Expat Survival Food Supplies

So the saying goes, the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, but perhaps it should have included expats as well. Whilst food may be the last thing that springs to mind when you are packing up all your belongings, nothing will remind of home quite like a dish or favorite treat from your past.  

As an Aussie expat, some of the treats that I miss most from home are Tim Tams, Mint Slice biscuits, Cadbury's Top Deck chocolate and Cherry Ripes - just thinking about them all is making my mouth water! For Kiwis it's Manuka Honey and Whittakers Peanut Slabs and for South Africans it's Peppermint Crisps, but whatever your soft spot, be sure to include an emergency stash in your suitcase before you leave. (The cutoms and quarantine regulations in the UK are not as strict as those in countries like Australia, so you'll have no trouble getting them across the boarder, the only challenging part will be making them last!)

Unfortunately chocolate of any description doesn't last very long in my household, so making our supplies last was never really an option. Thankfully, a recent trip home to Australia enabled me to stock up on all my favorite supplies. I was even able to teach all of my English friends the art of a Tim Tam slam on my return. The only problem was that they were all such naturals I've had to beg my mum to send me some more! 

If like me your supplies have run low, the following UK based websites are an absolute godsend: Australia Shop, Canada Shop, South Africa Shop, New Zealand Shop, American Soda, Italian Deli Online and Sanza  (which caters for South Africans, New Zealanders and Aussies). Please email me the details of any other stores you'd like to share with your fellow expats.

For more arrival survival tips, check out The Oxford Fresher's Arrival Survival Guide.