Taking Food & Drink into EU

[Muckyboots]

Hi,

I think I know the answer but I take it you can't bring any food into the EU? Beer ok?

Dog food, tea bags and coffee all prohibited too?

Is there a supermarket close to le shuttle?

Heading for the Alps in 2 weeks and only just discovered this, phew

 

[Oldrat]

I don’t worry about it.

This gets discussed endlessly on the Motorhome Fun site.

None has ever reported being checked for food.

I’ve been across a few times and report likewise, although I’ve had bods get in to check for illegal immigrants boxes of fags etc and other times to check that my gas is off.

Just one thought, food in a fridge / cool box is niaive /forgetful. So it might get confiscated.
….
whilst food hidden away secretly is deliberate !!

 

[Muckyboots]

I don’t worry about it.

This gets discussed endlessly on the Motorhome Fun site.

None has ever reported being checked for food.

I’ve been across a few times and report likewise, although I’ve had bods get in to check for illegal immigrants boxes of fags etc and other times to check that my gas is off.

Just one thought, food in a fridge / cool box is niaive /forgetful. So it might get confiscated.
….
whilst food hidden away secretly is deliberate !!

Thanks for replying mate. Ok I think I'll go down the route of playing dumb. As long as the beer doesn't get confiscated I can cope with losing the rest if the worst happens

 

[FerrisBFW]

I was worried last year going to Switzerland on hols. I had been told they were hot on people 'importing' meats into Switzerland from France (as its cheaper), complete rubbish...
I should have taken more :-(

All the years of driving to the French alps and futher, never and issue. I am guess as long as you can show its just for you, I am sure you will be fine

 

[dubber36]

We drove to the Alps last year and took loads of food.

If you are still worried and need a supermarket, Cite Europe is right next to the tunnel.

 

[Muckyboots]

We drove to the Alps last year and took loads of food.

If you are still worried and need a supermarket, Cite Europe is right next to the tunnel.

Good to know there is a supermarket handy just in case

 

[Bigsidavies]

We took nothing last year and never saw any checks.
This year we just took basic sandwich stuff in the fridge for a quick post-ferry snack.
We had loads of tins and stuff in the cupboards.
Anyway, no checks.
I’d rather buy my fresh stuff over there anyway, it always seems nicer and a better choice.

 

[cgtmiles]

We worried about this first time we went after brexit, no dairy, no fresh meats. We even went to the effort of getting dairy free vegan butter and stuff. Waste of time, no one even remotely interested in checking

 

[True Romance]

Yep as above was very cautious last year. This year we took everything. Did get pulled to do a swab check and never even looked in the van.

 

[Oldrat]

Teabags

They sell everything except decent bloomin tea bags in that there Europe!

Baked beans and marmite can be hard to find too!

 

[True Romance]

Teabags

They sell everything except decent bloomin tea bags in that there Europe!

Baked beans and marmite can be hard to find too!

Noticed in the more tourist areas of Normandy some supermarkets had a UK product section.

 

[cgtmiles]

Teabags

They sell everything except decent bloomin tea bags in that there Europe!

Baked beans and marmite can be hard to find too!

Decent bacon!

 

[dubber36]

And bread that you buy at breakfast time that's rock hard by dinner time.

 

[Qnapper]

We travelled back to Spain about 3 weeks ago from UK and our fridge and storage area was full of the things hard to come by in Spain. Not one person asked us about food or even about the gas being on (it was off) all they wanted to check was the cat........... Now we have enough tea bags, baked beans and marmite to last the rest of the year.......

 

[FerrisBFW]

We took nothing last year and never saw any checks.
This year we just took basic sandwich stuff in the fridge for a quick post-ferry snack.
We had loads of tins and stuff in the cupboards.
Anyway, no checks.
I’d rather buy my fresh stuff over there anyway, it always seems nicer and a better choice.

until you see the prices in Switzerland!! Rubbish pizza was £25 and generally all food from Supermarkets to take-aways, to resturants was all at least x5. How to feel poor

 

[rod_vw]

And bread that you buy at breakfast time that's rock hard by dinner time.

Yes but the camper grill will revive French baguettes remarkably well. Also add some cheese and onion pieces and make a C&O toasty easily!

 

[Lubrown]

Whatever you take food wise just be sure to wrap it in plenty of cling film with a dusting of flour before the final layer (to absorb moisture) and then strengthen the edges with packing tape.
Try and keep it to neat rectangles of the same size, so they stack, and around 1kg each.

Shouldn’t be a problem at all.

 

[Bigsidavies]

until you see the prices in Switzerland!! Rubbish pizza was £25 and generally all food from Supermarkets to take-aways, to resturants was all at least x5. How to feel poor

Sounds like Norway last year. We ran out of stuff that we bought in Aldi in Germany. Norwegian supermarket chicken fillet was £46 per kilo. Was a shocker.

 

[FerrisBFW]

Sounds like Norway last year. We ran out of stuff that we bought in Aldi in Germany. Norwegian supermarket chicken fillet was £46 per kilo. Was a shocker.

My wife was in Norway the week before our hols and said the same. We drove 45 mins into Italy and had an amazing pizza for €5

Still the most amazing holiday ever.

 

[Salty Spuds]

Currently in France. We bought a load of stuff over, 2 fridges full. And have done since the “B” word happened. Never had a problem, there’s a load of hype & keyboard warriors out there. Ignore.