Do you buy brands from home to cure homesickness?

pclancy

Just wondering (and this applies to in reverse to Kiwis in Ireland too) if many people buy Irish and UK food products online or from your local stores? Even though the prices are often insane?

I'm taking things like Heinz Beans, Taytos, Chocolate, Tea etc all those items that appear in the "International" Isle or from specialty UK/Ireland food shops.

Or does "Mammy" send a care-pack every now and then?

Cookie_Monster

don't buy anything but get Barries sent over.

sort of miss sausages but way prefer bacon anyway so not that big a deal, tayto are muck, chocolate is the same as far as I'm concerned, you get heinz beans here don't you - or Watties which are the same. Miss some EU foods, proper feta, decent olives etc but they couldn't be seen as Irish...

MrCreosote

Never buy them here, but occasionally get them included if we're getting something else sent or someone is visiting. Usually tea, purple snacks, Ballymaloe relish.

Usually drink coffee now, but the odd afternoon drinking Barry's and listening to liveline podcasts is grand too.

The thing I miss the most are the cycling magazines, which you can get here, but are months out of date and so expensive it's cheaper to send my batman back first-class to buy them and hand deliver. (Yes, I know it's all online anyway)

Cookie_Monster

just get mags via subscription, no? I do that for the model train mag I get, receive it 2-3 days after the UK mailed copies mostly.

Rosy Posy

Mam sends Barry's and Ballymaloe, selection boxes and taytos/king at Christmas. For special occasions we might buy Irish and French cheeses but I'm trying to get more into the kiwi cheese- there are a lot of great small operations that are worlds apart from the Anchor/Mainland supermarket muck. I'd love if you could get Clonakilty puddings but as it is I overdose on it when I go home and that does me til the next visit. I do think that I tend to get stuff from home as a substitute for the people I miss, and I know my mam sends over vast quantities of stuff to compensate for not being here. I suppose that's why it all comes to a head at Christmas, as well as the obvious focus on indulgence.

Mrs OBumble

Kiwi in IE:

I brought back a barrel-shaped jar of Marmite last time I was over, about 1/2 way thru it now, and will get a replacement sent over when it was finished. That's the only one.

But if I moved back to NZ now, I would sorely miss dark Bellarom chocolate from Lidl.

carnie

There's a shop on Cuba st that sells Barrys and Lyons. No idea of the prices but I reckon they're pretty steep.

spunkymunky

Not really. If I see a can of club orange, ill but it in a second! Otherwise, just the odd care package for the birthday.
Love the coffee here so no need for tea. Coffee in Ireland...just awful when compared. Back there over Christmas and had to choke it down!!
Choc from Ireland is far nicer but I wouldnt go out of my way to find it.

pclancy

carnie wrote: »

There's a shop on Cuba st that sells Barrys and Lyons. No idea of the prices but I reckon they're pretty steep.

They sure are pricey but for a cup of strong Barrys tea money doesnt matter! Have to say their selection of pic n mix is deadly! Their Taytos are a weird yellow colour bag that I hadnt seen before but still good.

But having said that I'll be f***** if i'm paying $8 for a box of Jaffa cakes :eek:

carnie

They're the nordie Tayto.. A pretender to the throne, if you will.

I noticed the other day, while walking by, they have franks hot sauce.. I think some elephant and castle style chicken wings are gonna be made this weekend

Mrs OBumble

For any Kiwis in Ireland, there's a Daybreak in Clonmel that's promising pineapple lumps and lots of other good stuff in two week or so. Ref: https://www.facebook.com/groups/18444948808/