A woman on holiday in France tapped into Britain’s obsession with le supermarché with a tongue-in-cheek video showing her perusing local delicacies.
Tatty Macleod, a bilingual comedian who grew up in both Britain and France, shared a tour of French supermarket Carrefour on her Instagram page, prompting her fans to comment en masse about their own joyful experiences shopping for food abroad .
French supermarkets are reputed to be some of the best in the world, often with charming bakeries, fresh, affordable produce and cheap bottles of champagne.
“It really is my happy place,” exclaims Macleod outside the entrance to Carrefour, a popular French supermarket chain that prides itself on stocking a wide range of fresh, local produce.
“Champagne, €13,” Macleod continued, before deliberating on whether to buy “langue” or “cow tongue,” concluding: “I’m sure it’s delicious, the French made it.”
Tatty Macloud, a bilingual comedian who grew up in both Britain and France, shared a tour of French supermarket Carrefour on her Instagram page.
French supermarkets have a reputation for offering high-quality products at affordable prices.
“Just take a photo to send to Julie,” continued the comedian, whose astute observations of British and French culture have earned her legions of fans online.
He then concluded: “Very civilized; honestly, they know what they’re doing.” I’m not going back to England, I love it here.’
The video has certainly resonated, racking up more than 120,000 likes on Instagram, and Macleod’s followers are totally on board with the appeal of the French supermarket.
Although Macleod’s video has a satirical tone, his followers have responded without a hint of irony to his adoration of overseas supermarket shopping.
‘I had a tantrum in a Carrefour last year because my husband insisted that he and our 7-year-old son come with us. Me whistling ‘YOU’RE SPOILING THIS FOR ME’ in the fresh fish section,” wrote @louise.pepper.
To which another follower, with the username @familycampingeurope, responded: ‘Ugh, the worst. I want to take 4 hours of rest and relaxation in a supermarket, not be rushed by my husband and bothered by my children.’
While another, @rook_lauren, wrote: “Literally the main reason I go to France is because of the huge sympathies.”
French supermarkets have loyal online followers according to these Instagram users
And another, @peakay81, joked: “If Carrefour opened a supermarket in Dover it would have queues all the way back to London.”
While @amymaskell wrote: “I have a cupboard of canned French goods that I know I will never eat.”
Part of the fun of going on holiday is immersing yourself in the local culture, and for many of us Brits that means heading to the local supermarket to learn more about and enjoy regional food.
France, in particular, has a reputation for offering high-quality local food at affordable prices, as social media user @sairzg explains.
‘How is it different from an English supermarket? Just curious. “I’m French,” asked @at_lottie_s.
To which @sairzg replied: ‘It’s the variety and the quality…French food has such a high standard of quality, there’s so much to choose from and it’s affordable.
‘It’s definitely a lot of fun to walk through the aisles of Carrefour. And Picard is the best!’
Macleod was especially enthusiastic about the €13 champagne on offer and told viewers that the appeal of her supermarkets is enough to keep her in France forever.
While @dave.love.3990 replied: ‘I think it depends on where you go, in both countries. I spend a lot of time in France and find strange differences between the two.
‘It still surprises me how expensive meat is in France despite all the farmland there is.
“There are fewer ready meals in French supermarkets, but there are still huge frozen food sections, like in the UK.”
Macleod is right that Champagne is more affordable across the channel due to the proximity of production.
The average price of a bottle of Champagne in French supermarkets in 2023 was €23.60, according to statistics from NielsenIQ, the market research group, a significant discount compared to a £35 bottle of Moët & Chandon .