Munich sound upbeat !

[Marco]

I know exactly what you mean - my wife makes it

She's from German descent so knows how to make traditional German food; her maiden name was Bischof.

Marco.

[Filterlab]

For the sake of forum balance, I'd just like to say that I very much enjoy the taste of Cadbury's Fruit & Nut. Especially the ones that come in industrial sized bars

I like F&N too, and Cadbury's isn't bad at all for a mainstream choccy. Certainly good value.

[pure sound]

A few years back I spent some time in Mumbai. While there I tried some of the locally made Cadbury's dairy milk chocolate. A very different & much nicer taste than the UK produced item. More like Milka or similar. Its as if Cadburys have felt the need to make the chocolate they sell here ever sweeter & perhaps with a longer shelf life whereas the Indian version maybe tasted like it used to years ago and they hadn't changed the recipe. I find the UK Cadburys to be very sickly with a sharp & unpleasant aftertaste. The Indian version didn't have that and neither does Suchards or Lindt chocolate.

[Marco]

A few years back I spent some time in Mumbai. While there I tried some of the locally made Cadbury's dairy milk chocolate. A very different & much nicer taste than the UK produced item. More like Milka or similar. Its as if Cadburys have felt the need to make the chocolate they sell here ever sweeter & perhaps with a longer shelf life whereas the Indian version maybe tasted like it used to years ago and they hadn't changed the recipe. I find the UK Cadburys to be very sickly with a sharp & unpleasant aftertaste. The Indian version didn't have that and neither does Suchards or Lindt chocolate.

Guy, I completely agree. Why does the UK always seem to be the 'poor relations' when it comes to food standards? I guess that in general Brits are less discerning than people in other parts of the world when it comes to foodstuffs...

Apart from chocolate, I can think of numerous other examples - Knor packet soup in French supermarkets tastes completely different from the version sold in the UK (it is almost like home-made soup!), as does Fanta orange. Have you ever tasted the Fanta sold in Spain or Italy – it’s a totally different ball game and much more 'orangy' with big bits of orange flesh floating inside it. Orangina in France is also the same compared to what’s sold here. Buitoni pasta sauce is another case in point - the UK version is vile in comparison to what's sold in Italy. It’s ridiculous! Quality should be standardised throughout production and identical no matter where in the world food products are exported to.

I think it's sad that the UK seems to be treated as second-class citizens by major food manufacturers, as if we can't tell or appreciate the difference, or perhaps even sadder, don’t really care.

Perhaps that's the case…

Marco.

[Togil]

Same with the ghastly continental lagers brewed under licence in Burton on Trent or wherever...

[Marco]

Yep, there's another one! Why oh why do we accept it...

Marco.

[Beechwoods]

As with everything in this country you have to scrape beneath the surface - the micro-brewers, the delicatessens, the farmers markets and the artisan producers. There are some great things to be had, just not in your main supermarkets. I'd like to think we in the UK excel in some areas - baking particularly, bread, savouries...

[Marco]

I totally agree. Britain undoubtedly has some of the finest produce in the world (seafood, beef, lamb, etc) - the trouble is most of the natives don't know what to do with it, so therefore the majority of it is exported abroad to those who appreciate it and know how to cook it!

The fact that you have to "scrape beneath the surface" to find high quality produce here (and I agree that there is some wonderful things to be had) confirms that the demand amongst the majority of people isn't there. When you visit a French supermarket, for example, the produce on sale to the masses is of similar quality to that sold to a niche market by the farmers and artisan producers you're referring to in the UK - 'nuff said.

There's an old saying which goes: 'People either live to eat or eat to live'. I suspect that, sadly, for the majority of people in Britain the latter is more accurate...

Things will not improve in the UK until 'Joe public' changes his or her attitude to food, chooses quality before quantity, and sees it as something to enjoy, savour, and be passionate about, rather than just simply sustanance or 'fuel' to keep them alive.

Marco.

[Spectral Morn]

Yes I know what you mean about soft drinks. I am constantly both amazed and shocked at the difference in taste of say Coke, Pepsi or as you say Fanta. It would seem there is no standard for these either. You can perhaps blame different water, depending where it is made, but its usually a difference in texture,sweetness and flavour. To big to be just water ? this difference is not just international but national too. These drinks bought here in N I taste different to those bought in Scotland or the south of England, never mind Spain

Yes the Europeans don't regard UK chocolate to be that, words like S---e, did come up once on a TV show about business. A UK company were trying to launch their Chocolate in a European confection show. The comments were not good. I prefer Dark chocolate or white to the poor light brown stuff we are offered here.

I don't know why we residents of the UK accept crap food and everything else,probably because as a nation we have become sheep in most things and don't complain enough.or are cultured enough either. Just look at our Government
as an example of the kind of crap we will put up with. (Not that I have a vote in regard to Westminster mind you )

Regards D S D L ----- Neil

[Marco]

I don't know why we residents of the UK accept crap food and everything else,probably because as a nation we have become sheep in most things and don't complain enough.

Too bloody right, Neil. Shops and restaurants are a prime example. People here are usually too busy queuing (a seemingly favourite British pastime) to complain!

More on this very interesting subject later - I'm off to listen to some music

Marco.