Daily Prompt: Bestow

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British Shop

Now and again we like to bestow ourselves with gifts. Life is not only a thing about software, hardware and computers but sometimes we like to go for a quest in Internet and discover goodies. We found The British Shop some time ago. They supply lots of british products that ex pats like myself miss now and again. Mr. Swiss also discovered the British way of life with me and when we got a new edition of the British Shop Catalogue he began to search for some additions to his Swiss Life. I joined him on his quest and eventually we had quite a respectable list of British objects that we were missing.

It was when he mentioned he was ordering the Fine Cut Oxford marmalade that I decided to add a few items to the list. I quite like mamalade, the jam made of bitter oranges or lemons, but my real love of the spreadable substances is lemon curd. The lemony, thick spread which includes egg and butter: my mouth began to water. I have made lemon curd myself in the past, but it should be eaten within a couple of weeks, as the ingredients are somewhat perishable. And so I added a jar of lemon curd to the list. Our local supermarket once stocked it, but I seeemed to be the only Swiss customer that appreciated it.

Mr. Swiss discovered the origianal english biscuits and fudge toffees and then I saw something that I fell in love with. They had a nice big bag, english patterned with flowers and large enough to accomodate my camera and zoom lens with some space left. I already have a black leather version, but this bag was really something completely different.  I fell in love with it at sight, and so the bag was included.

The parcel arrived this morning, just a few days delivery time, and we discovered they had also included a free packet of assorted chocolate eclair toffees. This was not really our taste as they tend to stick everything together in your mouth when eating. If you happen to have dentures, then it is better to burn before eating. However this did not apply to us, and we held a few minutes silence whilst chewing them.

We are now two happy bunnies, especially me as I just love my new bag. When you have been exiled in a strange land where the cows and bankers say goodnight to each other, Switzerland, you appreciate the little homely items that you have not seen for 50 years.

River Thames looking North, London

Daily Prompt: Bestow

20 thoughts on “Daily Prompt: Bestow”

  2. Believe it or not, since we return to Devon year after year to visit our old hunting grounds (another word for seeing friends), we ALWAYS return with a car full of English things we treasure and can’t get or only at daunting costs. Our survival kit includes enough Clipper organic Earl Grey tea bags which we enjoy with a bar(k) of cinnamon, but also health products, glorious cheeses, some special spices, but also tons of books & cards. etc. Nobody does cards as wonderfully as the English.
    All of this: It’s not only ‘food’, it’s soul-food in many ways – we then think of good times, of dear friends, of things we learned to appreciate!

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    • After living 50 years in Switzerland there is not a lot I miss from England and some things I even wonder why I actually liked it. I was never a fan of tea, but now drink it because I have digestive problems with coffee. I like Twinings tea, but not Earl Grey.I am more into the english breakfast tea.I like the so-called mixed spice in england and I stopped reading real books some time ago. I upload them onto my Kindle.

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  3. You can buy lemon curd in Alamosa — made in England. Strange. But try to find real Swiss cheese? Not happening. I have to “import” it from the big city (Colorado Springs). I get “homesick” for some Chinese food, but if I want it, I have to make it myself. I feel like an ex-pat from everywhere. 😀

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    • Although I have learned to make a lot of stuff myself since living in Switzerland because I cannot get it here. I now make my own stuffing for the chicken and prefer it to the bought stuff. There are many other countries that copy Swiss cheese. I like it, but not a great lover of it. My favourite cheese is still cheddar. I cook chinese myself, but probably not genuine.

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  6. I ran out of lemon curd a couple of weeks ago. They used to carry it in the grocery store, but stopped. Maybe they will restart. I can get a lot of this stuff on Amazon, but it’s expensive, so it’s more of an occasional thing. I remember the pleasures of new catalogs, though. Eventually, you knew exactly which page your favorite stuff was on and could find it in a flash. I’m not sure online shopping has the same delights.

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    • The British shop is fun, especially for me as an ex pat. We don’t get very much british stuff in the shops in Switzerland. I like to read the catalogue as well. Amazon doesn’t operate in Switzerland and you cannot order everything through Germany.

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  7. We can get British chocolates at some specialist sweet shops here and occasionally will treat ourselves to Quality Street or maybe a Galaxy Bar or Fry’s chocolate. I haven’t seen lemon curd in the shops here although you can probably get it in larger cities. I also miss Greengage jam although greengage plums do grow locally so it would be possible to make it but it would not tbe the bright green colour I remember from childhood. There is a British Shop website and catalogue but the stuff is very expensive so it’s an occasional treat to buy something from it.

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    • My favourite English chocolates are Cadbury’s milk flakes. From the fridge, they are a real treat. I can also get them from the British shop online, but cost more as you say.. I remember greengage jam from my London days and I also was a fan

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