Not been to France for years - what's good in French supermarkets?

[Standstilling]

Indulge me - I am off to France soon with the DCs and LOVE a foreign supermarket. Am idly planning and looking forward but I need some specifics. Do they still do those peanut flavoured wotsit things? Obvs cheese and wine... what else is good?

Russian Earl Grey Tea - Twining's or Liptons. If you like Earl Grey this is it with flavoursome knobs on. Can't get it here,sadly.

Mayonnaise -Amora etc

Fromage blanc (heaven)
Long life pots of pureed apple - goes well with fromage blanc
Ham esp Jambon de Paris
Orangina Haribo
Mon Cheri Chocolates (Ferrero)
Galettes
Mini Long life cartons of Hollandaise Sauce
Ricola boxes (not sachets) low sugar sweets. Menthol and Cassis flavours really good.

The list could go on indefinitely!
I've also got really good kitchenware eg serving dishes,salad spinner,spatulas,colander/sieve, grater and so on -really good quality and decent price.

French supermarkets are the best but I do go a bit mad in there.
re exchange rate

Confit duck in tins
Dried mushrooms for risottos
All the shower gel esp Fa Yoghurt, Bourjois
In fact all the toiletry aisle esp Caudalie
Fleur de sel
Bon Maman Tartelettes
Big jars of Cassoulet
Tins of escargot with the tube of shells
Dijon mustard
Various sirops for cocktail making: grenadine, peche, abricot, mur
Creme de cassis
Lots and lots of cheap as chips Cremant de Bourgogne

I'm another fan of le petit Marseillaise soap, also love La Fermière vanilla yoghurt too, it comes in gorgeous blue lavender ceramic pots, although Where we go I can only find it in Leclerc. Aperocracks and pistachio nuts in big bags. Carrefour sell the thinnest cut rashers of smoked streaky bacon which is divine. Dh has bought some great tools in Auchan and spends ages poring over the stationery. He loves squared paper notebooks and always comes home with a sackful. Grand Frais stores are beautiful and their food looks absolutely amazing, if a little expensive. Worth a nose round anyway. Am dead envious, have a lovely holiday OP

Merci beaucoup tout le monde! So grateful for all the recommendations.

Brets crisps in mushroom or aioli
Le Petit Marseillaise shower gel in almond or orange blossom.
Bon Mamman tartlettes
Sirop de Grenadine

Palmolive peony hand cream
Greengages and mirabelle plums
Those boxes of potato sticks made from the potatoes under the rotisserie
Marie ready meals for a holiday reminder when we’re home
Fruit jellies (passionfruit and grapefruit)
Milka hot chocolate powder
Orangina Haribo

That’s just Auchan/Carrefour. Are you able to get to a Picard for frozen food of Cook quality? Cherry sorbet incredible.

I'm not going to France, but I wish I was!

So many fond memories of sirop tasting as a kid...baguettes and croissants with jam, different sweets...

Have a tres bien holiday.

Loving this thread.

Ooh and puréed sweetened chestnuts in tins or jars!

Try to get to a market if you can... lots of lovely stuff to be found at those. Cheese and fruit/veg often better than supermarket. Comté is local to us. Best cut off the block and aged at least 18 months. French cantaloupe melons are good, much sweet than the ones you get in the U.K. Mirabelle plums are lovely - lots on our tree this year!

L'eclerc is €€€€. A lovely shop but very pricey, Carrefour is also good. A lot of the very large shopping malls have a l'eclerc or Carrefour. Super U is still good but not as expensive. I have never really liked intermarche. Lidl is virtually the same as here but as you would expect much cheaper.

We have generally shopped in Lidl or U once we realised the price difference. (Lidl don't sell pasteurised milk and their bread isn't very nice.)

I have to come home today and I am Very sad.

Petit ecolier biscuits are the BEST.
Orangina
Those chocolate mousse/yoghurts with cream on top.
Peanut (cacahuette?) wotsits.

Yy to the longlife shopping bags. I have 6 ancient ones that are still going and fit a whole weekly shop just right. They kind of stand up nicely in the trolley too so you can lob everything in easily when you're back to Lidl shopping in the UK.

Bon Maman jams have a few you can't get in the UK. We like a blackberry one,it's not in all the shops,can't remember what it's called.

La Mure was the blackberry jam.

Lipton's Earl Grey and lemon (citron) tea bags.

If you go to Monoprix see if they stock their nylon shopping-bag-in-a-pouch at the tills. The plain coloured ones are boring but the patterned ones are usually nice. And they are very sturdy.

Off to the Vendée in September so this is all very handy!! Definitely going to try out the nice shower stuff.

I second the celeriac remoulade and carrot vinaigrette and mini pizza biscuits. Also:

• The various flavours of Jaffa cake biscuits (framboise and dark chocolate is particularly good).
• sauce bernaise in a jar, great with crudités
• rilettes

Just come back from France and totally with you all.. French butter on Melba toasts and the Peche sirop in particular kept in the fridge was amazingly refreshing after a day on the beach .. mmm enjoy!

Travelled through France quite recently having not been for years and was totally shocked at the prices.

Petrol £1.60/litre

Stopped off for a quick breakfast.

No croissants which I was looking forward to only a solitary cheese sandwich (we are vegetarian) £5.60 and the tiniest coffee for another £2.60.

Went to a few supermarkets and I think our local Lidl has fresher croissants.
The French seem obsessed with jambon
Became a family joke to find the most jambon you could find in a meal. Jambon avec jambon with a side of jambon.

I stock up on DIM underwear and jars of fruit compote to use with yogurt through the winter

Omg I love French supermarkets.

My staples are: grey salt proper sea salt - haven't bought salt in 20years as I stock up when I go or if my parents go. And fleur de sel - beautiful salt for eating not cooking. Like salted caramel.

Petit Marseillais toiletries EVERYTHING!! Solid soap, shampoo, shower gel, body lotion!!

Bon Madam "savage myrtles" is by fave flavour but they now have an intense version. More fruit less sugar.

Eat whilst there - Aoli and langoustine that have been bought and cooked at the supermarket with fresh baguette.

Tbh I love everything and most of my holiday is spent thinking about that I can buy next time I shop!!

OliversMumsArmy (love the name) those prices Fuel always used to be so cheap. Probably a good job I am going this year - god knows what will happen after B***.

Fruit compote on the list. And yy to fruit and veg tasting nicer - I remember getting tomatoes from a little corner shop in Paris and they were nicer than the £££ supermarket UK ones.

Twotabbycats (love your name too) am grateful for the specific cheese tips - v important business, le fromage. Re markets - are espadrilles still a thing? I couldn't wait to get my summer espadrilles to wear with the backs down. Never quite the same back in soggy suburbia...

Jim Savage Myrtles is now my new favourite flavour too, purely based on the name.

Oh Plexie...Monoprix.
All my trips to France have to include Monoprix.
They often have v good food sections too.
Win win.

Standstilling - mine too. We still crack the joke "mais oui these myrtles are savages grrrrrr!" Wild blueberries doesn't have the same ring!!

I’m taking notes and have booked to go before Christmas and I know I can do Monoprix, Carrefour and Picard in one day. Please, please let Brexit stop as it’s the last time for some time otherwise. But TK Maxx often have Le Petit Marseilleise (sp? I blame the phone).

Monoprix for clothes, mine and children.

This is amazing - I not only have my shopping list but also a lists of presents to bring back for family and friends.

Jim Grrr