Moving to US - taking food in the shipping container

[CielBleuEtNuages]

We will probably be moving to the US before the end of the year. I have a million and one questions but right now I'm wondering if we can food in the shipping container that will be moving our clothes etc. to the US?

I know shipping takes 4-6 weeks, so I'm thinking:

OXO cubes
Biscuits
Chocolate
Marmite
Nutella
Apple sauce (it's from France & usually has long dates)

Basically, anything to cheer us up in the first few weeks whilst finding our feet.

Just take it in your luggage? Then it will get there with you.

It probably depends where you will be living but most things can be easily bought here. You can get Marmite in Wholefoods, same with apple sauce (many varieties including a French brand), they also sell good chocolate (just avoid Hersheys) and stock cubes (I've never used OXO). I don't remember seeing Nutella but there are similar spreads here. My DH used to make everyone bring marmalade, until I pointed out that his favourite brand is on the shelf at our local (small) Wholefoods.

Biscuits are possibly something to bring, although I can get Walkers Shortbread in CVS. Where I can also buy a huge variety of M&Ms that we can't get in the UK. Unfortunately, the thing I have yet to come to terms with here, bread, you won't be able to bring. Personally I would bring Branston Pickle and Hovis crackers (they can only be found in specialist British shops, none near me) .

Thanks but Im thinking of quite large quantities...

Good to know about marmite. Thats DS1s breakfast sorted. If nutella is the same taste (not sure it is) then DS2 would be ok.

Ive only ever tasted yucky American chocolate- suppose we ll have to try a few.

Where are you moving to?

Where I live you can buy marmite in Whole Foods, English biscuits in a foreign food section of most grocery stores and corner delis, Nutella in all grocery stores and corner delis, and delicious artisan chocolate everywhere.

I think you’re worrying too much ;)

Also to answer your actual question I would not pack food in a shipping container. I think you would find it invaded by rats.

What are you putting the marmite on? If it’s toast you will have the bread problem. I’m going home in a couple of weeks and I’m seriously planning to sit down with a Sainsbury’s large giraffe bread and a pound of butter and alternate between toast and bread until it’s all gone.

Giraffe bread?

What are you putting the marmite on? If it’s toast you will have the bread problem

Is there...is there not bread?

😀

Good luck! if it was me I would be taking Twinings tea, Tiptree marmalade, some traditional boiled sweets and anything blackcurrant flavoured that you might miss. A few years ago it would have been a gallon of Ribena, but they have ruined the recipe and I don't buy it any more.

It’s true bread can be problematic. Some of the in house bakery products in Whole Foods are good but there is nothing like a squishy granary.

Where are you going? Most supermarkets have an english section with all of those things. Ordinary sliced pan isn't great but every supermarket has a bakery with much nicer bread.

Thisnamechanger, there is of course bread, but packaged bread tends to be much too sugary for the British palate.

My experience is that food is an absolute no no in shipping containers, even down to dry herbs and spices etc. The company that ship will have to pack for you as they sign off each box and it's contents on a form for customs at the other end. Any hint of something customs might not like and they are liable to unpack the whole thing and make a big mess of your stuff! At least that's what my shipping company said (John Mason, they were very good).

Shipping containers take weeks. I had half a one and due to customs it actually sat in US harbour for another couple weeks. Do it was over two months before I got my stuff. You really can get most foods out there - there’s a huge ex pat population.

I don't see rats opening jaws of marmite - I think you will be fine with that. Years ago I was posted a tiny jaw while overseas. I had no bread to eat it on. My guilty secret was eating it by the finger full. I don't think I could do that now, but at the time it was heaven.

jars of marmite, not jaws, but I guess if they had very strong jaws they might give it a go.

Hi, I have no experience of this, but this should help. Cusomts infor for US.

www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/resources/travelers-int

Customs info!

I wouldn’t bother. You can get most of it here and I doubt you’ll be allowed.
-Marmite- not cheap but hardly crazy expensive and easy to find, whole foods have it
-Nutella tastes the same, readily available
-Lots of nice biscuits here, anything you sent in a shipping container would be crumbs
-There is good chocolate, our local bodega has Lindt, again doubt it would survive travel
-Oxo you can get online
-I’ve never seen so much apple sauce in my life, they seem to love it here, definitely don’t bother

Seconding the post about shipping companies not accepting food as part of your move, same with any cleaning stuff.

You can buy most of the stuff here at the big supermarkets and Trader Joes has a lot more european style stuff (toblerone, fizzy lemonade, halloumi, and non sugary bread)

To expand on the bread thing, most mass produced bread is distinctly sweet to the taste, the alternative artisan type bread is mostly sourdough, which I do like but not all the time. It is very difficult to find non-sweet non-sour white bread with a good texture or a nice brown or granary. Italian bakeries are good but sometimes loaves are toothbreakingly crusty. Again it will depend where you are, I live on the edge of the North End in Boston which is full of Italian food but nowhere near a supermarket with a British section.

You can't send food in the shipping container. The temperature changes en route and the potential for leakage/explosions is high. (and yes, food explodes!)

Having said that, I've shipped dried items - tea and spices - with no disaster.

Thanks for all the replies. Sounds like we should be ok.

Very good point about rats and crumbs. I suppose i could also make more homemade biscuits and cakes.

Amazingly, we dont yet know where we're going. There are loads of possible places all over the US, but they've said it'll be a large city. DH's boss told him last Monday that he wants us to move by the end of August.... seeing as this move was first mentionned at the beginning of May and we have no clue where, then there's no chance! We want to sort out schooling etc.

As for bread, I didn't know it wasnt great but we live in France and love bread so I'd already thought about buying a bread maker.

And yes i am worried. Ive been obsessively googling and AS mumsnet for every scrap of info about moving to the US.

Its a good opportunity for DH but has come up incredibly fast and its a lot to get my head round. We also dont want to interupt our DCs education as much as possible so will need a French school.

Im not even thinking about finding accommodation etc. Im hoping the company will pay someone to do that.

Blimey. If nothing else, unless your visa applications are underway, I suspect its take 4-6 months to get it, and thats if the company are sponsoring and have an immigration lawyer! I hope your package is including relocation - both $$$ and relocation help?

You'll find French schools in some areas and not others, so if thats important to you, I'd be focusing / pushing for those areas, but be warned they're not cheap! We have a French / American school here (follows french curriculum) its about $40K a YEAR. (we're 20 miles north of NYC)