French Supermarkets
One of the things we love most about our family camping holidays is going to the French supermarkets to do our shopping.
I know this may sound a bit weird and you may be asking yourselves right now, with all the things to do whilst on holiday why do we like the supermarkets so much.
Well let me explain, it’s got a lot to do with the quality of the food, it’s also got a lot to do with the wine but most of all it’s about the relaxing atmosphere.
Go to a UK supermarket like Tesco, Asda, Sainburys or Morrisons and you find lots of people rushing around with the occasional bout of trolley rage as someone comes crashing into the back of your ankles.
In the French supermarkets such as E’Leclerc, Intermarche, Super U and Casino everyone appears much more relaxed. There’s no rushing around and certainly no trolley rage.
We find that the choice of the meat and bakery products are better than in the UK, with a large variety being available. There’s also a larger degree of choice when it comes to fresh produce.
For the children though, there’s nothing better than visiting the fish counter.
When we last went to Brittany, unlike our local Tesco, the fish counter at E’Leclerc was filled with a huge variety of fish, including lots I’d never seen before. The best part of the fish counter was the lobsters and crabs. Still alive with elastic bands on their claws, the children had a lot of fun watching them wander around the tank and on subsequent visits always asked if they could go and look at them as soon as we entered the store.
Shopping with children can be fun!
Shopping in France doesn’t seem as much of a chore as it does in the UK and you can make it as fun as you want. We always let the children get the shopping and put it in the trolly. We tell them what’s on the list and it’s their job to see if they can find the French items similar to the ones we have at home.
The only thing we don’t let them pick is the wine. Whatever you do don’t forget the wine. Whether you’re after a cheap bottle of the local plonk or you prefer the more expensive grape varieties there truly is a wonderful choice both in price and type.
