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Original poster

If you've moved abroad, what do you miss?

76 replies

istoodonlegoagain · 20/12/2023 16:16

I'm currently on holiday in Southern Europe and I cannot find decent crisps 😭 I love meaty style ones, so roast chicken, beef and bacon etc. It all seems to be lightly salted or cheese at the most. I also seem to have misplaced my bag of earl grey tea bags that I brought with me, can't find them either. It made me think about people who move abroad and won't necessarily have access to things they're used to.
Disclaimer: Obviously there are much bigger things going on around the world, and I feel very grateful to be on holiday.

OP posts:
CanaHouse · 21/12/2023 06:04

So so much… I could hardly list it all here!
I had no idea the quality of the food here would be so poor tbh.

Lurpak and Warburtons bread (weeps..)
A proper roast dinner
Chinese takeaway (they exist here but it’s mostly northern china style Chinese, tastes totally different)
Good Indian food (again there are Indians but not like you get back home)
Italian restaurants
Nice “homestyle” pre-made food and ready meals like Cook for lazy days
All the amazing farm shops
Quavers and Seabrook crisps
Sausages that some heathen hasn’t stuck maple syrup in
Crunchy nut cornflakes
Proper cream cakes and baked goods like pasties and sausage rolls

We CAN get imported English chocolate in the “international” aisle of Co-op which is a relief, plus some basics like bisto and HP sauce.

GinTonic123 · 21/12/2023 06:07

I always ask for Branston pickle and mango chutney from visitors. Although at Christmas time I also miss crackers for cheese and biscuits.

Whatineed · 21/12/2023 06:35

LadyGreySpillsTheTea · 20/12/2023 17:08

Funnily enough, decent Earl Grey tea is one of the easier food and drinkstuffs to obtain in mainland Europe. Twinings has a factory in Poland, I think, and I‘ve found boxes of 25 bags in fairly small grocery stores in various countries. It also keeps for ages and doesn’t weigh much so easy to stock up with loads.
I always get a box worth of stuff from one of the expat shops before Christmas, they guarantee no customs duties because they have EU warehouses. Treats tend to be pickled onions, chutney (although I can make my own too), mince pies and mincemeat, stuffing, tinned custard (again, I make my own too, tins are back-up), Sarsons vinegar (enough for the year), Terrys chocolate orange, matchmakers, Cadbury fingers, Frazzles (embarrassing!), Christmas crackers, jelly, Soreen malt loaf and so on. Lots of very unhealthy stuff basically, which is why it’s only once a year.

The only thing I really really miss is the occasional fish‘n‘chips. Not enough to move back to the UK though!

Yes they closed the Twinings factory in Andover and relocated it to Poland around 15 years ago.

Whatineed · 21/12/2023 06:40

I would definitely be twice the size I am now if I was back in the UK with the choice of takeaways and meal deals etc

I went back last month to stock up on Christmas stuff and my son can't leave the M&S Turkey crisps alone.

I've had to hide the 4 tins of shortbread, they are supposed to be gifts for others.
😂😂😂

British corner shop is an online company that delivers to most places though, if people have cravings.

Oppositioblue · 21/12/2023 06:47

We used to live in Oz. Scottish strawberries and raspberries were missed very year. As was good jam.

Australian chocolate is horrible so when a load of cadburys was sent over, it was like Christmas.

PuppyMcPupFace · 21/12/2023 06:50

Spicy food
Warburtons/Hovis thick sliced white bread, everything here is too sweet and has a worryingly long shelf life
Pubs
My sisters

whirlyhead · 21/12/2023 06:52

Stokes tomato ketchup. Sigh.

We do have a British shop nearby that sells the likes of Linda McCartney veggie sausages and zoflora so that helps. Bloody expensive though!

Zonder · 21/12/2023 07:01

At first I missed things like marmite and British sliced bread. But as the years went by I forgot about them and enjoyed what was local.

I agree with the pp about snacking - it just wasn't a thing so that was pretty good for me.

I really missed some of the stuff from there for a couple of years when I moved back. Even now there's the odd item at the local supermarket that I'd love to nip over and buy.

I was always slightly embarrassed by other Brits who bought half their weekly shop at the little English store - even things that were sold in the local supermarket.

Whisperingangel22 · 21/12/2023 07:10

Welshcakes
Mince pies
Indian takeaway - can get it here but for £40pp
Full English breakfast
Proper bacon & sausages
Self raising flour
Malt loaf
Baked beans - can buy them but very expensive £3 per tin
Doughnuts
Fish and chips
Crumpets
Cheddar can find it but not easy
Fresh affordable fish
Decafe tea

Pekkala · 21/12/2023 07:12

We tend to pack:
Yorkshire tea
Maldon sea salt
Lemsip extra strength
Savlon
Big blocks of strong cheddar
For Christmas: bread sauce, mincemeat, crackers, stuffing...

I miss pork - it is fully illegal here (rather than available for non-Muslims for ££££); and I haven't tried to bring any in.

I'm a teacher and I do have to be very organised for seasonal stuff for the kids in my class - I am the one person who loves that some Easter stuff is available immediately after Christmas - I buy mini eggs etc (and hot cross buns to freeze) and take it back with me at the end of the holiday (along with next year's Christmas cards/wrapping/craft stuff).

ItAintGonnaGoDownEasyIfItAintCheezy · 21/12/2023 07:12

CanaHouse · 21/12/2023 06:04

So so much… I could hardly list it all here!
I had no idea the quality of the food here would be so poor tbh.

Lurpak and Warburtons bread (weeps..)
A proper roast dinner
Chinese takeaway (they exist here but it’s mostly northern china style Chinese, tastes totally different)
Good Indian food (again there are Indians but not like you get back home)
Italian restaurants
Nice “homestyle” pre-made food and ready meals like Cook for lazy days
All the amazing farm shops
Quavers and Seabrook crisps
Sausages that some heathen hasn’t stuck maple syrup in
Crunchy nut cornflakes
Proper cream cakes and baked goods like pasties and sausage rolls

We CAN get imported English chocolate in the “international” aisle of Co-op which is a relief, plus some basics like bisto and HP sauce.

Yes! Chinese, they don't do curry sauce! If you really want it, you have to get takeaway rather than eat in and make mayflower curry sauce yourself. Which is better than nothing. That's 3.75 in the Iceland overseas shop though.

isthismylifenow · 21/12/2023 07:12

OXO cubes
Beef suet
Tinned pies (I know, terrible but delicious )

We can get most other things at the British shop, but nothing containing beef. So none of these.

As an aside while I was in there (never go hungry) I bought some lightly salted Walkers crisps. Now we get lightly salted crisps, but different brands. I know the label says lightly salted and Walkers seem to take that really seriously 😂 compared to what we get, they were indeed very light with the salt.

Also while I'm having a moan, isn't the chocolate just awful now. I have in the past bought a few like double deckers, wispas, Terry's orange etc (all those I used to like), bit they are awful now. I actually prefer our local chocolate, so chocolates are not on the I miss you list anymore.

I do love the tinned food aisle. I honestly cannot believe what you can get in tins.

HarrietJonesFlydaleNorth · 21/12/2023 07:21

Oh so many things!

And it's not about not embracing the new culture or trying to bring a whole English supermarket over, but when you've moved permanently and you suddenly have a hankering for a Chelsea bun or crumpet, or a packet of pickled onion monster munch, it does cause a moment of longing and wistfulness.

Istheworldmadorisitme · 21/12/2023 07:27

I was pleasantly surprised to find that in Germany you can get cheddar everywhere nowadays (15 years ago it was a different matter!) so now I find myself missing biscuits for cheese to put it on - cream crackers, water biscuits, those ones with rosemary, oatcakes, etc

I am also very disappointed by the underwear here. I miss my multipacks of M&S pants!

TartanCulshie · 21/12/2023 07:37

Things I miss...

Empire biscuits
Square sausage
Proper tablet

And supermarkets selling paracetamol at 19p a pack.

Not worth moving back for, but I do miss them.

Sourisblanche · 21/12/2023 07:45

Mango chutney
Lime pickle
Waitrose normal and decaf tea
Cadburys cream eggs
Tinned custard

I always buy lots of British tea for Dutch relatives because they prefer it.

Flatandhappy · 21/12/2023 07:54

The only thing I miss about living in England tbh is Eurostar and other cheap ways to get to European countries.

HRTQueen · 21/12/2023 08:14

I have lives in a few different countries what I missed was

milk is so good here and being able to have a good cup of tea
cheese
chocolate (I liked chocolate in Australia and when I was there they had a bigger Cadbury selection than here)
crisps especially cheese and onion
toast /sliced bread

Gettingcolder · 21/12/2023 08:41

When I lived abroad, what I missed most was having a lovely Sunday lunch at a nice cosy English pub with a roaring fire. There were pubs, but they didn't serve any food so if you wanted a meal, you had to go to a restaurant.

Food wise I had to adjust to unprocessed food as it just wasn't an option. Everything was great quality fresh ingredients - much healthier but I did sometimes miss having a ready meal or unhealthy snacks. Our local shop had different goods depending on the season and whatever they decided to stock from week to week. You couldn't go in with a list so shopping took ages as I needed to menu plan on the spot depending on what was available.

The pros, the bakery products and chocolate were much better than UK.

jotex · 21/12/2023 08:49

Not a whole lot to be honest! I moved to a country with a great cuisine and there aren't many food items that I miss. Maybe good salted butter (Kerrygold for example). And Walkers crisps, Lays are just not the same!

useitorlose · 21/12/2023 08:55

I'm in the UAE and we have access to Sainsburys in a very limited way, Waitrose and M&S. Prices are high though, I'm vegetarian and haven't bought Quorn in 5 years because it's so costly. I can get a pack of locally made soya mince that makes 8 portions for about a pound.

I miss shops rather than food stuff - I rarely buy the really overpriced items so that means no mini cheddars, Options hot chocolate, or favourite biscuits types.

I miss Greggs, B&M and Primark! I do not feel the benefit of having multiple branches of Louis Vuitton, Gucci and Armani to choose from.

silentpool · 21/12/2023 09:02

Old charming pubs
Waitrose
M&S food
All the cheese

newtb · 21/12/2023 09:05

Cheshire cheese - thanks to brexit.

Most things I've either got used to not having them or found an alternative.

Proper North Atlantic prawns, thé Pacific cotton woolly ones are on substitute.

InSpainTheRain · 21/12/2023 09:07

I lived in mainland China for 2 years, I really missed blue cheese.

2016MyLove · 24/12/2023 13:35

I miss proper British tea and the choice you get in the shopping aisles. So much choice.