What lovely things to take home from France?

[hastalav]

Going to Normandy end of Summer for a week. I haven't been to France in a long time now, so wondered if anyone has recommendations for nice things French to take home apart from wine?

Things from the pharmacie, the supermarche, etc. Not perishable. Would love to hear.

I will be buying a few cases of wine in Auchan or similar and Efferalgan (fizzy non caffeine paracetemol), so what else?

Thanks!

Don't forget to bring back some Normandy Calvados.

Also Normandy is famous for its ceramics, I especially like the traditional cider jugs. Many places will have a pottery workshop, some villages such as Noron la Poterie concentrate on a particular ware or style of decoration.

Agree with le Petite Marseilles shower gels/ moisturisers.
Bonne Maman products, you can get them here but much cheaper in France. Agree about the rhubarb jam.
Hollywood chewing gum (if they still do it). Blast from the past 😂.
I want to go to France now!

My random list I keep (plus whatever else takes my fancy on the day😆):

Sirops
Peach pulp
Plain waffles as ice cream wafers
Thin Emmental
Set lemon yoghurts
Grand Fermage Sel de Mer butter
Galettes
Salted caramel sauce

This butter is gorgeous and we always buy some when we go to France.

Anchovies in salt rather than oil, Nigella uses them in lots of recipes and they're much cheaper in France.
Praline cooking chocolate
Vacuum packed chestnuts

Brilliant thread, thank you! Off to Poitiers next week and looking forward to tracking some of these down!!

Arlequin sweets. You get them in the spar. A bit like Pear drops but so so good!

We always have 🤷‍♀️
I mean, they haven't checked yet 😬

I think bringing in cheese, paté, saucisson etc is fine if it's for your personal use. It's stuff that is for commmercial sale that is subject to all the regulations.
Also the duty free limits for alcohol have changed, it's still a litre for spirits (40 pct abv) but you can bring in quite a lot of table wine and beer per person. You can check the up to date amounts on the HMRC pages online.

I like the Petit Marsellais soap- sweet almond blossom is my favourite.

And Phare du Cap Bon Harissa- I really love the packaging too.

We always buy several bags of Carambars.

Those little chocolate mousse pots in the glass jars- they're literally called petits pots du chocolat.

My kids love Tete Brûlée sweets. I love Haribo Dragibus which you can’t get here. Also Apericubes for the kids (satisfying soft cheese cubes in different flavours). I also buy myself a few school exercise books as I love writing on the ‘Grande Carre’ style paper. The supermarkets will have an aisle dedicated to La Rentrée at this time of year so if you are partial to French stationery it’s a good time to shop…

The supermarkets all seem to have a massive range of delicious and reasonably priced own brand flavoured chocolate. Orange, raspberry, coconut etc...

Following for my trip. Thanks

Have a traditional French bag - straw type material with leather handles. Had for years, love it and use it lots for general shopping, days out, on the beach!

Hello are we the same person?

Add in anything from Monoprix and also the necystine or peach shower gel too. Amazing.

Rillettes
Savon de Marseille scented washing powder and fabric conditioner
Tartes aux pommes

@AgathaMystery not seen that peachy stuff before so will try some when we go in July. DH and I are driving to Antibes with stop offs on the way there and back so plenty of opportunities for pharmacies and big supermachés.

Pistou soup which comes in a packet. Love, love it!

My ongoing list is going to be expanding from this post too.😆

I use lots of cheap wine in cooking, and a crap bottle is about £4 in Aldi but it’s €1 there so I always stock up if there’s room in the car.

I agree with Dragibus, which are vegetarian btw. Têtes Brûlées are foul but kids love them for some reason. Also the sirops, which are much nicer than squash. Mint and violet are the best ones and you can use them to jazz up cheap lemonade.

I'm not personally keen on flavoured Tuc biscuits or really any similar savoury "petit gateau". None of them are remotely as good as Cheddars, which cost "la peau du cul" in France, if you can even find them!

Grenadine sirop
Cassegrain tinned ratatouille
Gros sel for cooking
Roche Mazet boxed wine

Baskets.... the type the French take to the supermarket etc. I love them- and have a few I use lots that off picked up in France.