Thought not!!!!!!

Rosemary

I don't actually use it much, mostly just for thickening sauces, and there are plenty of other ways to do that - but I do miss it when it's not in the cupboard - won't pay the rip-off prices they charge in the english shops though

We use Maizena Espesante Instantanco from Mercadonna for thickenly and flavouring sauces, casseroles etc and find it brilliant.

Rosemary

that's what I use too if I'm in a hurry, and can't wait for a sauce to reduce

Why do you say rip-off prices? You say you miss it when it's not in the cupboard so what's the problem with having to pay a bit extra for a product that the Spanish shops don't stock?

The English shops are providing a service you can choose to use or not. I agree that prices are more expensive than you would buy in England, but it's a niche market.

I have some neighbours who continually moan about the price of Marmite but are only too happy to pour gallons of cheap Spanish wine down their throats. It seems some people want it all ways.

I don't miss it enough to pay more than double the english price, and I choose not to, particularly when I know that they actually buy it in (including transport) for a few cents more than a shop in england

Supply and demand.
I treat English shops as a convenience. It saves me having to bring stuff back from UK in my luggage.
Even if these shops do buy their stuff for a few cents more than English prices they are only going to sell a few items compared to the likes of Mercadona. They obviously have to get more profit out of any single item because they have such limited stock and a very limited market.

I just don't think it's fair to brand them all as rip-off shops.

I think we must be quite lucky here in Chiclana, we do have an English shop and yes I do use it on occasions when the grandchildren are here as they can be quite fussy re certain foods. The good thing about this shop is the owner is very aware of price's and he makes a point of keeping them low, in fact on certain products he is a lot cheaper than the supermarkets that stock the same English products. I think in the long run it is good business sense to keep prices low and make a steady income than to over charge keeping peeps away.

not all I'm sure - just the ones around here

when we first came over & knew no better we bought our Xmas Turkey from an english butcher (we'd been here just a few weeks) - he was charging four times the price per kilo than Mercadona or MasyMas - & yes, they clean them too - tell me that's not a rip-off!

apart from Bisto, which as I say, I can do without, there is absolutely nothing in an English shop that I can't get at least a spanish equivalent, if not the same brand in a spanish supermarket

Sounds like you've got a business there that preys on the naive English population. If he fails as a butcher he would be perfectly qualified to set up as a builder.

OK so can you please help me with a few things and maybe save me some money. I shop in Mercadonna, Carefour and Lidl mainly so pay Spanish prices for the UK brands but will happily try Spanish versions if they exist but am wary of wasting loads of money trying things and finding that I have bought the wrong thing.

The things that I am wondering about are baked beans, worchester sauce and I am sure there was a third thing in my head when I started but cannot think now. We have already discovered that we much prefer Spanish tomato sauce so I know it was not that.

Thanks

Rosemary

Just thought of antibacterial spray - I always used it a lot in Uk but cannot find anything similar her.

Oh dear I think that I may end up pestering you.

Rosemary

baked beans - dh likes the spanish 'alubias' in mercadona, says they are better than heinz

worcester sauce................sorry no idea

Thanks for that I felt sure that their beans would be good but did not want to end up trying loads of alternatives and filling the rubbish bin with them. Thought there would not be an alternative to worchester sauce as it is quite unique.

Rosemary

what with being from worcester and all.........