A couple days after arriving, I thought “why did I pack these useless CLOTHES? We need familiar FOOD!”
Things will improve once we get a permanent location…because I won’t rent anywhere that doesn’t have a good-sized grocery nearby. For now, we’re in the City, in the middle of the banking district. The shops cater to business types zipping in and out to grab a bite; they carry few basic ingredients. It was comical trying to get the man (admittedly a non-native English speaker) to understand that we wanted cinnamon. You know, cinnamon? The powdery spice? For my kids to put on their porridge in the morning? Never mind.
My unconventional grocery shopping habits make my frustration worse. I like to do a huge ($300) shopping trip every few weeks, stocking up on items on steep discount, buying few items at full price. I kept a rather full pantry. When organic raisins went on sale, I bought not two boxes, but twelve. I gave away loads of food when we moved because 6 weeks was nowhere near enough time for us to eat our stockpile.
Now I’m pining for simple things…salsa, refried beans, and tortillas. Peanut butter in large jars. Whole grain crackers. Parmesan cheese for pasta. Plain raisins, not a fancy gourmet mix. Bags of frozen vegetables I can add to dinner at the last minute.
I’m buying convenience foods because they’re all I can get — not one huge tub of yogurt plus frozen berries to add, but individual disposable yogurt cups. Bagged salads, not heads. Single serving meat pies. My kids are confused — I never buy this!
They also don’t appreciate the frequent trips. I fill a cloth bag or two (thank goodness I had the presence of mind to pack those in my luggage) daily. Five people eat a lot of food, and I don’t have a large car to fill with two weeks worth of groceries. The kids are getting tired of the trips to the three different nearby markets. And I really have to go to them all on different days — each carries a slightly different selection, and the kitchen cupboards are empty.
We never eat out this much, either. I just can’t come up with much dinner variety from these markets. But eating out is so EXPENSIVE. Makes me feel like a tourist.
The only thing we really love about the local Marks & Spencer Simply Food is the 7:00 hour, when the staff goes through marking down everything that needs to be sold that day, especially baked goods. I came home with a big bag of bread and pastries last night — enough for dessert, breakfast, snack, and lunch today. And we still have a whole grain loaf to enjoy with our dinner.
Hi Challe..well done on surviving the journey, the first few days and the big frenzied build up to the UK. Welcome to England !
We will enjoy your blog and seeing your perspective on life there.
Regarding the grocery shopping….have you tried online shopping and door step delivery yet..look at Tesco.com.
Good luck and enjoy the first few weeks of first impressions !
Alison
You need a Tesco.
Hey, we’re having fun figureing out where to put all of the FOOD you gave to us. Some is at Mom’s, some is in a box being shuffled around the kitchen, some is still in the car. Sigh. Maybe I can unpack the car Friday afternoon. I bet you can use the internet and do a bit of online shopping to help with the empty cabinets. Maybe get a grand old non perishable delivery? Anyway enjoy London!
I am amused, b/c of course when living in residence halls we couldn’t ‘stock up’ even if we wanted to…in part because every floor had SOMEONE who would go through the fridge and take what they wanted. In the cooler weather you’d see plastic bags hanging out or on the window sills…that was stuff like cheese or yogurt that the owner didn’t dare put in the fridge but needed to keep cool. So…at least you’ve got a fridge! And you’ll soon (if not already) be able to get some good apple varieties we don’t usually see over here. Sigh, I am jealous!
True, true — we do have a luxury business apartment! Set off the smoke detector this evening cooking burgers in the flat. The alarm sounds down at the desk, so instead of me hearing a buzzing, I got a phone call from the porter. I was very confused! Hmm…apples…yes, they’re tasty, and nice and small and crisp — not those awful oversized mealy wax polished things from the U.S.