rapidoman Posted July 16, 2011 Share Posted July 16, 2011 off to france in sept for 3 weeks, with the cost of food, fuel and the poor exchange we are thinking of taking a couple of pots of tomato plants and salad leaves with us. need to know if anybody else has done this or if it is allowed or will they get taken away at the port (!) any advice please. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted July 16, 2011 Share Posted July 16, 2011 Don't see why not, lets face it they don't ask you if you have any plants on board and if they are confiscated you haven't lost much. My sister has a place in France and is always taking plants over in her car so they must see them at the port and has never encountered problems. We haven't done this abroad but when touring in this country we often take a big bucket full of herbs that we plant up. I'd give it a go. Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randonneur Posted July 16, 2011 Share Posted July 16, 2011 I can't believe that you would think of bringing tomatoes and salad leaves with you. Tomtoes are cheap and lettuces are 2 for a euro or even less on the market. If you wanted to bring something with you that is expensive here then freeze cuts of meat (if you aren't vegetarians) before you set off. English Tea Bags are expensive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelly58 Posted July 16, 2011 Share Posted July 16, 2011 We always take home cooked Mince and veg / Curry / Bolognaise frozen in foil trays they stack well in the freezer compartment of the fridge , pack and freeze sausages singly then they can be fitted into spaces in the freezer diced chicken breast frozen for a sweet & sour ,burgers again frozen singly and frozen chicken kieves , then when some of the food is consumed we buy a tub of ice cream to fill the space. As we grow our own veg we always take freshly dug potatoes a few carrots and onions and a couple of lettuce , so on a 2/3 week tour of France we only have to stop and buy what we feel necesery , we have never had our food stocks checked by customs even in 2007 when there was all the hooha regarding foot and mouth. ----- Horse sense is what stops horses betting on people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ham Posted July 16, 2011 Share Posted July 16, 2011 We are lucky our tribute has a large freezer on top of the fridge, so the missus makes up pies and we freeze them before we go, also we take some cuts of meat Chops mince etc. As for fresh veg and fruit we always buy at the local markets. Which we find very cheap. We also buy fish locally we find this is half the price of the Supermarkets. I have a gas BBQ and the lid acts as a wok, so we often boil up some rice toss it into the wok along with locally bought veg, prawns or beef cuts. A jar of Asda 9p curry. (Yes 9p was 5p. also great on chips ) And of course a bottle of local wine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antony1969 Posted July 16, 2011 Share Posted July 16, 2011 Couple of chickens in the bathroom for eggs , daisy the cow tied to the back for milk and your sorted (lol) . I would say local fruit and veg is cheap enough without having to turn ya motorhome into a portable greenhouse and its nice to look around local shops and markets Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 1footinthegrave Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 rapidoman - 2011-07-16 10:03 AM off to france in sept for 3 weeks, with the cost of food, fuel and the poor exchange we are thinking of taking a couple of pots of tomato plants and salad leaves with us. need to know if anybody else has done this or if it is allowed or will they get taken away at the port (!) any advice please. That's the funniest thing I've read on these forums. perhaps it should be in the tips section on how to save 5 Euros on a French trip, really really funny, thanks for making me laugh, but rather worrying is some forum members have took you seriously judging by some replies. :D :D :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyg3nwl Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 Hi, We have recently returned after a six week trip to south of France and am puzzled about the alleged high cost of food over there. We found prices at the local hyper were very much on a par with UK,, so we stocked up the freezer compartment as has been suggested elsewhere, and took a couple of boxes of tins and packets under a bunk as well. Our food bill in france including the occassional ice cream totalled out at 217 euro for the 6 weeks. We did not eat out at all, preferring diy cooking , and really only supplemented the "larder" with fresh produce, bread etc. Yes , we could have spent a fortune in restaurants etc, but don't understand the claims as to how wonderful French cooking is. Restaurant prices include loads of overheads, chefs wages, rates, taxes etc, but ingredients are no better than local market produce so why pay for them to do the work, when a couple of bottles of gas and a barbie are easily manipulated . Incidentally, our total expenses for six week including ferry and insurance, site fees ,diesel etc (but not including prepurchased uk food stocks) was a miserly 1470 euro.. of which 397 euro was for diesel Who says France is expensive ! tonyg3nwl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
derek pringle Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 Hi, Just as an aside, we have found a company called 'THE STRIPED BOX CO' who make lovely food that does not need fridgeing and cooks in the packet in the microwave. We went away for 5 weeks recently and took a selection with us--- Lamb Shanks in red wine and rosemary - or mint if you prefer / Pork in honey and mustard sauce / Chilli / Meatballs / Lamb Kofta. plus other lines, even a mixed box. These products have a very long date and are stored in a cupboard. Also is free next day delivery. PLEASE UNDERSTAND I DO NOT WORK AT ALL SO HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS COMPANY. Definitely worth a visit to the website as we found them really convenient especially if you do a long ferry such as Hull/Rott or similar and the freezer and fridge has to be switched off. derek Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aultymer Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 APRIL FOOL - but its July?? Do some of you load extra coal when heading north - say to Newcastle? Packet food, freezers full and grow your own when going to the country that invented much that is best in the cooking world and where consumers demand better produce than the average UK supermarket shopper. I don't believe it. Apologies to those that have special diets to cater for or those who really can't afford food. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
derek pringle Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 Hi Aultymer, I did not suggest we travelled self sufficient or did not shop locally abroad, indeed like you we love the food in France. However, most people take some standby food, dont you?. I was merely pointing out the usefullness of this product--no more. We certainly would not go to the extremes some posts have mentioned and these items are ideal for this country where the food may or may not be up to the standard in France, but then again, that could be a matter of opinion. cheers derek Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 When I first read the post I thought it was a wind up I'm still not sure. We travel to France with empty fridge/freezer & larder apart from milk & tea for morning cupper. The only exception is if we are going out on a Saturday evening so we will need supplies to get us through Sunday. Food is so much better value & quality in France, even a couple of years ago when the pound dipped to 1.02€ it still wasn't any more expensive than in the UK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 I'll be digging up some of my Charlotte spuds to take away with us next week, along with anything else that's ready in the veg patch:DOnce you have had veg such as sweetcorn straight from the garden, anything else is second best;-) Must remember to plant up a bucket of herbs again:D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fjmike Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 Its no wonder that some aires are closing if the people on this thread are anything to go by. We have found that far from being dearer than the UK, quite often food is cheaper(and better quality) in France. Usually we stop at a Hypermarket on the way back to fill the freezer. As has been mentioned shopping in local markets is not only a pleasure, unless you are in a big resort the prices and quality will be very good. For those that say they can't afford to eat out, do as the French do and eat out at lunch time. The prices will be a lot lower than in the evening and probably a better menu. Finally no trip to France would be complete without stopping for lunch at a truck stop. Usually a buffet starter, a choice of a couple of main courses, glaces for desert, coffee and aglass of wine all for about ten euros. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 1footinthegrave Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 To be fair we do take certain items that we cannot find in France, sad to say Brown sauce, Shredded wheat, and PG tips, and a fairly full fridge to have a flying start to save the tedium of food shopping in the first few days. But specifically to take potted tomato plants and a few salad leaves to make a saving, has got to be a wind up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 It seems like a good idea to me. Why not convert the underbed garage into a vegetable patch or mini smallholding with built in lights and irrigation system - why you could even keep a chicken or two and maybe a small pig and generate your own power from the waste! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 Tracker - 2011-07-17 12:04 PMIt seems like a good idea to me. Why not convert the underbed garage into a vegetable patch or mini smallholding with built in lights and irrigation system Good idea Rich...........planting Cannabis would be a very good cash crop:D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
derek pringle Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 Hi Pelmetman, sounds like some are way ahead of you derek Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maggyd Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 tonyg3nwl - 2011-07-17 8:54 AM Hi, We have recently returned after a six week trip to south of France and am puzzled about the alleged high cost of food over there. We found prices at the local hyper were very much on a par with UK,, so we stocked up the freezer compartment as has been suggested elsewhere, and took a couple of boxes of tins and packets under a bunk as well. Our food bill in france including the occassional ice cream totalled out at 217 euro for the 6 weeks. We did not eat out at all, preferring diy cooking , and really only supplemented the "larder" with fresh produce, bread etc. Yes , we could have spent a fortune in restaurants etc, but don't understand the claims as to how wonderful French cooking is. Restaurant prices include loads of overheads, chefs wages, rates, taxes etc, but ingredients are no better than local market produce so why pay for them to do the work, when a couple of bottles of gas and a barbie are easily manipulated . Incidentally, our total expenses for six week including ferry and insurance, site fees ,diesel etc (but not including prepurchased uk food stocks) was a miserly 1470 euro.. of which 397 euro was for diesel Who says France is expensive ! tonyg3nwl I can second this we have just returned after spending 6 weeks touring Germany and I reconned we did the lot for under 1500 euro as well and that included the 26 stops we did and all food and fuel plus we brought home about 24 bottles of wine. The tomatoes and lettuce are far superior to what we buy here and very cheap. Who wants stinky pots of tomatoes in the van >:-) Im sure you must be joking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rolandrat Posted July 18, 2011 Share Posted July 18, 2011 We found fresh roasted chickens very expensive compared to the UK, in fact they were double in price even in the supermarkets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gmcclin Posted July 19, 2011 Share Posted July 19, 2011 To echo some of the previous posts i cannot believe the steps that some people will go to in order to hopefully save a few Euros. French food prices are not more expensive in my experience and food quality is excellent. We do bring some food supplies with us but try to shop local as much as possible and possibly create a good impression of us as motorhome tourists. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rapidoman Posted July 20, 2011 Author Share Posted July 20, 2011 ok ill come clean :$ it was not a wnd up but was tongue in cheek as last time in france we saw several caravaners with all there veg outside in pots and just wondered if it was legal to take things like that :-D maybe next time ll wait until april 1st so lookout. i wholeheartedly agree that there is nothing better than visiting the sights and smells of the local markets. perhaps caravaners are a different breed (!) but i used to be one 8-) hey ho the things we do when its raining. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caroline Posted July 20, 2011 Share Posted July 20, 2011 lennyhb - 2011-07-17 10:20 AM When I first read the post I thought it was a wind up I'm still not sure. We travel to France with empty fridge/freezer & larder apart from milk & tea for morning cupper. The only exception is if we are going out on a Saturday evening so we will need supplies to get us through Sunday. Food is so much better value & quality in France, even a couple of years ago when the pound dipped to 1.02€ it still wasn't any more expensive than in the UK. Thank goodness, I thought I was the only one who did this, we love shopping in the supermarkets and trying the different things. One word of warning thought always have one emergency meal with you, incase you land on a bank holiday like we did. Ended up with tinned meatballs and peas with sapagetti for tea !!!! *-) :$ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel B Posted July 20, 2011 Share Posted July 20, 2011 Okay, I'll own up - last year we took some lettuce plants on holiday with us. :$ We'd bought them on an earlier holiday and by the time they were big enough to eat we were due to go away for 3 weeks, so by the time we'd returned they'd have been useless and they were particularly good 'speciality' ones ... so they had a lovely holiday in the shower compartment and were slowly scoffed during the first couple of weeks (we had also given some away to the neighbours before we left! :D ) Now taking a tomato plant away ... hummmmmm ... I do love the smell of tomato plants I must admit - reminds me of my grandad who used to have a big greenhouse with loads of them which I used to love going in to have a 'sniff' although I wouldn't eat the things then, and was only 'converted' to eating raw tomatoes a couple of years ago. :-D The fruit and veg in France is brilliant - I've never seen such big lettuces and cabbages!!!! 8-) You do have to watch where you buy them though, some shops can be extorionate, and even some of the markets can be pricey, but if you have a good mooch around one of the larger markets you can usually get some wonderful stuff for a great price. As for stuff to take with us - I do miss our large freezer compartment, however, on our Irish 3 week holiday a few weeks ago, our freezer food had a lovely holiday as most of it came back with us!!!! (lol) We're thinking of cutting down what we put in the freezer for our next holiday in a month's time as we never seem to eat much of it and can't ever get any ice-cream in which is sorely missed!!! B-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted July 20, 2011 Share Posted July 20, 2011 You do have to be careful withe wine last year I thought at the check out that's a bit dear only brought a few cases of wine & few other bits. A couple of weeks later the boss was going through the bills and queried a single item of wine 130€ whoops:$ I'd picked up the wrong case instead of around a fiver a bottle I'd picked up a case at £20 a bottle. I must admit it's very nice. (lol) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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