Swiss food in the UK...

Swiss Centre; happy memories of chocolate fondue with fresh fruit

That doesn't exist anymore. Or are you suggesting it does? Your memories unfortunately don't help me. I'm really serious here - I'm looking for somewhere (be it a shop near London or online) to buy Swiss products.

You can make Spätzli yourself (or Chnöpfli, as I prefer) from semolina, wheat flour, milk, water, ground nutmeg, eggs and cheese, all readily found in the UK.

Machine to make them can be found on amazon - http://www.amazon.de/Fackelmann-4925.../dp/B00244R0ZS

All you need aside from that is a large sieve spoon (whatever that's called in English) like so - http://www.amazon.de/Schauml%C3%B6ff...=frittierkelle and a large pot with saltwater.

Need to dig a bit to find the recipe for Spätzli and translate if you want - let me know here if you do.

They do sell potatoes and flour in the U.K. I'm sure I've seen them....everywhere.

I'm confused. You seem concerned about getting some Bio products but then are happy to get packet Rosti.

Aldi in the U.K. sell Bratwurst.

Sure, Spätzli and Rösti I've already made by myself a few times. But

a) they end up being good but not exactly tasting like the ones you can buy in Switzerland

b) I'm sure you all understand that often one just cannot be bothered or has the time to make Spätzli or Rösti by themselves. It's not like it takes 3 hours but in a busy day even half an hour of peeling and slicing potatoes is sometimes too much, and I'd still like to enjoy the Swiss stuff I know.

The same goes for Kuchenteig, I can make that by myself to make a Wäie, but it just doesn't taste the same and it takes an hour to make the dough.

Also we're not discussing here on the fact that you can make these things by yourself, I was looking for methods to get my loved Swiss products in the UK.

Also, while you can make Spätzli and Rösti by yourself, that doesn't really work for Wurst, Senf, Zweifel, Butter, etc...

Thank you for the offer @glowjupiter, I'm fine on that account ;-)

@Tom1234: Swiss packet Rösti & Spätzli is actually quite decent, mostly sourced from healthy non-GM Swiss ingredients and not that many additives.

So no, you can't be serious suggesting British Aldi Bratwurst to me. That is a completely different story. That's neither Swiss nor (most likely) from good-sourced ingredients.

It was mentioned at the start of this thread ..... visit Armin at the St.Moritz on Wardour St. and ask him if he can suggest any sources to what you seek (although most can be substituted with equivalent products easily found).

You can also contact the cultural section at the Swiss Embassy, Montagu Pl. W1.

Thank you for the suggestions! I'll ask there :-)

I don't agree that "most can be substituted with equivalent products easily found". I've tried a dozen British mustards, and a dozen Butters, even the best organic ones. They don't taste as good as Swiss butter. I've tried 4 or 5 filo pastries, not one was even remotely as good as Swiss Kuchen/Blätterteig... The same goes for the rest I've listed.

I'm happy to hear suggestions though.

I prefer homemade stuff, so I make it in huge batches and freeze. Plain Spätzli/Chnöpfli freeze very well in ziploc bags, to thaw simply place a bag in the fridge overnight. Same goes for cake dough, prepare a large batch, then roll them out and freeze with wax paper under each layer to separate. Sure, it's a hassle, but if you have a decent-sized freezer it works out very well.

Lurpak (Danish) ....?

.... and consider yourself lucky that you have easy access to proper mustard - Colman's English - as opposed to the weak, bland Thomy gone-off-toothpaste-in-a-tube stuff.

However, isn't Colman's French Mustard, reasonably similar?

I'm not having it that you can't find a comparable ready-made puff pastry from any supermarket chilled cabinet. Migros and Coop offerings, here, aren't anything special.

If you're happy with packet Rosti then surely you're happy with Aldi Bratwurst?

They're both pretty rank.

Hey, but what would I know? I'm not Swiss.

Well Lurpak is not bad, but it's still not as good as Swiss butter. Also I prefer to have milk products Bio (or Swiss, as in our country the food standards and laws are pretty high).

Everybody's taste is different, I like the bland Thomy toothpaste-stuff ;-) But I will try Colman's, thanks!

@Pastry: No you really can't, try it. No, Migros and Coop's offerings are certainly not special, not at all, but they have the taste I grew up with and like and I would like to have that from time to time in the UK. I'm not saying UK products are bad, but from time to time I would like to have these Swiss products with their taste, and I'm asking here for a possibility to get them.

These is Chinese, Japanese, Italian, Polish shops etc all over London with original products, obviously these countries are bigger, but you don't tell all these people "Why do you need that shop and don't you make it by yourself or buy a British substitute", do you?

Yes, you're right. When my Swiss wife first arrived in Switzerland, she said, "At least I won't have to eat that Swiss sh*t for a while".

http://www.coopathome.ch/supermarkt/...23-SUPERMKT/de

Yes, I am very happy with this, but not with Aldi Bratwurst. Come on, you can't be serious. You compare EU pork to this. Have a look at how bad that meat is source, how the pigs live and how much antibiotics they get to eat. It's disgusting. Or look at German chicken farms. Yea. No, that does not compare to Swiss Rösti.

But this is really off-topic...

I don't buy German chicken or pork. I always buy Swiss. But you're talking about packet potato.

Have you tried British packet potato?

We used to have it in the 1970s:

@Tom1234:

Well you were the one starting to reason from Rösti to Bratwurst

But that's exactly my point, you only buy Swiss, and I'm asking where I can get it in the UK...

That video is awesome! But then again I bet it's either not available as Bio or has more additives than the Swiss one. But I'll have a look...

Here's a long discussion of how to cook Rosti in an English newspaper.

Many different ways to make it. Not one mention of packet Rosti.

Perhaps the other Swiss living in the U.K. make their own too. I know many Swiss in the U.K. and they never served packet Rosti.

Are you sure you are Swiss?

My mate google found the Swiss Deli in Swiss Cottage.

Not familiar with it, as it wasn't there in my day, but it seems like it's a glorified sandwich shop with a small grocery selection - you may get lucky.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/swiss-deli-london

Judging by at least one of the reviews, it could be authentic, when it comes to levels of customer service from friendly staff

That blog post is awesome Definitely going to try that. Cool.

As I said before:

Of course if I invite somebody, I'd make it by myself. Why is it so hard to understand that I'm just asking on help on where and how to buy Swiss products in the UK. Nothing else. Yes I can cook and yes I am Swiss. But that has nothing to do with my very reasonable question here. I'm longing for this damn Thomy mustard, Migros Kuchenteig, Coop Spätzli and Zweifel Chips, is that so hard to get?

Haha no, I was there this month! Unfortunately that shop has nothing to do with Swiss except being in Swiss Cottage. The closest to a Swiss product they had was Leibnitz Butterkekse ;-)

Ahh .... so the name originates purely from location - a bit misleading, then.

One of the photos did appear to show Lindt choccy, though