to think the big supermarkets in the uk are a bit sad?

[MousyMouse]

freezing my arse off camping in france. a different variety of grapes, peaches, wine even though one turned out to be chateau migraine , tomatoes.
did a shop today at a big supermarket and I'm depressed...

I've just come back from the local supermarket in KL. The 'fresh' produce aisle is sad and wilted. We've only been here a week and I'm already missing the local Coop.

Spotted Sorry for asking a stupid question, but what does misting veg entail? And how does it make it better?

They have a mister system built in above the veggie displays around the walls here. It's on a timer and first there's a noise like a rain storm with a few thunder claps, then the mister starts to spray the veggies with cold water. Dd gets all excited and shouts the storms coming and runs to watch LOL

Ooh I haven't been in a French supermarket in years. I used to love them though, and when we went on holiday in France me and mum would make a whole day of it in the Leclerc? - I think it was called.

Whats so dreadfully wrong with US supermarkets though? Publix where I am (Tennessee) is really very good, and of course we have ALDI here too - which is just the same in the US as it is in the UK or Germany. We also have Kroger - which isn't too bad either and they do the salad misting thing too.

Supermarkets in NYC are disgusting. Dirty, cramped, disgusting produce. Thankfully we've discovered trader joes but it's not exactly a nice normal supermarket like in the uk.

I love leClerc supermarkets and wish I lived in France so I could shop there always :)

I've just been to France and I loved the Super U. My parents are expats and while my dad thinks food is more expensive in France, I didn't think it was much different.

Maybe it's because I see UK supermarkets all the time, but everything looks nicer in French supermarkets. Im especially impressed by the fact that you can get a lovely peach flavoured squash - sirop.

the misting is to help the produce stay fresh as most of it is not pre packed.
I didn't find it more expensive than a uk supermarket. of course it would be if you are out for 'exotic' things like heinz beans or soft bread.

Really, Elaine? I thought Fairway on Broadway was the greatest grocery shopping experience of my entire life.

Some French supermarkets are awful.

Are you sure you weren't just visiting the French equivalent of Waitrose in Henley-on-Thames? (that's the poshest supermarket I could think up)

French supermarkets are amazing! We had 2 weeks of ripe melons/ gorgeous toms/ tasty peaches. Fab Rose for £3 a bottle. Cheese by the kilo! APERICUBES (omg they are lovely) cured ham, saucisson, fresh prawns by the cartloads!
Then we get to come home to tesco!!! Rock solid, tasteless fruit. Boring dried out lettuce. Plastic wrapped cheese, frozen prawns UGH
I do find it more expensive to shop in France but so worth it!

try your local markets, I do shop in Uk supermarkets, and on `the whole prefer them to supermarkets in France which have much snmaller ranges, but in both countries fruit, veg, bread, mesat etc are not things I buy from supermarkets.

Fruit and veg from our local market in season cannot be beaten either for taste or price. These days I just can't cope with paying supermarket prices for fruit and veg.

By way of example yesterday I bought 1 kilo of new potatoes and 3 bulbs of fennel for £1.20. Day before 6 long peppers, 3kg of courgettes, 1 kilo of runner beans, and 8 peaches and 2 punnets of raspberries for £7. the peppers alone would have been £6 in my local supermarket

I´m in a small town in Germany & I miss the choice of stuff tbh.

And being able to get paracetomol/nurofen for pence rather than 4x the price at the chemist.

After living in America for a year I couldn't wait to get back to UK supermarkets.

Aussie supermarket are crap too

Agree with Squeaky - Wholefoods Kensington is another world.

Totally disagree. Just got back from Sardinia so glad to see Sainsburys again. The supermarket we (and the locals) used was crazy. Car park was mental always really busy cars parked higgledy piggledy everyone rushing about and gesticulating and the food was local food only. Great for us for a few weeks but am sure that after a while I would have got a little tired of pasta, pizza and tomatoes and started craving curry. Plus compared to here was really pricey. Think we have amazing choice and variety over here.

I don't mind UK supermarkets too much (but normally order online, so cheating anyway!).

I was in Netherlands a few years ago, and the first time I had to go to the supermarket alone, I was very disappointed.

It was very drab, the only crisps they had were paprika flavoured, and they had such a complicated system in place for buying the fruit and veg that I only bought things already in packets .

Heaven forbid that you should forget your own carrier bags, they just don't have any in the shop, if you are bagless, you must grow exta arms (and learn your lesson before the next visit).

They gave out Smurf toys at the checkout though, a different one according to either how much you'd spent, or what day it was, or something (I got a bit confused by that too).

French supermarkets sell nice hot chocolate powder.

They mist the salad in California too. We just get it wrapped in crap plastic

I love French supermarkets and don't find them any more expensive than at home. The dairy aisle makes me almost weep with joy. Any shop that sells ready made Ile Flottante in a pot like a yogurt is ok by me

We use the Geant Casino in south of France near my mum and dad's a lot and while it is nice, it's not amazing. Yes the bread, cheese and fruit and veg is brilliant, but beyond that it's nothing special.

The Casino supermarket in Aosta is the worst foreign supermarket I've ever been in, horrible, cluttered, dated, badly stocked and resolutely grim. So depressing considering the surrouding scenery (practically at the foot of Mont Blanc, surrounded by massive peaks)

ripishere - get thee to the CarreFour at the bottom of Mid-Valley (other CarreFours might have the same) - there the lettuces aren't misted, but they are growing in their own little plug of soil still!! (or at least they were 2 years ago when I lived there)

I love coming back to the UK and going to Tesco/Waitrose - all that choice of fruit & veg!! Our local supermarkets (NSW, Australia) are lucky to have 3 choices of apple type, and the whole fresh fruit and veg section is about 1 aisle, as opposed to the one nearest to my Dad which is about 4 aisles! It's fabulous - I love it.
I like French markets too, mind.

I live in Egypt and the supermarkets here are crap. Rarely is fruit or veg refrigerated, so it is always wilted and manky looking.

I miss Tesco's, but that is because we can't get so much stuff here ( one day you see rice cakes or peanut butter or applesauce, then not again for 2 months)

I love Trader Joe's when in the states.

I would love some misted lettuce, I just ate a chicken sandwich sans lettuce as it was too manky to buy!

I'm going to whisper this, but one of the deciding factors in us not moving to the US was the state of their supermarkets and absence of Boots.

I just can't cope with the lack of choice and shitty shopping environment. Oh and no online shopping.

I took a US colleague to my local (very shiny and new) Boots recently - she was whimpering with excitement at the lovely aluminium (aluminum) environment and all the self-serve tills complete with Chip 'n' Pin machines. Twas like science fiction to her

Try getting fresh fruit and veg in central Prague. Lived there for a couple of months almost got scurvy - fine if you like pickled cabbage in tins though.

English supermarkets are (mostly) amazing. We have an enormous Coop near us which never has more than 2 grannies in it. Walking in there after the mayhem of the Italian supermercato was a relief - the only thing I preferred in the UK (sob at leaving behind the 35 degrees, gorgeous beaches and absolutely no clouds).

french public toilets on the other hand...

mousymouse

J'ai mal a la tete is all you need to tell the pharmacist