Marmite Lover

I am so lucky to live in a city where food is of such great importance. In Spain, eating is much more of a social experience than in the UK, and perhaps this is the reason why there are so many restaurants and cafes across Madrid. I have been here for about 4 months and have learnt to appreciate and embrace the tastes that the city has to offer, but from time to time it is natural that us Britons want a taste of home.  

FOODS THAT I MISS:

Walkers Cheese and Onion crisps, cheddar, English muffins, bagels, Robinson’s Squash, Birmingham’s finest Chicken Tikka Balti, Wagamama, Nandos, Pataks curry sauces, Dolmio pasta sauce, a proper greasy fry up from the local caf, fish and chips, roast beef with Yorkshire puds and all the trimmings, smoked back bacon… the list goes on. 

However, one food item which I need to mention is Marmite. Yes I’m one of those wrong-uns who adores the dark, salty, gunge like spread. Everyone has their morning rituals, and mine is to wake up, shower, have a huge mug of Earl Grey (two sugars) and two slices of Marmite on wholemeal bread. (Hovis Seeded Batch.)  But no, WAIT… Spain is severely lacking these three ingredients which ensure that my morning will be a good one. (I’m pretty grumpy in the mornings.)

The selection of bread here is awful. Do I look like I want to eat crustless white bread? Secondly, the selection of tea in the supermarkets in Spain is pretty poor. Yeah I get it, every Spanish señorita is tall, striking and very slim, but I don’t want to be drinking herbal teas everyday in order to fight off hunger. So the other day I purchased a packet of Earl Grey and some English Breakfast Tea.. All i’m going to say on the matter is… DAYLIGHT ROBBERY.

Marmite: My love, my life, my everything. Unfortunately last term I had to leave my giant pot of Marmite in Luton airport as EasyJet were being stingy so and so’s and my case was too heavy. So after 3 weeks of Breakfast time hell, I caved in and bought a small squeezy pot of Marmite from ‘Taste of America’, a shop in Malasaña which sells American food-stuffs and the odd English item. I PAID 10 EUROS FOR IT. Can you tell that I’m angry about this?!?

Well, I’m glad I got that rant out of the way…! After returning to Madrid this January, I ensured that I was fully stocked up with tea and Marmite and this makes me a very happy bunny. (until I run out…)