Food etc in caravan to France?

[MXRod]

I know it is a long time away , but as this year’s holiday in UK is imminent , we start thinking of next year , our favourite place is the Dordogne with our caravan .
So we are thinking of the food for travel and the restrictions importing dairy and meat into France , what are the French like at checking the food store in a caravan , would contraband like milk and ham for lunch en route be sniffed out ? Would it be better to go to Cite Europe and stock up as soon as we cross the channel
Another thing we do is to prepare a large flask of hot milky coffee for breaks on the road , again ,contraband ?
Tinned dog food ?
We are ready for the animal health cert cost and , driving licence / insurance , and since I started composing this last week and had a pacemaker implanted , health insurance hike .

[Antony Moxey]

MXRod said:

I know it is a long time away , but as this year’s holiday in UK is imminent , we start thinking of next year , our favourite place is the Dordogne with our caravan .
So we are thinking of the food for travel and the restrictions importing dairy and meat into France , what are the French like at checking the food store in a caravan , would contraband like milk and ham for lunch en route be sniffed out ? Would it be better to go to Cite Europe and stock up as soon as we cross the channel
Another thing we do is to prepare a large flask of hot milky coffee for breaks on the road , again ,contraband ?
Tinned dog food ?
We are ready for the animal health cert cost and , driving licence / insurance , and since I started composing this last week and had a pacemaker implanted , health insurance hike .

We’ve never really bothered to stock up when we’ve taken our motorhome to France, we’ve always detoured via a hyper market before getting to our first campsite. We might take something for the journey, but to be honest if you can buy it here you can pretty much buy it there and have always seen the shopping trips as part of the overall experience.

[//j17]

The Rules
You can't take any 'products of animal origin' into the EU without the appropreate documentation.

The Reality
Unless you're driving a refrigerated van or bigger stuffed with bacon you stand almost zero chance of being stopped, and even if you are for 'prsonal use' quantities it's just not worth their time/effort to try and prosecute you so you'll just be looking at having the products confiscated and binned.

[Snatch1]

Travelled to Le Mans via the channel tunnel a few weeks ago. We were in a group of 12 cars all of whom took essential supplies such as sausages, bacon and even pre-cooked chilli. A couple were pulled over before passport control for a cursory check - open boot, close boot, move on - there is certainly no thorough searching taking place. I'd say take whatever you would normally, this is what I'll be doing again when we head to France for our summer holiday

[Scrump]

My parents recently returned from a Europe trip in their motorhome. They had food supplies in the fridge and cupboards but the motorhome was not checked.

[Condi]

Pre Brexit days my mate took a whole chicken in hand luggage to his flat in France. Caused a few raised eyebrows going through security at Birmingham airport!

[Biggus thingus]

We've got friends that used to take the caravan to france every year before covid, even stopped at the same place when they got there

She would spend the week before cooking off lasagna's, stews etc and freeze them and then wang them in the caravan freezer just before setting off

I don't think i could drive past all the french shops and markets to get to the camp site and eat a warm up stew when i got there

I'd be wanting to pig out on french bread, cheese, ham etc

[MXRod]

Thanks for the replies, food (ha ha ) for thought . Our normal routine , interrupted by the pandemic, was to take supplies for the journey and the first one or two days .
Usually large flask of milky coffee , homemade quiche for lunch and later ,cooked salmon cutlets for first overnight , usually in Chartres, and a couple of steaks for first night in Dordogne , this as well as milk ,butter , bacon .ham etc .
Once we are settled we then shop for more fresh food to fill two portable fridges we also carry .
Still, things could change over the next year and it is back to Cornwall again , who knows !