Sausages - no, not those!

[Tyre Smoke]

With the UK being the new pariah, and all fresh meats etc, being banned from EU, what's the plan?

A limit on the beers you can bring. Yes, I know there's loads in Carrefour and LeClerc, but when Morrisons et al are doing deals of three crates for £20 or something and obviously you want your bacon and sausages for breakfast, is anyone planning some 'black ops'?

We usually bring everything from home (caravan and three fridges) so have all the home comforts and decent meals. Just wondering what the likelihood of having my dry cured Danish bacon and Irish recipie sausages confiscated at Caen when we dock.

[MrC986]

OP, I know the likes of 1st Tickets have been working on the issue of suitable bacon/sausage suppliers given the post Brexit situation. I wouldn't want to try the patience of the French Customs team as you might not just get the supplies seized but also get a fine as well.

[Tyre Smoke]

I'm not planning anything yet. Just wondering what is happening in real life.

Last September my son and I travelled Dover to Calais (albeit just in a car) and there was no evidence of sniffer dogs hunting out the odd Bowyers.

[LawrieC]

When it comes to this sort of thing, the French are traditionally unpredictable

[FARP]

I’d be very careful, apparently French customs have been training dogs especially to sniff out Sausage and Bacon.

[Tyre Smoke]

I had heard that, but never seen it in action.

To be honest, if our two are anything to go by, not a lot of training required!

[Nosynchro]

Beer 16 litres a head I think so take some buy some?

[Tyre Smoke]

You can take 16 litres with no issues? That is 'only' four boxes of 12x330ml though.

[//j17]

Tyre Smoke said:

Just wondering what is happening in real life.

IRL what's happening is...absolutely nothing.

The reality is while it's technically illegal to take "products of animal origin" from the UK to the EU without all the appropreate paperwork nobody is really interested in someone taking a couple of packets of bacon in the boot of their car. It's very much like class B drugs - the authorities aren't really interested in 'personal usage' quantities but roll up in a refrigerated van with a 'supply' quantity filling the back and it's a different story.

That doesn't mean you CAN'T get stopped for your hidden stash of 6 rashers of the finest smoked back bacon but you'd have to have already done something to pi$$ them off for them to care, and even then the most likely outcome is someone saying "You can't being this in." and having to watch them walk over and dump your rashers in the nearest bin.

FARP said:

I’d be very careful, apparently French customs have been training dogs especially to sniff out Sausage and Bacon.

Tyre Smoke said:

I had heard that, but never seen it in action.

I doubt you ever would see them in the passenger lanes. Pop across to the truck ones and you might.

Edited by //j17 on Wednesday 4th May 09:37

[Tyre Smoke]

Yeah, I've heard of truck drivers having their ham and cheese sandwiches 'liberated' by Les Douanes.

[//j17]

Tyre Smoke said:

Yeah, I've heard of truck drivers having their ham and cheese sandwiches 'liberated' by Les Douanes.

How many times though? Was it just the once, a few days after the end of the post-Brexit transition agreement when Dutch customs made a point by doing it to a few lorries in front of Dutch TV cameras that just 'happened' to be there filming a piece about just what BoJo's amazing 'free trade' agreement with the EU actually said and meant...?

[Red9zero]

LawrieC said:

When it comes to this sort of thing, the French are traditionally unpredictable

That's what I'm thinking. We have never been searched (in a T5 van) at customs, but sods law says we will this year. Carrefour is going to be busy I think !

[Tyre Smoke]

//j17 said:

Tyre Smoke said:

Yeah, I've heard of truck drivers having their ham and cheese sandwiches 'liberated' by Les Douanes.

How many times though? Was it just the once, a few days after the end of the post-Brexit transition agreement when Dutch customs made a point by doing it to a few lorries in front of Dutch TV cameras that just 'happened' to be there filming a piece about just what BoJo's amazing 'free trade' agreement with the EU actually said and meant...?

Exactly!

We're taking what we normally take. They aren't going to search everyone in the height of summer.

[Rick101]

There are way to smuggle a sausage.

I'd be somewhat hesitant if it was one of those red spicy ones though.

[Tyre Smoke]

Rick101 said:

There are way to smuggle a sausage.

I'd be somewhat hesitant if it was one of those red spicy ones though.

Not sure I'd want to smuggle a week's worth. Or eat them to be fair.

[//j17]

If it helps it was a big topic of conversation on skiing forums in the build up to the 2021/22 season. Can't recall seeing a single "We were stopped and they took our bacon!" posts during the season though.

[eps]

Tyre Smoke said:

Rick101 said:

There are way to smuggle a sausage.

I'd be somewhat hesitant if it was one of those red spicy ones though.

Not sure I'd want to smuggle a week's worth. Or eat them to be fair.

Just freeze them first...

[cn7k7]

I rather like French food so the only thing I’ll take is Guinness, although I seem to remember seeing it the local shops anyway

Croissant and coffee in the morning, Aurberge for lunch and D’Art for dinner....what’s not to like

[Tyre Smoke]

The expense for a start.

We have a six berth caravan with (this year) just me and my mate. Three fridges (or two and a freezer) a full sized cooker, gas barbecue and satellite television. So eating out every day would be ruinous. We prefer to self cater and have a full English to set us up for the day. We even do a full roast dinner on Sunday.

[cn7k7]

Tyre Smoke said:

The expense for a start.

We have a six berth caravan with (this year) just me and my mate. Three fridges (or two and a freezer) a full sized cooker, gas barbecue and satellite television. So eating out every day would be ruinous. We prefer to self cater and have a full English to set us up for the day. We even do a full roast dinner on Sunday.

I can understand that but we take a couple of convertibles with little space for the culinary support required so have little choice!