Early retirement and moving overseas are not what you foresee, and the things you miss are no exception. You presume you are going to miss friends, being part of a team, a juicy bit of office gossip now and again, but you don’t expect to miss a Saturday trudge around Ikea! Try moving house without easy access to those “essentials” you didn’t know you needed until you did. I have lost count of how many stores I have been to trying to buy a large lampshade for a reasonable price. Who would have thought it? Bags of 100 tealights, packs of 100 serviettes, multi size freezer bags – come back Ikea all is forgiven.
I’m not the biggest fan of classic British food, give me a hawker centre In Penang any day. However, I did underestimate how much I would miss the familiar tastes of home. One of the main joys of a trip to Dubai is stocking up in Waitrose and M&S’s food hall. Dubai typically receives between 15-17 million visitors a year. I am sure they are not all hankering after crumpets and sage and onion stuffing!
Branston pickle, Walkers cheese and onion crisps, Warburton’s crumpets M&S Melton Mobray mini pork pies and Waitrose cheese coleslaw are all things I miss more than I expected to. Notice the absence of anything with any nutritional value! Guests are always welcome, but be warned, you will be given a shopping list so don’t skimp on the luggage allowance
During my first six months living in Mauritius, I thought people here didn’t eat celery. I was in despair, as it’s a vital ingredient for a Bloody Mary! Eventually, I learned that it was simply out of season locally, and none was being imported from South Africa. Parsnips, on the other hand, are not grown locally and are seldom imported. On average, Mauritius brings in around $400 million worth of food imports yearly, but parsnips remain rare. When there is news of parsnip availability, word travels quickly, so you can’t hesitate. I was gifted a single parsnip around Christmas time, yes just one!, and I was very grateful. I cut it into julienne strips and I managed to offer a tiny treat to four people for Christmas lunch.
Groceries were never an issue in Malaysia, much like in the UK supermarkets are well-stocked throughout the year. In Mauritius there is a specialist grocery store “Food Lovers” which has an partnership with Waitrose providing a taste of the UK. Bizarrely, they also stock Waitrose toilet rolls, which is puzzling given the abundant supply of Andrex. It’s a 50 minute drive each way to buy a bag of frozen Yorkshire puddings and a jar of beetroot. Things can go out of stock here for months on end, the current shortages are Schweppes Tonic and Worcester Sauce. Perhaps that’s a another hint to take a break from the Bloody Mary’s!
In a wave of food nostalgia, we recently hosted “The Pub Lunch,” bringing together six British expats for a taste of home. None of us have lived the the UK for many, many years which brings me back to thinking about it’s funny what you miss. We indulged in a traditional Ploughman’s Platter featuring pork pie, Scotch eggs, cheese, pickle, pickled onions, crusty bread, and of course, plenty of beer. To top it all off, a comforting apple crumble was served for dessert.
The preparation took more effort than one might imagine. Crafting the pork pies from scratch was a two-day endeavour, and the pork sausage meat for those perfect Scotch eggs had to be ordered a week in advance from a specialist butcher. One determined guest even made a 30 km round trip to procure a decent vintage mature cheddar. While British beer or cider proved elusive in Mauritius, the local IPA and craft beer filled the gap beautifully.
It is tradition and nostalgia that leads to the madness of cooking a full Christmas dinner in the peak of the Mauritian summer. This also takes meticulous advance planing. Requests have already been sent to UK friends who are traveling soon, even though we are only half way through the year. It’s a tad early for the parsnips, but the stuffing is sure to last provided we don’t give in to temptation one winter Sunday. I am hopeful that a Christmas pudding may be procured via South Africa closer to the festive season.
I have not received any incentives from the brands mentioned but if a container load of crisps and crumpets is available I will happily provide a delivery address.
On a related note, I’m gearing up for my own travels soon and am thrilled to discover an IKEA near my hotel. Now, about that lampshade…
Not Quite Settled 
Please share your thoughts and experiences.