ICELAND

[ANDY]

Seems the new Iceland shop in Guia is where the Pingo doce supermarket was/is at the Retail park next to comforama.

[blue]

Really? I thought it might be there but their advert says it's near Makro.

[maccasa]

That is the other side of the rd.

[Bruce Wallis]

Iceland.....that seems a bit of a strange choice to open up there.......

I cant see Cliff nipping out for a couple of pizzas and a black forest gateau , can you??

[ANDY]

That's why mums go to iceland.

[blue]

I always thought that Iceland just sold really c**p, rubbish food but the link to their Spanish stores website actually looks quite good, & they sell not just frozen stuff but tin & dried foods & fresh fruit & vegetables at what appear to be really good prices. I'm beginning to sound like an advert for Iceland , but I shall certainly be going to have a look when it opens.

[ANDY]

Very Impressed with the New Iceland, very good selections of products at good prices, shame about the paying part ( Took an hour) but it was there first day and Iam sure it will get better.

[EMM]

Unfortunatley I think we can expect to see items purchased from Overseas SA appearing on the budget menus of many expat run places. Prepackaged, portion control, unhealthy full of fats and salts, it is what we come to Portugal to get away from.

[martin]

report here

http://overseas.es/whatsNew/newLines/1/item24

[pete-flint]

Unfortunatley I think we can expect to see items purchased from Overseas SA appearing on the budget menus of many expat run places. Prepackaged, portion control, unhealthy full of fats and salts, it is what we come to Portugal to get away from.

Don't have to go to these places do we !!

I must admit Iceland is much better than Farmfoods for quality. As is the MILF.

[blue]

EMM you are funny, I've never known a nation of people who eat as much fat & salt as the Portuguese. If you eat in the country restaurants the stews are full of great, big lumps of fat, the grilled meat is dripping in fat & they pour salted & melted butter all over the 'healthily' grilled meat & fish, we frequently have to ask for our food sem sal, & we like salt . It seems you are forever sneering at the ex-pats for wanting certain imported products, do you only ever eat traditional English when living in the UK? No pasta then, no foreign cheeses - brie, edam, gorgonzola, mozzarell (no pizzas then) or French/Italian/etc., wines, no risottos or Chinese. I don't understand your take on eating Portugese either, what is this exactly? What do you cook & eat when you live here that is particulary Portuguese, perhaps you could share your recipes with those of us who don't know.

I went to Iceland today with some friends for a recci', OMG the number of people there I thought the Queen must be opening it! But we had a good nose around, some very good product choices & they even have some Waitrose produce (I don't know why?). The prices were very good, I think they will do really well, I never shopped in Iceland in the UK but I think I will use the Iceland here, I've yet to do a pricing comparison with Continente which is the supermarket I use most & really like & Continente's own brands can be very good, others not so. I don't know what Iceland's own brand products are like but will try them.

[EMM]

To be honest we do not buy any imported cheeses when in Portugal, the locally produced products are more than good enough.
Yes maybe 4-5 pizza year from the chill cabinet at Continente or Pinge doce, Certainly nothing like the pre prepared deep frozen ready meals so popular in the UK and now imported by Overseas SA.
Although I will admit that there is more of this type of product to be seen in the larger PT supermarkets it is nothing on the scale you find in the UK and I am not convinced that Jumbo or continente are targeting just a Portuguese market but rather in the Algarve the large number of expats and tourists.

We do eat much better in Portugal, typical meals in recent weeks were, chicken piri piri ( last evening outing for the BBQ ) with a fesh salad and home made chips. Pork and clam cataplana, all local ingredients, sausage and bean casserole, Chilli con carne , pork ribs slow cooked in the oven marinaded in soy, honey with home made coleslaw, grilled goats cheese with portuguese bacon.We also cook sea food rice, grill fresh fish especially if I am luck enough to catch any.
We grow chillis, and herbs like basil, mint, tarragon and sage in tubs.
It has nothing to do with more time in PT just that we feel more motivated and that the locally produced ingredients are better.
You may not believe this but you can go for weeks in the UK sometimes in the major supermarkets where they only have imported fruit and veg when smaller shops have UK produce.

As for your comment about the Portuguese diet, I would like to see some comparisons between the levels of adult obesity and childhood obesity between portugal and the UK. All statistics I have seen put the UK very high up on the list.

We even bring back Pt cheeses and believe it or not a brand of breakfast cereal we cannot get in the UK.

[Jaylay]

Sorry to say do not think it will be long before the Portuguese have major obesity problems, did you see the size of some of the Portuguese tourists this summer, Portugal is becoming no different to many other places, if food is cheap and tastes ok then it will get eaten
Having lived in and visited various countries around the world over the last 30 years I have made do without packaged convience food and cooked what ever has been available, but I will still make a trip to Iceland maybe to buy a treat of something I have not eaten for ages and/or to grumble at some of the prices and the products that are there.
The thought of buttered crumpets and a pot of tea on a wet November afternoon in Carvoeiro makes me want to get in the car and go now.

[HampshireRich]

...... but I will still make a trip to Iceland maybe to buy a treat

Hell fire - you must have a miserable life then

[Jaylay]

...... but I will still make a trip to Iceland maybe to buy a treat

Hell fire - you must have a miserable life then

Well I can have a gin and tonic anytime, can not remember the last time I had a toasted crumpet