here in speciality shops it ranges from €18 - 24 a jar!!!!! Wtf???!

Have fun - I have my daim from Ikea!!

I've just checked Tiptree's prices in their on-line shop - Little scarlet is £3.45!!! How does anyone get that to 18 to 24 euros!!!!!

the same way 6 Walkers mince pies get to €12...