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Living overseas

A frivolous thread about things you miss ( that you can pack in your carry on luggage)

16 replies

pocketandsweet · 24/07/2013 16:45

Moving to Canada and looking forward to all sorts of things there BUT from my memory Canada has terrible tea ( maybe things have improved in the 15 years since I've lived there).... So I'm planning on taking a package of Yorkshire Tea ( and hoping to find a good tea source after that runs out). I know I will miss Fox's biscuits and the kids will miss Vimto squash but I guess we will just have to indulge when we make return visits. I'm wondering what other things others miss that I haven't thought of yet AND if anyone knows of a UK foods importer in Victoria that would be great for the occasional ( no doubt crazily overpriced) treat

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inneedofrain · 24/07/2013 17:01

I don´t live in canada but can I put mine up for our family?

Marmite!
Stabucks (have to come back for a fix every year)
Kfc
Crunchy nut cornflakes
Mc vities digestives (local biccies are so so so horrid)
Alpen
Butter (english / irish/ clover)
Squash (robbinsons specifically)
Tea bags
Oxo gravy granuals (yes I can make proper gravy but I still miss gravy and chips made with oxo)
Heinze Salad cream
Hellemans Mayo
Cravendale (pretty much given up drinking milk since I arrived)
XX strong peppermints.

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chloeb2002 · 24/07/2013 21:26

Nothing really... I am lucky tho.. Australia really has everything the uk has. I miss rubbish foods... Monster munch.. For one.. But I have plenty of substitutes... I bit very excited as Coles had what looked like tescos finest pork n apple sausages... They were not as I remembered them tho :0(
Aldi sell lots of English stuff twice a year.. Coles and woollies have English sections. So no.. Only thing I've not had in 7 years is haggis.. I think my world will go on Wink

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onepieceoflollipop · 24/07/2013 21:30

Threads like this remind me of a true story. My English aunt and her husband emigrated years ago. Whenever anyone visited they begged them to bring marmite.
Unfortunately one visitor (businessman rather than close friend) had no idea what marmite is so just chucked the jar in his case with his clothes.
On arrival he was running late so had a quick shower before sn important meeting and went to change his clothes...
Apparently there had been what my 5 year old would call a "rather nasty spillage" lol.

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MumnGran · 24/07/2013 21:51

Another Marmite'r here. God I missed it.
And English bread (not sure if the Canadians do the whole sweet taste to bread, like the US ......but if so, I really recommend buying a book on bread making!)
Sausages ... I eat them rarely, but its amazing what you crave when you can't get it
Availability has moved on a pace since my years away though Smile
sweets & more
online craving fixer
awayday
and stocking up for Christmas!

Have a great time.

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pocketandsweet · 24/07/2013 22:29

Thanks mumngran fantastic links!

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MrsTerryPratchett · 01/08/2013 00:30

Victoria has a couple of importers. However, they have run out of PG Tips too many times for my liking. I have just brought back one of those 500 packs from the UK. You can get Marmite but not squeezy Marmite so I bring that back. Do not fall for supermarket 'orange pekoe' versions of British tea. They are not the same. Oddly, Walmart stocks a lot of British stuff.

I would pack an entire British Indian restaurant including staff and fixtures. You can't get it here and I yearn for it. Oh, and real British sausages. All the cheese here is also rank, tasteless and expensive. Unfortunately, you might be stopped at customs with curry, cheese and uncooked meat.

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Josie314 · 01/08/2013 00:32

We miss Cadbury's chocolate. It doesn't taste the same in the US.

Also, we buy Yorkshire Gold tea from Amazon. Maybe they sell it in Canada too?

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kreecherlivesupstairs · 03/08/2013 23:37

The only thing we can't get in Malaysia is decent sausages. I've tried every sort on sale but still can't get them. DH misses Taramasalata for some reason but I've managed to get everything else.
In previous countries it's always been the marmite that's missing. In Switzerland (and Belgium) I used to go to an Indian emporium to buy both spices, frozen parotha and tea bags.

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LooplaLoopy · 04/08/2013 09:48

Also in Malaysia, also missing sausages.

And confectionery generally. Have come across Wispa Gold but they were really expensive. Nice freshly made sandwiches, basically things that you can grab and eat (I will miss curry puffs though when I leave here).

Just found some Cornish pasties in the Village Grocer. Hope they live up to the name!

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kreecherlivesupstairs · 04/08/2013 23:43

What??? cornish pasties? really. I am going to be near Giza today, I will pop into the village grocer to pick some up. Although some branches have different stock.

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spamm · 04/08/2013 23:51

In USA. We always ask people to bring Marmite, as we can buy it, but only in those silly little pots. And decent Cadbury's.
We have found reasonable replacements for everything else since we discovered great supoermarkets, and we are enjoying discovering new foods. For example I cook quite a bit of Korean food now.

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racingheart · 04/08/2013 23:58

When I lived in France I really missed marmite on wholemeal toast; buttered teacakes, good strong British tea, lamb saag with spicy poppadoms, chunky cut marmalade, salt and vinegar crisps. Can probably get them all these days but even in Paris they weren't around when I lived there.

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busymum50 · 04/08/2013 23:59

My aunt has lived in the US for about 40 years and still asks anyone visiting to bring:
Paxo stuffing
Birds custard powder
Branson pickle
Penguin chocolate biscuits
Refresher sweets
Twigglets

Smile

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westcoastnortherner · 18/08/2013 06:27

Fairway market, walmart, market on millstream, all sell English food. Also there is an English store in downtown victoria.

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westcoastnortherner · 18/08/2013 06:29

Ooh MrsTP there are proper English sausages at the market on millstream , if you look in the fresh counter for Orrs sausages. Market on Yates may have them, but I've not checked.

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xpatmum · 26/08/2013 02:51

Also in Malaysia and very impressed so far with what you can get here! In Holland we struggled more and used to stock up on:
Salad Cream
Light Mayo
Marmite
Pickled onions
Baby Beetroot
Salt and vinegar Crisps
Monster Munch
Calpol
Shepherds pie packet mix
Cadburys chocolate
Hob Nobs
Golden Syrup
Ready roll icing
Baking powder
Baking Soda
Cocoa powder
Season All
Haribo

XxX

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