Campsite food....whats the crack? (LM Virgin)
Discussion
We will be staying on the Houx site and was wondering:
1. Do people generally take a BBQ or a gas burner to cook and brew up on?
2. Does the site allow charcoal BBQ's and if so can you buy charcoal on site.
3. Is there a shop on site where you can buy day to day stuff like bread, eggs, etc etc etc.
4. Or do I forget all that and live off burgers, hotdogs and beer.
5. Are there any reasonable eateries within walking distance.
Please don't flame me for this post, the wife made me ask
1. Do people generally take a BBQ or a gas burner to cook and brew up on?
2. Does the site allow charcoal BBQ's and if so can you buy charcoal on site.
3. Is there a shop on site where you can buy day to day stuff like bread, eggs, etc etc etc.
4. Or do I forget all that and live off burgers, hotdogs and beer.
5. Are there any reasonable eateries within walking distance.
Please don't flame me for this post, the wife made me ask
Carrefour has all the supplies you need (10minute - 2 hour drive depending on the time!) including BBQs charcoal lighter fluid etc. Everyone BBQs at some stage, that many greasy burgers and chips is just a bit too much! Buy a cheapo bbq and leave it there to avoid the stink on the drive home!
Mate, I think you need to review your expectations of a 'site' is. If you are trying to compare to most French Camp Sites then don't.
If you are in Houx the only concessions to comfort is a bar, a hole to shit into and a 'shower'. You will need to get there and then hit the local Supermarket like we did last year. Really wouldn't bring to much and buy most of it there.
The essentials are a tent, decent airbed, bog roll, dust cover for your car (trust me and buy one, I still keep finding dust now). All else you can get when you arrive.
If you are in Houx the only concessions to comfort is a bar, a hole to shit into and a 'shower'. You will need to get there and then hit the local Supermarket like we did last year. Really wouldn't bring to much and buy most of it there.
The essentials are a tent, decent airbed, bog roll, dust cover for your car (trust me and buy one, I still keep finding dust now). All else you can get when you arrive.
No experience of Houx, but at BSJ and another campsite I stayed at (can't rememember what it's called but near the funfair) you can use BBQ's no problem. AT BSJ there was a lady who sold coffee and croissants etc from a van near the showers in the morning and there is a stall at the entrance selling bread and if I recall, sausages too.
Loads of other places will (I'm sure) be available at the new fantastic all new, new just completed (let's hope) brand new village.
Shame they had to knock down the fantastic cheese shop that sold EVERYTHING avec fromage and good coffee too.
Loads of other places will (I'm sure) be available at the new fantastic all new, new just completed (let's hope) brand new village.
Shame they had to knock down the fantastic cheese shop that sold EVERYTHING avec fromage and good coffee too.
) but we'll be taking BBQ's as well - There is a "Cafe" on site at Houx, great for when you are hammered and want chips at 10pm, sot so culinary genius when you are sober....You can play it either way, sit around the camp site and cook your own food or enjoy what food there is around when exploring the circuit, contrary to what some seem to think, there is some damn good food compared to what you might find at a British funfair or motor circuit. Also it's not too badly over-priced, so there is no reason to complain.
The funfair on the outside of the track towards Tetre Rouge had lovely Paella last year, on the inside of the track at the edge of the village we had a sort of diced meat pancake that was great, near the grandstands on the outside was a place selling a sort of cheese flan. Down near BSJ at 3am we found ate twice, once was a hotdog and chips, the other time ham baguettes - there were many options and you don't have to live on a diet of chips and burgers over the weekend.
Not forgetting that if you go to the Parade du Pilote on the Friday there are some great eateries in Le Mans town.
Our vegetarian struggled a little, but she also said at least there were options other than chips, which is the only choice she'd have in the UK.
My only compaint is that outside the village it is more difficult to find any alcohol other than beer, half bottles and Jack Daniels at hourly intervals would have suited me just fine
The funfair on the outside of the track towards Tetre Rouge had lovely Paella last year, on the inside of the track at the edge of the village we had a sort of diced meat pancake that was great, near the grandstands on the outside was a place selling a sort of cheese flan. Down near BSJ at 3am we found ate twice, once was a hotdog and chips, the other time ham baguettes - there were many options and you don't have to live on a diet of chips and burgers over the weekend.
Not forgetting that if you go to the Parade du Pilote on the Friday there are some great eateries in Le Mans town.
Our vegetarian struggled a little, but she also said at least there were options other than chips, which is the only choice she'd have in the UK.
My only compaint is that outside the village it is more difficult to find any alcohol other than beer, half bottles and Jack Daniels at hourly intervals would have suited me just fine
We cook and BBQ quite a lot for the week that we're on MB. The thing to bear in mind is that unless you have a bike it is difficult to get from the campsites to shops from mid afternoon Friday until Monday morning.....this means that if you're planning to cook food for the weekend you need to do a final shop either Friday morning (not recommended too many other things to do on the Friday!) or better Thursday afternoon so you'll need to keep food chilled non rancid until Sunday afternoon/evening.
We use a gas powered fridge, you're on Houx so will have access to electric so you might want to invest in a "real" fridge. Be careful with the incar "chillers" they usually only chill to around 20 degrees below ambient temperature and if that's 38 degrees you're still going to have rancid sausages!!
It depends how long you're going to be there for - if it's only three or four days there is enough food in the village but if you're there for longer you might want to make arrangements to BBQ and we also tend to buy a cheap bbq and bin it after the weekend as well!!
We use a gas powered fridge, you're on Houx so will have access to electric so you might want to invest in a "real" fridge. Be careful with the incar "chillers" they usually only chill to around 20 degrees below ambient temperature and if that's 38 degrees you're still going to have rancid sausages!!
It depends how long you're going to be there for - if it's only three or four days there is enough food in the village but if you're there for longer you might want to make arrangements to BBQ and we also tend to buy a cheap bbq and bin it after the weekend as well!!
To give you an idea of Carrefore prices...
BBQ - from under £10 (but don't go for the cheapest as it's pant. splash out E14/£10 for the round one).
Charcoal - something like E5 per big bag.
Firelighting Gel - not essential, but great fun!
12' diameter by 3' deep "paddling" pool - E99
Beer - normally E7 for a 24 bottle crate
Don't EVER try going to Carrefore on Saturday morning though - no matter how early you leave you may well miss the start of the race. Traffic on race day really does get THAT bad.
More or less anything goes on the camp sites - BBQ's, fireworks, etc.
If you on Houx (as opposed to Houx Annex) you have water/electric readily available and free. Other campsites have (less readilly available) water but little or no mains electric (don't think Houx Annex has any, Maison Blanche has something like 18 plug sockets for the whole campsite).
BBQ - from under £10 (but don't go for the cheapest as it's pant. splash out E14/£10 for the round one).
Charcoal - something like E5 per big bag.
Firelighting Gel - not essential, but great fun!
12' diameter by 3' deep "paddling" pool - E99
Beer - normally E7 for a 24 bottle crate
Don't EVER try going to Carrefore on Saturday morning though - no matter how early you leave you may well miss the start of the race. Traffic on race day really does get THAT bad.
More or less anything goes on the camp sites - BBQ's, fireworks, etc.
If you on Houx (as opposed to Houx Annex) you have water/electric readily available and free. Other campsites have (less readilly available) water but little or no mains electric (don't think Houx Annex has any, Maison Blanche has something like 18 plug sockets for the whole campsite).
)ntel said:
We will be staying on the Houx site and was wondering:
1. Do people generally take a BBQ or a gas burner to cook and brew up on?
2. Does the site allow charcoal BBQ's and if so can you buy charcoal on site.
3. Is there a shop on site where you can buy day to day stuff like bread, eggs, etc etc etc.
4. Or do I forget all that and live off burgers, hotdogs and beer.
5. Are there any reasonable eateries within walking distance.
Please don't flame me for this post, the wife made me ask
1 Errr - either one or the other. If you intend to be up at breakfast its best to have some sort of cooking equipment as the bar does not open before midday IIRC.
2. Basically anything goes. Open wood fire, gas ring, charcoal BBQ have all been seen in the last 5 years. Weapons of choice for me is gas ring & gas BBQ, You can cook almost anything with those two (N Yorks TVRCC last year).
3. Carrefour for main purchases (sausages, bacon, ham, beer, more beer, yet more beer, wine, more wine etc oh and a bottle of water in case its hot). Fresh bread from Arnage (thanks Balmoral Green) incl croisant for breakfast.
4. Depends on whether you want to go forage for it. I would rather go to Carrefour and cook but thats my preferance.
5. There are vans on site but resturants are a bit further away. Friday night in town is the only time I have eaten at a resterant. Last year we found a jazz club and I forgot to eat (hence the pictures of me asleep in the stands during the race last year
) See you at Tickton tomorroew if you want a chat about Houx / Le Mans etc.
Never heard of pork scratchings? The food in the old village was usually OK, very salty chips (feel that blood pressure rising!) pizza place, and my favourite potatoes and bacon in cream - can't remember what it's called.
Whether that's changed in new village set up I guess we'll have to wait and see.
It's nowhere near as bad as being at Silverstone for a Grand Prix, the food is better and isn't as pricey. BUT personally I'd still rather have the ability to cook - you don't always want to go into the village and eat.
Whether that's changed in new village set up I guess we'll have to wait and see.
It's nowhere near as bad as being at Silverstone for a Grand Prix, the food is better and isn't as pricey. BUT personally I'd still rather have the ability to cook - you don't always want to go into the village and eat.
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