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Things you miss about Britain


HappyHeart

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3 hours ago, HappyHeart said:

What do you buy from the UK section in the supermarket?

We get bachelor's mushy peas, paxo stuffing (No good alternative), bisto, Yorkshire pudding mix (husband insists it's 'easier') and occasionally a galaxy or ripple. 

Always had a soft spot for a Galaxy 

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4 hours ago, Parley said:

Just let it all go. You're an Aussie now. You don't need all that crap.

I’m still a Pom in Oz. Old habits die hard....a little taste of home as they say. At least I didn’t get on the 1st plane back because I couldn’t get my Robinson’s cordial....

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2 hours ago, Ausvisitor said:

Even if they move to Spain permanently they still get their UK pension as though they were in the UK.

Its just Canada, Aus and NZ (a handful of others) that have this stupid pension freezing concept applied to them

I think there are about 140 countries that the UK state pension is frozen?

195 countries in the world,  so countries with frozen pensions are a bit more than a handful.

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1 hour ago, HappyHeart said:

I’m still a Pom in Oz. Old habits die hard....a little taste of home as they say. At least I didn’t get on the 1st plane back because I couldn’t get my Robinson’s cordial....

I thought I was the only one that remembered that…

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5 hours ago, HappyHeart said:

What do you buy from the UK section in the supermarket?

We get bachelor's mushy peas, paxo stuffing (No good alternative), bisto, Yorkshire pudding mix (husband insists it's 'easier') and occasionally a galaxy or ripple. 

Pg Tips.. i also buy a Tesco brand from the Reject shop that are ok too. Oh Mushy peas too and double deckers and Rolos if on offer/sale,lol.

 Cal x

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On 31/05/2021 at 22:58, HappyHeart said:

Yeah, what is with that thin vinegary stuff with very little mint in it? Coleman's all the way....

Some of the Australia mint sauce (even the one's hilariously labelled "thick mint sauce") contain so little mint I think they could legally sell them as mint free. Look on the packaging of the Australian mint sauce you'll see some of them are less than 1% mint! Of course mint isn't very heavy so even Colman's is only 25% mint - though I did manage to get some in a local deli (Welsh Lady brand) that is 26% mint so you're slacking Colman's! Although in all honesty you can't taste the extra 1%.

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7 hours ago, Marisawright said:

Impossible to find an impartial judge, though.  People who have grown up with artificially-thickened mint sauce are going to like that better than the runny home-made or chef-made stuff.

But surely if you are making the mint sauce yourself you just adjust the quantities (basically just add less liquid if you want it thicker)? It doesn't have to be runny just because it's home made (especially as you can add gelatine if you are a fan of mint jelly).

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2 hours ago, HappyHeart said:

Out of interest moving to Australia also means you eat a more diverse range of cuisines. We’ve eaten different foods that our sons multicultural friends introduced him to. 

I don't recall ever seeing a Vietnamese restaurant in the UK (I'm sure they're must be a small number). Here they're everywhere. I put it down to Britain not being in that war.

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1 hour ago, Ken said:

Some of the Australia mint sauce (even the one's hilariously labelled "thick mint sauce") contain so little mint I think they could legally sell them as mint free. Look on the packaging of the Australian mint sauce you'll see some of them are less than 1% mint! Of course mint isn't very heavy so even Colman's is only 25% mint - though I did manage to get some in a local deli (Welsh Lady brand) that is 26% mint so you're slacking Colman's! Although in all honesty you can't taste the extra 1%.

Welsh Lady have some nice stuff.  

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1 hour ago, Ken said:

Some of the Australia mint sauce (even the one's hilariously labelled "thick mint sauce") contain so little mint I think they could legally sell them as mint free. Look on the packaging of the Australian mint sauce you'll see some of them are less than 1% mint! Of course mint isn't very heavy so even Colman's is only 25% mint - though I did manage to get some in a local deli (Welsh Lady brand) that is 26% mint so you're slacking Colman's! Although in all honesty you can't taste the extra 1%.

Just buy from sellers at any farmers market or weekend market in any country town.  Always a good range of chilli sauces too. 

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6 hours ago, Rallyman said:

Always had a soft spot for a Galaxy 

I used to love it, and then suddenly a year or so ago I stopped liking it. Don't know if they changed the recipe or something.

But I've always got time for a flake, or that one like a coated flake. Think it's a ripple.

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5 hours ago, HappyHeart said:

I’m still a Pom in Oz. Old habits die hard....a little taste of home as they say. At least I didn’t get on the 1st plane back because I couldn’t get my Robinson’s cordial....

Don't they do Robinson's in Australia? I'm sure I remember them advertising it during Wimbledon.

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Does rosemary actually taste of anything? I always add it to lamb, but I don't know if it actually gives it flavour.

Possibly it's been washed of by the thin mint sauce. I'm not sure.

I do like lamb in garlic. But then I like anything in garlic.

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17 hours ago, Tulip1 said:

Yes.  They’re still UK residents, just on a long holiday.  It’s a great idea, many return to the same place year after year and meet up with friends they’ve met previously.  

I know a friend of mine from way back lives in Portugal. I can't imagine that he ever went to the trouble of learning portuguese but maybe.

I've not heard from him for years but had a mutual friend come and stay here about 3 years ago. We all used to play in the same football team and socialise a lot. I don't think he gets back to the UK hardly at all though. My mate who came here hadn't seen him for years, just gets the odd e-mail. 

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13 hours ago, Ken said:

But surely if you are making the mint sauce yourself you just adjust the quantities (basically just add less liquid if you want it thicker)? It doesn't have to be runny just because it's home made (especially as you can add gelatine if you are a fan of mint jelly).

It's just mint and vinegar so there is nothing that would make it a thicker sauce - you'd have to add a thickener like cornflour (or xanthan gum like the commercial brands).  

I was just responding to someone who claimed "proper" mint sauce was thick.  In fact, classic mint sauce isn't thick, it's just that the poster (like most Brits) has grown up with Colman's which is artificially thickened.  And of course, they have every right to prefer that - but it's not correct to call it "proper".  

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1 minute ago, Marisawright said:

Look up any professional chef's recipe and that's what mint sauce is.  You're welcome to prefer the artificially thickened stuff.

All this fuss over mint sauce.  😂  Mint must be one of the easiest herbs to grow and one of the easiest sauces to make at home.  The bought stuff can't compare.

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4 minutes ago, Marisawright said:

It's just mint and vinegar so there is nothing that would make it a thicker sauce - you'd have to add a thickener like cornflour (or xanthan gum like the commercial brands).  

I was just responding to someone who claimed "proper" mint sauce was thick.  In fact, classic mint sauce isn't thick, it's just that the poster (like most Brits) has grown up with Colman's which is artificially thickened.  And of course, they have every right to prefer that - but it's not correct to call it "proper".  

Its just a word,, i often say '' Proper tea bags when i get my PG tips, or use Bisto gravy.. if someone has used it for the last 30 plus years and is replying to a thread called ''What you miss about Britain' it is proper to them. Lets not get all pedantic on the useage of one word and spoil this thread unnecessarily.

 Cal x

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