What do you bring back from France?

[Belmondo]

I usually bring nice soap, cheap wine and cider, and little cheese apéro biscuits. What else would you recommend?

Pate de fruit
macarons & choc
wine
a giant croissant

I wish I could always shop in French supermarket!!

Those little tins of Cassegrain peas are just the right size for making mattar paneer on camping trips and are better than any tinned peas I’ve found in UK shops. DH likes to bring back a few six packs of those strong, tasty but very reasonably priced beers that come in cute 250ml bottles.

those really nice biscuits that are rectangular and have a thick coating of chocolate. Can’t remember their name….

i love French supermarkets selection of showergel. I am strange I know but they just have the best flavours 😂

Cider, mustard, and wine.

St Michel grande galette biscuits. A bit like digestives but slightly salted. Fantastic with cheese, and I always stock up when we visit France. I have one pack left from the last trip that I’m saving for a special occasion…

Walnut oil

I’m drooling now. Not allowed now but last stop was always for big slabs of pate de champagne and cornichons, cheeses and the salad dressing a previous poster mentioned. Going to a large French supermarket is one of the highlights of my French holidays.

Well, I always wondered who on earth drank it, so glad to know!

French Jam - less obnoxiously sweet than in Britain!

flavoured San Pellegrino that doesn’t contain sweeteners.

Olive oil soap.

Childrens clothes.

Chestnut cream. And if I was in Angers or Paris, I’d go to Benoit Chocolats, and buy lots of boxes of Caramandes - they’re like large triangular dime bars, but made by an amazing French chocolatier. They don’t ship to the uk. We’ve got friends who bring them when they visit but it’s all too infrequent.

https://benoitchocolats.com/gb/ mmmmmmm

Mustard in little glasses and carambars.

Phare du Cap Bon harissa in tubes, not tins.

Breton salted caramel spread.

Petit Marseillais soap - sweet almond flavour.

Earlier this summer we just brought back everything we usually do, no signs at all at the tunnel, in fact we hardly stopped at all on either side.
I am quite suspicious about this ban anyway, it was announced right in the middle of some negotiations about UK-EU trade and it seemed to be some kind of ploy, or lever the Brits were trying to use against the EU. Foot and mouth is almost a perennial occurrence in various EU countries. But not in France where the last outbreak was several years ago.

Jam
Honey
Cheese
Sirop (cordial)
Glassware
Stationery
Nougat

Oooh tartare sauce and chip sauce from Maille.

Provence Rose
Pain d’epice
Carottes Rapées
Saint Albray cheese (when allowed)
Duralex tumblers
Cremant de Bourgogne
Exercise books
Salad dressing
Maille Mayonnaise (truck loads)
Espidrilles
Hand mitt flannels
Bien Etre cologne
Savon de Marseille
Vichy mints
BN biscuits
Jam
La Goudale blonde beer

Gerblé biscuits
local honey
pharmacy haul (Urgo Extrême plasters are the best, no questions)
French books
local crafts (pottery, jewellery)

Oh yes and we are bringing nougat this time too!

macarons de Joyeuse are good too (note totally dissimilar to ‘normal’ macarons)

Cherries in brandy. Particularly these ones.

Olives

Reine de Claude syrup. (Greengage Plum Delish with bubbles or soda water.)
Tins of confit duck Maryland. Bung in oven and you have the most sublime crispy skinned dinner and fat for potatoes.
Petit Marseillaise shower gel and body lotions. All amazing scents.
Enormous bottles of Eau de toilette. I like the Mandarine and Lavender ones which I transfer to a mister and do my clothes before wearing them in summer time.
Monoi de Tahiti shimmering body oils.

We came back from Dieppe recently and brought the usual wine, cheese and saucisson. They were checking every single car, opening boots and top boxes. We had no idea about the ban and the cheese absolutely stank but somehow didn't get caught out. Bags on the ferry also being checked. I guess it's upon entry to the UK that it becomes a problem. I love the goats cheese in a wheel, like a goaty camembert.

Non food:
Room Spray/Perfume/Vaporiser (my favourite affordable brand is from Nature & Découvertes, Parfum D'ambiance; the blue labelled bottle).
Bic products/stationery
Kids clothes/books

Food products:
French Butter
BN biscuits (Raspberry flavour)
Sausages (both cured and fresh)
Garlic
Wine (we travel around France so we buy regional specialties)
Jam!

Oh I love this thread. I haven’t been to France for ages but this is making me think I should go for a shppping trip. Perhaps a long weekend. Might wait until the cheese and meat ban is over, as I love to bring that back. Cassoulet too,