TOP UK MISSED PRODUCTS -what do you stock up on?
 

What is at the top of your shopping list on a trip back to the UK? What do you get family or friends to post to you - whether it is something that you miss or something that is simply a lot cheaper at 'home'.

Top of my list is most definitely TEA BAGS,
closely followed by 16p packets of paracetamol
Cadbury's chocolate
Bacon for a really good Sunday morning bacon sandwich
Heinz Salad Cream
Sharp and tangy ginger crunch biscuits
A trip round all the charity shops to buy cheap books I haven't yet read - and so much more .............

What's on your list ?:)

Re: TOP UK MISSED PRODUCTS -what do you stock up on?
 

Mine are pretty much the same as yours but with the addition of :
marmite
branston pickle (although I've found a recipe and will try my own this year)
pork pies (sad but true - they go with the branston, last time I went home they lost my case during the return flight and it came back 24 hours later - I was nearly in tears when I had to throw away my melton mowbray!)
kids clothes - so much cheaper and trendier, I've now got a stock for the next 5 years!
Robinsons fruit juice to dilute
malt vinegar
sudocream and metatanium for the kids bottoms
any books I can get my hands on - we could organise a swapping session

I was over your way the other day in Cornedo and visited a little indian shop where I found loads of spices, birds custard powder, horlicks, big boxes of pg-tips etc
Most other things I've learned to do without or have found a source over here (curry stuff, baked beans, bacon, cheddar, ikea ginger biscuits etc.) but for some reason every time I go home I have serious problems with the weight limit for my suitcase!

Re: TOP UK MISSED PRODUCTS -what do you stock up on?
 

We have an "asia africa" market here where I can get baked beans, tins of Exeter corned beef and various spices but where the hell do you find bacon and cheddar - unless you have a friend who works on American Base.
Yes - kids clothes are a definite must on a UK shopping list - why pay 3 euro for one pair of child's knickers or socks when you get a pack of ten pairs in Asda for about £2.00 !!
Don't know how old your child/children are but I'm paying for two on the flights so all togther we get quite a big kilo allowance but my cases are always crammed too. Last time I even stocked up on pencils, glue sticks, erasers, pencil sharpeners and pencil crayons for my girl who's at elementare. I refuse to pay almost 3 euro for a glue stick when I got a pack of 10 for a pound in tesco. happy shopping -

Re: TOP UK MISSED PRODUCTS -what do you stock up on?
 

bacon comes from lidl and the cheddar is in the local Auchan supermarket. all my friends/neighbours colleagues keep look out for stuff that might be of interest and keep me updated - they spotted the cheese.
My twins are three so I get their baggage allowance as well but I tend to go a bit mental when I get home.....I get sucked in by asda and primark specials........
I've even resorted to stuffing the heavy things in my pockets and handbag but the baggage checkers at leeds bradford are right jobsworths.
I love going home by car, it's so much more relaxing, but my hubbie hates it because he knows I'm going to buy loads of useless stuff.
A trip round the supermarket is fatal, there's so much stuff! baking powder, birthday cake decorations, clotted cream and scones, the more you see the more you want!Then we can get into the early learning centre with all of its lovely wooden toys, educational games etc, over here I can only find plastic or extremely expensive stuff for the citta del sole.
ho hum, I'll never be rich!

Re: TOP UK MISSED PRODUCTS -what do you stock up on?
 

ah - there is no Auchan near me - chesse on toast - that would be nice. I don't like a lot of the "stinky" cheeses but my kids have both got a list of English food they love. Why not bring them up bi-diet as well as bi-lingual.
Orange cheese (as they call it)
Yorkshire puds
Fairy cakes with icing and hundreds and thousands
Gravy
Boiled eggs and soldiers
Poached eggs (yes one year i brought back a poaching pan)
Cranberry juice
Smoked fish
A packet of crisps and a glass of lemonade with Grandma in the pub.
I also brought all mine and kids quilt cover sets back from the UK and one os those electric food steamers is on my next shopping list !!! Seen one for only a tenner in the Argos catalogue.

Re: TOP UK MISSED PRODUCTS -what do you stock up on?
 

Oh what bliss!
I'm starving now! I sipped lunch to read the threads on here!
My parents are over here at the moment and the best thing is mum's cooking - we had a birthday cake with butter icing on sunday, almond slices, the boys spent saturday morning making gingerbread men......
Friday evening I made a curry and also had it for breakfast with a naan bread on saturday
Banana and strawberry nesquick, rhubarb crumble

you've started something now!!

Re: TOP UK MISSED PRODUCTS -what do you stock up on?
 

I thought I was bombarded with unwanted advice and so called helpful hints when my kids were born but you must have got double the amount pushing twins around !!! Poor you. If you have enough clothes for the next five years then I suggest you start haording a stash of school stationary stuff for when they start elementare. Apart from paying ten times as much for a pencil sharpener have you seen the prices of the 'zaino' that all the poor kids drag around on their backs ?

Re: TOP UK MISSED PRODUCTS -what do you stock up on?
 

Bovril

Roses Lime marmalade

Lime cordial

Garlic naan

Nurofen plus

I had some friends visiting Venice last month and they were coming out to spend a day with me........I had requested some packets of rashers which they duly packed.............and them left them in the mini bar of their hotel:(:cry_smile::cry_smile:

Re: TOP UK MISSED PRODUCTS -what do you stock up on?
 

what a shame about the rashers :(

Funny how you find yourself overdosing on stuff in the UK during a visit - even stuff that you never ate much of whilst living there. think it's a case of get it while you can.

I gobble up mini scotch eggs, mini pork pies, sausage rolls, bacon, fish & chips, cornish pasties etc. and I top it all off with a great big glass of cold cider - seriously - can't afford the price of a glass of wine back 'home'

Re: TOP UK MISSED PRODUCTS -what do you stock up on?
 

I've not yet found bacon in our new local Lidl, nor cheddar in Auchan. Must try harder:mad:

Re: TOP UK MISSED PRODUCTS -what do you stock up on?
 

I miss everthing foodie in the above posts and BISTO gravy granules! I have also bought back duvet sets (my boyfrend had never seen a duvet cover in his life! We finally tracked some down in a big coop store in SArzana but they were hideous! Definitely worth paying for extra luggage allowance to sleep under something more tasteful). I go mad in all the places i never shopped in in England when i go back for visists.. Matalan is my new favourite for nice and cheap bathtwoels, housey things, slippers, cheap socks etc... I'm taking my boyfriend for his first visit to England soon and i think he is going to be in heaven when we hit the shops, especially since the euro is so close to the pound now!

Re: TOP UK MISSED PRODUCTS -what do you stock up on?
 

me neither

Re: TOP UK MISSED PRODUCTS -what do you stock up on?
 

The only bacon I've ever found is the packets of pancetta cubes - good for spaghetti carbonara but not for a sandwich.
A fairly decent substitute is to ask for a few slices of pancetta stufata and get the assistant to cut it a bit thicker - quick fry in a pan and hey presto - English breakfast !

Re: TOP UK MISSED PRODUCTS -what do you stock up on?
 

Matalan is my new favourite for nice and cheap bathtwoels, housey things, slippers, cheap socks etc... I'm taking my boyfriend for his first visit to England soon and i think he is going to be in heaven when we hit the shops, especially since the euro is so close to the pound now![/QUOTE]

Matalan is good yeah - try out Primark as well when you go back.

Re: TOP UK MISSED PRODUCTS -what do you stock up on?
 

They do the smoked pancetta slices in Iper in Verona which are great for a crispy bacon and butter sandwich but what about some decent sausages??

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What about flannels - I have to stock up at Boots when I take a trip home. How else do you wash your face ??!!

By the way I've seen Roses Lime Marmalade lurking on occasion in the Carrefour :)

Re: TOP UK MISSED PRODUCTS -what do you stock up on?
 

Oh yes - sausages - I hate the hot dog style ones and the other kind are only good on a bbq. I even brought back two big hams (bacon joints) in my suitcase last time and apart from at easter time I find it impossible here to get a nice piece of lamb ! Never even seen any sheep here apart from on holiday once in Sardinia.

Re: TOP UK MISSED PRODUCTS -what do you stock up on?
 

If you're ever stuck for a flannel just use one of those silly "guest towels" that are two small to dry even your hands on and a British guest ouldn't know what to with anyway.

Re: TOP UK MISSED PRODUCTS -what do you stock up on?
 

I'll remember that, ta. Have you ever tried lamb kebabs here? Do yourself a favour and don't bother :( They're usually made up of various pieces of tough mutton with no onion or pepper interspersed to break up the monotony. I don't see sheep here either, only scraggy old brown cows, which makes me miss the lovely black and white ones back in the U.K.

Re: TOP UK MISSED PRODUCTS -what do you stock up on?
 

Just been food shopping, which I normally hate anyway but found it particularly depressing today after all the talk about sausages and real bacon and Cadbury's etc.
Oh the drag of getting stuff into the trolley - then out of it at the till - then into bags - then up the stairs to the front door - and then put it all away !!!

If only I'd had a nice leg of lamb in there for tonight's dinner !!!!

Re: TOP UK MISSED PRODUCTS -what do you stock up on?
 

You forgot to mention the courteous way in which your small change is thrown on the counter for you, leaving you to scrabble to put it away before your fingers are squashed by the next customer's shopping .....

Re: TOP UK MISSED PRODUCTS -what do you stock up on?
 

and what about the cucumbers here - knobbly old skins that have to be peeled off and I often seem to get a bitter one that nobody will eat.
I did once find a nice smooth English style cucumber in Lidl (it came from Holland) but I never found any again after that.
How difficult could it be to grow my own I wonder. Maybe I'll give it a try.

Re: TOP UK MISSED PRODUCTS -what do you stock up on?
 

yeah - that annoys me too - and they do it in little shops too - even if I have my hand out and wide open they still throw the change down onto the counter or into a little saucer type thing. Annoying yes! And scrabbling around for a euro just to get a trolley (have learnt to always keep a euro or two in the car).

Re: TOP UK MISSED PRODUCTS -what do you stock up on?
 

On the plus side I did come home with a few bottles of some very nice wine that was on special offer and cost less than 3 euro a bottle. That's value for my money !!!

Re: TOP UK MISSED PRODUCTS -what do you stock up on?
 

well, a relief to know we'll at least end up being happy dipsomaniacs then :D

Re: TOP UK MISSED PRODUCTS -what do you stock up on?
 

Click on the button beside the quote button on the posts you want to reply to, then click the new reply button then you can multi quote and answer in the same post. ;-))

Re: TOP UK MISSED PRODUCTS -what do you stock up on?
 

Aren't they for your bum?!!

I've never been able to eat cucumber - gives me wind!! But Italian field cucumbers are just great and I have no problems with them for the first time in my life. I can get normal ones too but avoid them. They sell them in my local greengrocers.

I had leg of lamb at Easter - it was very funny though, I basically got a lamb minus head, front legs and rack! It was very good though. If you ever take the train down to Rome via Florence you will see flocks of sheep all along the route, going north towards Turin we saw cows!

I miss the packets of Schwartz Gravy for Beef and Chicken. I'm crap at making it and I forgot to make mint sauce with the lamb too, but no-one noticed!

Potatoes taste different here too, they are wetter, so great in arrosto but not so good boiled.

I last had a flying visit in September to the UK and if I don't get my passport re-newed soon won't ever be going again!! Friends and family post me stuff which is great, but I'm missing stuff less and less. Alot of what I miss I've found subs for already or just do without.

jdr - thanks for the quoting tip!

Re: TOP UK MISSED PRODUCTS -what do you stock up on?
 

No probs, sometimes it saves a bit of work. ;-))

Re: TOP UK MISSED PRODUCTS -what do you stock up on?
 

Does anyone else miss proper British chips? Mmmm....

Re: TOP UK MISSED PRODUCTS -what do you stock up on?
 

I ocassionally get a craving for fish and chip shop chips with curry sauce - but last time I stuffed my face with a huge portion in England I was awake half the night with stomach cramps - teach me to be so greedy!

Re: TOP UK MISSED PRODUCTS -what do you stock up on?
 

I have to take heinz baked beans to Calabria when we take the car down, not for me, but for the michelan starred chef we know there who has a holiday home in the same village!
I also take Robinson fruit drink to dilute, I use also the Lidl multi vit drink and water that down if I run out.
Help, what sort of flour do you buy in Italy to make victoria sponge cakes, I take baking powder, or scones, ie. self raising or plain what is the equivilant?

Re: TOP UK MISSED PRODUCTS -what do you stock up on?
 

I have always had problems with the flour here as I could only ever find plain - (OO) or yellow flour for polenta. I could never quite get the hang of how much baking poweder to add and often ended up with flat cakes or buns.
I have noticed recently though that some shops now sell more than plain flour - for example ----- farina per pizze -- farina per dolci -
I think the farina per dolci is the same as our self raising flour but I haven't tried it yet as I cheated last time and bout some ready pack victoria sponge mixex in England - just add an egg and water kind of stuff. It was the first time we got beautifully golden and well risen fairy cakes and it was only 15p a packet too !!! my kids had great fun decorating them and then eating them.

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Steak and Kidney pudding, chips and gravy!!

I was really craving a large starbuck's capp this morning! I really needed the vat of coffee rather than the delicate glass! Don't care that it doesn't taste as good as the stuff here, it was a case of size matters!

My two top missed products have just gone back to the UK now the Easter hols have finished, so expect depression for a few days! (OH and son!)

Re: TOP UK MISSED PRODUCTS -what do you stock up on?
 

I can't believe I've just wasted the afternoon going round the supermarket!
I pulled a sickie today to finish some translation work that I'm doing on the side and then found I couldn't cope with the kids and the baby sitter spreading paint all over the house so I went for a brain numbing trip around auchan. If anyone can be bothered to go the one in Bussolengo they've got an english and french section (plus and indian a chinese bit). Don't bother looking for naan breads cos I bought every pack I could find, but they do have marmalade, shortbread, heinz baked beans, jaffa cakes and other bits and bobs.
The flour is a complete pain in the arse over here, all my cakes end up like biscuits and my husbands always come out perfect. You can by self raising flour but it doesn't seem to work in my oven - must be faulty or something!
Must try harder......

at the moment I'm missing fish and chips with scraps wrapped in newspaper and a white bap on the side to make a chip buttie....

Re: TOP UK MISSED PRODUCTS -what do you stock up on?
 

Hey Kathryn - get on with your translation ha!
I've just finished one for a PR firm - would you believe how many ways there are to describe real silver pens !!!! I've heard some bull$hit over here in my time but don't accept work from PR agencies - they really come out with a lot of flouncy, poetical and downright soppy stuff. Give me a humorous add with a witty punch-line any day !!!!

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mine was 8 pages of legal kak about computer crime, didn't understand a word of it, even asked the hubby for help and his response was "it was written by a tw*t", .....not much use.....
I made a big mistake of sending out my cv the other week offering my services and now I'm taking sickies and not going to bed. Do you work with a P.Iva? I'm contemplating opening one but a bit scared of being shafted down the line with loads of costs....

Re: TOP UK MISSED PRODUCTS -what do you stock up on?
 

Don't have a partita IVA as you can legally earn up to 3.000 euro per tax year without having to declare it - and frankly - I've never taken on enough translation work to get to 3.000 euro - it would bore the tits off me. I'm sick of reading 50 words twice over just to discover that what it really means is a simple - "press the red button to shut down the machine" !!!!!!

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I'm very interested in this translation work on the side seeing as baby is on his way and we'll be spending more time indoors. I'm thinking we can earn a few bob now and again - just enough to pay for the nappies! Any recommendations on how to go about it? Are there any websites we can post our CV or advert?

Re: TOP UK MISSED PRODUCTS -what do you stock up on?
 

I just got a load of e-mail adresses form the yellow pages and sent my cv, it was a bit slow to start with so I sent some more. Now I can't keep up. The only prob is that it's a second job so you need to fill out tax returns and pay the difference each year. Plus you can only earn 5,000 euros per year as a freelance without p.iva, anything more and you need to open one. Don't expect to earn a fortune but it's a way of improving your italian as well.

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I don't think I'll be anywhere near that amount. It would really be to earn some spare cash for bits and bobs rather than giving English lessons. Do you complete the tax returns yourself or do you have an accountant?

Another question - how can I charge? per paragraph, per hour, per page, etc. I suppose you need to issue an invoice yes?