Ste Flora
... and another shuts in your face, as my mother (who will probably deny it) used to say.
This isn't about us. We're doing OK, but our local English bookshop is closing its doors at the end of this year. It's sad to see any business close but it does seem to be a sign of the times as there are 'liquidation totale' signs up in many windows in our local towns. Luckily the reading groups attached to the bookshop have elected to continue, so we will still be getting our reading matter.
Just around the corner from the bookshop, another shop, three times the size, has just opened. This shop is selling English (should really be British) produce, they are taking orders for Christmas turkeys and gammons, they have a supply of clotted cream, Marmite, curry sauces and Walkers crips.
Most of these things are available here if you hunt for them and are prepared to pay the inflated price. We have made do without most of them or found alternatives, but I confess I have ordered myself a Christmas gammon. I asked for the smallest they could supply as it is VERY expensive! As for Marmite, we brought 3 huge jars over a year ago and still have plenty to last us a while. Curry sauces - we make 'em ourselves. Walker's crisps? Far too salty. Clotted cream? I can't remember the last time I had some of that. I'm sure I can live without it though.
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2 comments:
hmmn, I venture to suggest they might not last long either! We used to lug all sorts of stuff back from trips to the UK years ago, but it's easy to get Marmite, Branston pickle etc. in supermarkets now (even my local Intermarché stocks them). We had a similar shop locally which wasn't sustainable, probably for this reason.
Like you, I don't really see the point; there isn't much I miss that can't be bought here or done without, and there are plenty of excellent French products to enjoy, often more cheaply than the expensive stuff in this type of shop. And once you've been here a while you wean yourself off British junk food!
Clotted cream on the other hand ... I might travel some distance for that :-)
Very brave to be opening a shop anywhere at the moment, especially one that will be selling products that we can either do without or have brought out by visitors much cheaper.
But I admire their courage, and wish them luck.
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