Can't compare the prices with the UK, but yes, they often have good seafoodcounters in the supermarkets, even when far away from the sea. I suppose you will be better off near the sea, but it find the smell at those department very good. And to me smell is an important indication for the freshness of fish. The smell of fish reduces in quality far before the health norms come into play.
P.S. Oh and don't forget the many great cheeses they have. Try some farmers chees: 'fermier'. e.g. Brie is a normal white soft tasting chees, but than buy a 'Coulommiers', which is a specific Brie-type, at the farm and you will be surprised: extremely rich in taste. Wel: Bleu d'Auvergne, a St. Nectaire fermier, or an old Cantal, specifically the Salers (Salers is very old farm Cantal)....
mmm... Meules, huitres, crevettes, sardines (real ones) crabes et homards. They taste better with the french name too. There are some amazing market stalls and poissonneries but the real gob-smackers are the supermarkets. If you go to a big LeClercs or a Hyper-U you will find an enormous fish dept. As an idea of price, I got a kilo of big crevettes roses (big whole prawns) for €2.50 (OK it was a special offer) - about 1/5 what you'd pay here, or a kilo of oysters for €4.00 (about 20 per kilo). My favourite lunch was a dozen oysters, 1/2 dozen prawns and a flacon of Bretagne cidre.
As well as the excellent cheeses wlee mentioned, the meat is worth looking at. The old burgers (steaks hachés) are generally better than you get here. The regular meat seems to be just - well - better.
The veg will appear to be a bit scrawney and irregular but it tastes great. And it is cheap too.
The variety & quality of produce is - I think - a result of how the EU Common Agricultural Policy is applied in France, i.e., WE subsidise THEIR small farms to produce food without regard to uniformity or mass production. I consider it my duty to eat (and drink) as much as possible to even things out a little bit in the two weeks I am there.
Lastly alot of sites have a bakery or a delivery in the morning of fresh bread, croissants & pastries, just in time for breakfast.
That was just the answer I was hoping for!! It will be good to have the freedom to cook and eat whatever you like without being dictated to by a grotty hotel buffet.
Thanks
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> The variety & quality of produce is - I think - a result of how the EU Common Agricultural Policy is applied in France, i.e., WE subsidise THEIR small farms to produce food without regard to uniformity or mass production. <
Not exactly. The French have different standards as to what they value and what they want to spend money on. We tned to buy just at the supermarket. They are prepared to pay more for farm products. farmers chees is clearly more expensive than dairy chees. Same with some of the meats. The value crafts very much, but not only in wood work, glass pottery, but also in food products. This causes many supermarkets to buy vegetables local (you know, still some sand in the lettuce). Same for meat in some areas. Plus the people there know what good meat is. Tahe Auvergne, the vally west of Puy mary. This originally is a beef-producing area (still is). Cattle walking around in the mountains. This reflects in the attitude of the local butcher in Le Falgoux (small village overthere). The 'merguez' (thin spicy saucage), was pure spiced fresh lambs meat!! I saw them producing it. With the type of spices used it is easy to dilute on quality: they did not, as I saw with my own eyes.
Elsewhere they also use other types of meat, but that's always indicate on the package. Lambs is the very best, but turkey meat and beef are often used and those you will normally find in the supermarket.
This mentality reflects also on supermarkets, especially in the less urbanized areas.
Oh, and don't forget some of their 'terrines', if you are eating in a restaurant (can be very cheap!). They have 'paté' and 'terrine'. Looks the same but the difference is the meat used. Paté is low quality meat, remainders, Terrine means the best meat is used, like echines (better type of pork meat). This usually implies that pate is very fine cut, like a paste, while terrine is more course cut, as you may see and taste the sperate types of meat in it. Now some of the chef's terrines are delicious.
I can make quiet a good terrine myself actually: learnt that from a hotel cook in France, on holiday in Auvergne.
They also have delicious meal-salads, with pieces of several cheeses, hams and bacons etc.
Good and delicious saucages too, several types, smoked, dried or dried in (oakwood)ashes (saucisse au cendre: local type in the Pyrenees) or otherwise.
Some great types of ham (Jambon d'Auvergne is the top for me, nowhere else do they get that combination of taste and smooth texture).
You will not go to the grotty hotel biffet. It is very normal to go to any restaurant an for any hotel to have a restaurant that has it's own positions, i.e. most guests are external, not from the hotel. The daily menu (normally you can choose out of 3) often is very good and cheap.
So go and cook yourself, and sometimes go for the restaurant too: warm evening, outside, good wine, some snails or jambon as starter, good local Salers steak -rare- (Salers is a special mountain type of cow)...
I don't disagree WL - but generally their food is no more expensive than here. I do like sandy veg too. I think ours can be too shiny
WL is correct. Do try the restaurants too. I have not been disappointed. Even simple regional dishes like crepes or gallettes are great. The food tends to be simple but wholesome - no fuss, no frissée (you knoe that thistle style lettuce that has become popular here) just what it says on the carte.
There are buffets, but not like we know them - there are chains of cafeteria style eateries, e.g. Casino, which is the french version of fast food. Yes there are Macdongles et al but I don't even do them in the UK!
It did take me a while to figure out crudités though...
Go, eat. You will not be disappointed
More expensive? Not our experience I have to say. Whether you eat out, or buy in a market or a hypermarché, most things will cost less than their UK equivalents and give you better quality than you would get at home. When you eat out, don't be afraid to ask about what is in a dish. Often the waiting staff don't know much about the cooking side, but are happy to ask the chef. Once you know, you can recreate similar, simpler versions of things you have enjoyed yourself. Oh dear, I wish I was there now...
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Watching Rick Stein's "Odyssey" where he takes a barge from Bordeaux down to Agde & beyond, it is easy to imagine being there. Superb filming, very inspiring both to travellers through France & to aspiring cooks. Is the Midi the next favourite place?
We went to France last August and we where amazed at the quality of meats and fish available at the local Super U, we where adventureous and did try different foods but I always polished my meal off with a Creme Brulee (yumm).
We even managed to bring home some steak hache, cheese, pate and wine of course some how didn't taste quiet the same as sitting outside you tent on an August night sipping chilled wine.
My hubby even ordered a Steak Tartar (sp?) which he struggled with as basically it was a lump of raw mince with a egg yolk on top he had a go but admitted he would avoid it again.
> Steak Tartar <
Yes, Steak Tratar is minced meat, made of red beef, baked and served as a disk of beef. It can be eaten nearly raw with fresh ground black or green pepper and salt.
Steak Hachee is also minced meat, but with fat in it and possibly may be made of beef, but also of pork, or both. The latter has to be cooked well done.
Steak is steak in general. Entrecote is a better quality and Tournedos is top quality steak. The also have other types like 'pavee'. You have to check and ask. All different qualities.
If you have any vegetarians in your family be warned that the variety of dishes is much more limited than England. Things like veggie burgers, veggie sausages etc don't really exist. However the fresh vegetables are great.
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A day of all things motorhome and campervan. The show is held both in the main indoor arena and across the grounds. Catering, hot drinks and food options are available. Easy access to the site and free parking included. Win one of five pairs of day tickets
Topic: How adventurous is your cooking?
It will be good to have the freedom to cook and eat whatever you like without being dictated to by a grotty hotel buffet.
I have not been disappointed. Even simple regional dishes like crepes or gallettes are great. The food tends to be simple but wholesome - no fuss, no frissée (you knoe that thistle style lettuce that has become popular here) just what it says on the carte. 
