"Now get a life’?
Now you are being rude Lee.
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Well that’s quite a selfish approach IMHO. I your grandchildren never want a year abroad as part of the Erasmus scheme. Otherwise you won’t be a terribly popular granny!
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Completely agree Pam - we reap what others have sown as well. The trouble, to my way of thinking is that they don’t / won’t accept that what they’ve sown will cause themselves (and even more importantly, their own children and grandchildren for decades to come) a very unfortunate harvest. They are already saying the 20% reduction in the pound to euro over the last year would have happened anyway.
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Sincere apologies, I get exasperated with some people, won’t happen again mum
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Yes there is some more competition in the UK generally, though there is far from ‘none’ in France - we have Auchan, Leclerc, Intermarché, Super-U, Lidl, Aldi, several more supermarkets plus small shops and all the local markets, within easy range, despite living in the country rather than a town. There is more competition in UK because the government over the years has allowed foreign companies to buy up British businesses rather than consolidate and remain British. Stupid. The result of this is that the profits of these companies, and in many cases their taxes, go to foreign investors and countries rather than to strengthen the UK economy. Why do you think the Chinese want to invest in nuclear power in the UK? So they can reap profits from what Brits will pay for their electricity going forward (as EDF is trying to do already)
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Why import produce (sic) from another country when there is no need?
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Ah, the old cauliflower story rolls out again. My standard of living is far higher on my income than it would be in the U.K. And that includes buying great, well priced, fresh fruit and veg.
I presume you are an economist to speak so authoritatively on the state of the Euro, even so I disagree with your assessment.
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Who do you think picked those cauliflowers?
And if you want cheap, fresh, sustainably produced food in France, join an AMAP. You will probably make a load of friends too - certainly more than you will meet in Lidl!
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Germany has the most competitive food shops in Europe. This should not come as a shock when you see how they have moved into both the UK and France (insert other countries) and given a wake up call to the established brands.
France has retail competition, it must have because I certainly receive enough pub material. Last year I went to the UK for 26 hours and fitted in a trip to Tesco. I bought a couple of packets of McVities chocolate digestives, that’s all everything else seemed a bit… expensive. Mind you the falling pound has probably evened things out a bit now. 
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But Lee, we already trade with New Zealand, China, India et al. As for the BBC, you do know that it’s also known as the Biased Broadcasting Corporation don’t you?
The £ plummeting is nothing to do with the world’s markets. No other currency has plummeted to the lowest point in 168 years.
As for the thing you coyly refer to as ‘Canada’s trade deal’, it’s called TTIP. Google it. The Tories want it. The EU does not. The reason being that it’s a bad thing. Australian people didn’t want it either. The Tories want it because they can see huge profits making rich folks even richer.
You will easily sell if your property is priced correctly.
And yes, I’d expect to see strawberries from another EU country. However, you have contradicted yourself by saying that countries in the EU cannot trade with other countries, then mentioning American spuds and Brazilian apples.
I honestly have no idea what markets you are using which do not have fresh local produce.
I voted remain for my grandson. Luckily, when it all goes down the pan, my son is married to an Italian woman so he will be able to escape. As for me, I shall batten down the hatches and live my self sufficient life.
Frankly, if the children and Grandchildren of Brexiters end up going hungry and go to bed cold in Winter, because the country is in a mess, with rocketing food and fuel prices, I shall not feel sorry for them at all…
What exactly does “get a life” mean? Does it mean “I don’t like arguing with you because you contradict me and it makes sense, so go away”? Obviously I am alive, therefore I have a life…
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They import because French people are are living in the 21st century where people are wasteful and profligate and expect fresh raspberries in February, ie they expect year round fresh out-of-season-at-home produce. That doesn’t alter the fact that France is self-sufficient in food and one of the biggest net exporters in the world.
I 'm not sure where you come from in the UK but surely you realise that it is impossible for UK vegetable growers to compete with France in terms of variety and volume, purely for reasons of geography.
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I expect it is the lack of vegetarian meat-look-alike ready-meals, things like sausage rolls made of quorn and processed cheese, being addressed, these are the things which some English people who stayed with me a while ago and whose daughter was vegetarian said they needed but couldn’t find, (she wouldn’t eat salads and vegetables because she didn’t like them) - home cooking vegetarian food is easy.
I buy my fruit and vegetables from a maraîcher who sells from his farm 2 days a week, the other days he’s on various markets. Lovely, in season, ripe and cheap. And I grow fruit but can’t grow vegetables in my 100% clay soil.
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Why don’t you compare like with like? Comparison between a UK local farmers’ market and a German multinational supermarket branch in France isn’t really relevant because they simply aren’t the same set-up. Comparing the farmers’ market with a maraîcher market would be realistic.
I could say the best cauliflowers I have ever seen for beauty and cheapness were in the anti-Lebanon, it would be entirely true but also entirely irrelevant.
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This is happening now, in the UK “More than 16,000 cases of malnutrition were reported in hospitals in England last year” it is the title of an article in the Daily Mirror which someone linked to on my facebook feed. I haven’t ever read that paper but I did read the article, perhaps everyone should…
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Actually Pam it was someone else I told to get a life and have since apologised. Your last paragraph typifies the mindset and attitude of most remainers. It is CETA, the Canadian trade deal not TTIP that Belgium is blocking, TTIP is something EU commision is negotiating as well and as far as I can recall Britain was against it, or it may have been UKIP. TTIP and CETA is a bad idea in my view. Where did I mention American spuds and Brazilian apples? Nor did I mention anything about selling my house! I think you have me confused with another poster.
Anyway I really don’t want to argue these points anymore, I’m open to intelligent discussion but so far that doesn’t seem possible here.
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I just don’t understand the vegetarian thing. I am not a vegetarian but since I moved to France a veggie would be able to share well over 60% of my meals without a problem as forest fruit and vegetables play a much larger part in my diet than ever before.
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Reminds me of a visit my cousin(a veggie) made to my mother. When mum served some chicken soup and my cousin reminded her he was a veggie, she replied “well it’s only got a bit of chicken in it”…
Exactly, it seems to me that my family (considering we are not vegetarian) actually eats a huge quantity of home-made ‘vegetarian food’, that is assuming cheese and eggs are OK. We don’t eat prepared things marketed as being special vegetarian food, I seem to spend my life making spinach or courgette and goats’ cheese tarts, for example, because my children love them.
I don’t think someone eating only local produce in the UK will have as varied and healthy a diet for as little money as we do here in SW France, doing the same thing.
Have you ever wondered why Scottish people don’t really eat many green ( including red, yellow etc) vegetables? Just look at what grows in Scotland, it isn’t exactly varied or abundant.
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i am living in france since 2006… my 10th anniversary is the 26th… I still see and have a curiosity about what happen “back home”… but it doesn’t affect me!!.. I have pennies in a near zero interest uk bank account… so why would I want to vote in what clearly doesn’t affect my day to day living here???.. why do people whom have not lived in UK for 15yrs still think they should have a say in it’s day to day running??.. if you live here, America, Venezuela, Mozambique or Australia… why should you have any right to inflict your prejudices on those whom have to experience your biases, while you do not have to???.. 15vyrs out of Uk is a long time… live the life you lead… leave those back in UK to determine their future…
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