Food substitutes !

[brucesbabe]

How about this idea for a helpful thread for all us fresh off the boat so to speak ...... All of the people who arrived and went through every single brand of tea, coffee, ketchup etc until you found something similar to the taste of your fave UK brand - how about compiling a list ? It could save people lots of dollars.

Of course we all like to think that we will embrace all the aussie brands, and I know everyones taste is different, but it would be good to have some recommendations of tried and tested alternatives !

Lisa

PS how am I gonna live without my shreddies?

[Guest HRHelp]

Good point! For starters - nothing compares to Bicks sweetcorn relish (if you ever find any anywhere buy lots and bring it here!). For real fudge buy "Scottish Tablet". Biscuits and cake? tough one - stick with Mr Kiplings i think! (Mind you Woolworths choc mud cake is very good and tastes chocolatey)...hows that for starters?

[scooterdan]

Stick with Kiplings...... No thanks!! Over priced tiny little things!! Try some the independent bakers around.....awesome cakes and great prices!!!

 

Plenty of 'proper' fudge in Hahndorf lolly shops too....loads of flavours!!

Edited May 20, 2012 by scooterdan
spelling...as pointed out by Xzibit!!

[xzibit]

Flavoured fridges? I'm intrigued.

[wireworks]

We've found that the Aussie's have a very sweet tooth, and even 'familiar' brands must be made under contract for this as they are a lot sweeter than in the UK. Hellman's mayo is one example, we haven't found a good 'substitute' yet (18 months in), but I did find a japanese mayo in a tube in a Foodland once which wasn't too bad. Obviously it depends on what your 'faves' are, Mocconia coffee is Dowe Egberts, English style Heinz Baked Beans are what they say, my husband was a Yorkshire Tea person, but now loves Bushells Australian Breakfast Tea (that took a lot of trying out, and throwing away of packets of tea bags) . Try the smaller shops and the markets, go to bakeries. Supermarkets are good for basics, tinnned goods, paper products, use independent greengrocers and butchers for other stuff, or the market. Depends where you live as well. Foodland is an independent foodstore group, but each branch is different.

There are some shops specialising in UK products to cater for the ex-pat market - they are expensive, but you can buy Bisto gravy powder and other 'familiar' goods there.

At the end of the day, you will have to do a lot of the tryouts yourself as everyone's tastes are different. Hope this helps!

[ajford]

S & W Whole egg mayo is good, greens gravy is as good as Bisto and cheaper, foodlands own whole meal bread is ok, yoghurt I only buy the kids pouchies but they work out about the same. You will get offer leaflets through your door twice a week, look at them you get some good money savings in them from the supermarkets. Don't really know about tea as don't drink a lot of it. All I would suggest is buy the smallest jar/tub/can if it's new to you.

 

Lisa

[Guest ReadyPenny]

I was a PG Tips addict before coming here, I drank Dilmah extra strong for a while and now use Lipton Intense. I prefer Rosella Tomato Ketchup rather than Heinz, much tastier!! Best bread I have found, at the supermarket, is Wonder White but it's quite pricey!!! Below are some of my favourite products

 

Kleenex Cottonelle - loo rolls

OMO - washing liquid

Earth Choice - cleaning stuff and washing up liquid

Hellmans Mayo (tried all the others - yuk!)

Sarson's Malt Vinegar

Green's Gravy Granules

 

I have adapted my taste to almost all of the Australian brands but mayo and vinegar just cannot be substitued!!!

 

Mandy

[Sallyh]

Hommous is a hard one. best I have found is Copperpot but maybe the sugar thing is why all the typical Australian ones taste to me, nothing like hommous (however you spell it I know how I like it to taste!!!).

Tea: we like Dilmah Extra Strength - in the UK we drank Clipper Fairtrade tea. This one is the best we have found that we liked though I don't think it tastes the same

Chocolate: Green & Blacks = Green & Blacks...

Marmite- called Our Mate here ... no substitute!

Golden Syrup - if you look hard enough (and if you shop online at coles) you can find tate & lyle - in my view no substitute!

agree with the toilet roll and washing liquid recs.

 

Have to say I haven't been all that fussed about matching English brands, it's fun trying new stuff, I have never found a mixed herbs I like so I just use individual herbs for whatever I am cooking... but there are a few preferences I have which I have listed above!

[The Monaghans]

We're a bit fussy about our mayo so we either buy Helmans or Best, about the same price for both. Gravy, well we buy Green's gravy granules for the dog but it's Bisto for us (yes I realise that buying gravy granules for the dog is strange....) Tried all sorts of weetabix substitutes but I'm afraid none compared so we shell out for the real thing. It took me a long, long, long time to get used to the Cadbury's chocolate here but now quite happy to eat the aussie version. Massell stock cubes are very good, love Red Rock Deli crisps but still get the occasional hankering for Walkers Cheese and Onion or Roast Chicken crisps - damned if I'll pay nearly $3 for a stale, out of date packet though! Heading off to Hallett Cove shopping centre on Friday and just might be tempted to pay for a tin of Heinz Mulligatawny soup mmmmmm...

[Misplaced]

They are not crisps they are CHIPS!!!

[Sallyh]

I don't really miss crisps. But we do call them chips now... sorry..........

[The Monaghans]

They are not crisps they are CHIPS!!!

 

Lol, my bad!

[brucesbabe]

Great tips thanks !

Especially the one regarding tea, and of course chocolate mmm green and blacks wil do nicely ! I agree about it being fun to try new things otherwise what would be the point in moving to another country, but that said there are some things ( like afore mentioned ) that you gotta get right early on ! I am ready to embrace more wine too, as I have seen that my taste for flavoured vodka may be a touch extravagant at Oz prices !

Lisa

[Guest ladyarkles]

Hi Lisa,

 

I find that the sooner you get used to new stuff, the better.

Having lived in Taiwan for three years, where I couldn't even read the packaging, Australia is a real doddle.

I had to learn how to do the mimes for "pig", "chicken" "egg" and "beef" (those were the easy ones, try miming "cottage cheese" and you will see what I mean)

 

It really depends what you are craving and the reasons for that craving.

Supermarket sliced bread is as devoid of taste and goodness here, as anywhere else in the world.

Most cans and jars contain just as much salt, artificial wotnots and empty calories as they do in the UK.

 

I really enjoy having access to markets where I can buy fresh local veggies, good quality meat and interesting delicacies.

I make my own bread (hence my dislike of the squeezy loaves), yoghurt, jams and marmalades.

If we get a hankering for sausage rolls or scotch eggs, I just do it myself.

I learnt to make sausage meat whilst in Asia, and am still doing it here as I find the local sausage meat not to my taste.

 

You will find a brand of tea that suits you, most stuff will be of familiar taste to you - but, and this is the best bit.......

you get to have TIM TAMS!!!

 

They are beyond good.

 

TIM TAMS (just thought I would say that again)

They taste like Penguins that were made in heaven and brought to earth on the wings of angels.

We have limited ourselves to three packets a day as none of our trousers fit, but they are worth the bariatric lap-band surgery.

 

Anyway, part of starting a new life is the adventure.

Don't worry so much about what you will miss, but think about all the fan-dabby-dozee stuff you will get to discover.

 

 

~ Rachel xx

[brucesbabe]

Hi Lisa,

 

I find that the sooner you get used to new stuff, the better.

Having lived in Taiwan for three years, where I couldn't even read the packaging, Australia is a real doddle.

I had to learn how to do the mimes for "pig", "chicken" "egg" and "beef" (those were the easy ones, try miming "cottage cheese" and you will see what I mean)

 

It really depends what you are craving and the reasons for that craving.

Supermarket sliced bread is as devoid of taste and goodness here, as anywhere else in the world.

Most cans and jars contain just as much salt, artificial wotnots and empty calories as they do in the UK.

 

I really enjoy having access to markets where I can buy fresh local veggies, good quality meat and interesting delicacies.

I make my own bread (hence my dislike of the squeezy loaves), yoghurt, jams and marmalades.

If we get a hankering for sausage rolls or scotch eggs, I just do it myself.

I learnt to make sausage meat whilst in Asia, and am still doing it here as I find the local sausage meat not to my taste.

 

You will find a brand of tea that suits you, most stuff will be of familiar taste to you - but, and this is the best bit.......

you get to have TIM TAMS!!!

 

They are beyond good.

 

TIM TAMS (just thought I would say that again)

They taste like Penguins that were made in heaven and brought to earth on the wings of angels.

We have limited ourselves to three packets a day as none of our trousers fit, but they are worth the bariatric lap-band surgery.

 

Anyway, part of starting a new life is the adventure.

Don't worry so much about what you will miss, but think about all the fan-dabby-dozee stuff you will get to discover.

 

 

~ Rachel xx

I love that desription of tim tams ! In fact I have already been put on to them by my uncle in law who visits family in Perth regularly. I anticipate them even more now, biscuits and choc being my ultimate weaknesses.

And yes, the fact that language is no barrier will definitely make the shopping experience simpler !

Thanks, your post really made me smile !

Lisa