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Food souvenirs: the Med
It’s the end of a fabulous fortnight in some Mediterranean corner of paradise, and you wish you could pack that tasty waiter into your suitcase. But it’s probably a better investment to bring back a slightly more realistic – and reliable – reminder of those languid, sun-baked days: the food souvenir.
Though it depends on the exchange rate, generally speaking, goods that you see imported into the UK will be cheaper in their country of origin because storage and transport costs won’t be built in. Also, quality should be higher the closer you get to source (not least because picky local housewives will demand it).
Are there any customs restrictions?
For Morocco and Turkey, both of which are outside the European Union, the old customs restrictions on alcohol and cigarettes (1 litre of spirits or 2 litres of wine, and 200 cigarettes) still apply. But these days, inside the EU, Duty Free no longer exists and there are no customs restrictions on food and drink. You can bring back as much as you can carry. But it wouldn’t be wise to cart home fresh seafood or meat. Not only is there the problem of smell, but in the time the journey takes, it may well have become unsafe to eat.
Can I wait until I get to the airport before doing my shopping?
You can, but you really should try to buy your souvenirs from the local shops before you leave your resort, rather than from the point of departure. Shops at small airports offer a feeble choice and, even at capital-city airports, specialist boutiques tend to focus on high-end, over-packaged goods.
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