If you’re wondering if you missed week 2 of 52, no, you didn’t. I just didn’t buy anything and we more or less ate the same foods we always do last week so I didn’t bother to write up my normal weekly post.
And anyway, I hopped on a plane last monday for the UK so this week is a little different too. 🙂
Normally when I go on vacation I don’t worry about tracking my spending since I’m on vacation mode and I’m not typically buying much in the way of groceries, but this past week was a little different.
The HH is at home {and I highly doubt he is headed to a store anytime soon so I’m not going to worry about what’s going on back in Maine} and I’m here on Fair Isle in Scotland {population about 50 or so} at the Fair Isle Studio making my own meals and cooking from scratch.
So for the next few weeks I’ll be showing you around and what types of food I’ve purchased on the most geographically remote inhabited island in the United Kingdom.
Did I mention the year round population is about 50?
And yet, the shop, Stackhoull Stores has pretty much everything a regular store has… Just on a smaller scale.
My first shopping trip £57.96 = $71.80 USD
The whole chicken was the most expensive item at £12.40 {$15.36 USD} but other than that, I felt like everything else was reasonably priced considering the fact that everything had such a long journey to get to the shelves here on Fair Isle.
Almost all of the products were grown/manufactured in the UK. Then they were shipped/flown to Shetland. Then they were ferried or flown to Fair Isle.
Things like eggs £1.50 for 6 which is the equivalent of paying $$3.74 a dozen in the US were much lower than what I’d expect to pay at home. I think the last time we bought eggs in Maine they were $5.79 a dozen. {Which is a crazy amount!}
Milk was £1.20 a liter, which is roughly $3.22 for a half gallon of milk in the US {so about the same}. I found that things like fancy cheese, rolls and other things were about the same price as back home too and my beloved Jammie Dodgers and hot cocoa powder were less than what I’d pay for them in Maine.
My second shopping trip £36.38 = $44.94 USD
While there are a few basic things in the cupboards and fridge/freezer here like spices, jam, condiments, rice, a few canned items and a bag of frozen vegetables, I was mostly buying products to make all my meals from scratch while I’m here at the studio.
What I don’t use, will be left behind for the next person.
Here are the meals I’ve enjoyed so far since landing here on Fair Isle:
I arrived on Fair Isle on Thursday morning around 10 and the shop didn’t open until 9:30 on Friday but luckily I had brought some bread and jam from the guest house I had stayed at the night before and had that for lunch.
There was some leftover lasagna in the freezer so I thawed that out and had it for dinner. It was very tasty! {Would YOU have eaten the mystery lasagna?}
I had a can of beans the next morning for breakfast. 🙂 You know me, I love my beans.
After coming back from the store, I had sponge cake, candy and an orange.
Man oh man these are good!
Chicken, cheese and avocado sandwich. And a few gherkins I found in the fridge.
On Saturday I did laundry and had an orange for breakfast {you know, to prevent scurvy}.
And then roasted my $15 chicken for dinner.
I made a big breakfast for myself before heading out on a walk on Sunday.
And then enjoyed some pickety bits for linner by the fire. 🙂
Normally when I go on vacation, I don’t worry about keeping track of receipts for the food I buy. But this time, since I’m staying in one spot for a few weeks and making all my meals from scratch, I’ve decided to keep track.
Plus, there are a few new recipes I’d like to try while I’m here, and that’s not something I’d typically do {baking} while I’m on vacation so I thought it was only fair that I just pretend it’s like I’m at home.
Shopping for groceries in another country is always interesting as there are always new things to try. Some things cost more, some things cost less and other things are pretty much the same.
So how did YOU do this past week with your grocery shopping? Did you find any deals?
~Mavis
Total Spent This Past Week in January £94.34 {$116.74 USD}
Total Spent on Groceries in January $124.94
- Total Spent on Groceries in 2023 $124.94
Kath says
You look so happy! Hmm…I wonder if they can deliver an AGA to Fair Isle? LOL
Virginia says
Is there a restaurant on an island with 50 inhabitants?
Kathy Wolfe says
No on the mystery meal. My imagination would run wild. I was impressed by the size of the leek. Hope your hooking supplies arrive soon.
Sharon says
I concur, especially since there is no medical services nearby. You can’t tell how old the unit is, etc.
Stacie says
I would’ve totally eaten the mystery lasagna. I feel like only good wholesome people are going to see out such an experience, so it’s probably a like minded person like me and it would be ok to eat. At least you know the kitchen is clean where it was prepared too! Who knows it might have been made by some top Michelin chef who sought solitude to create more recipes!
Lana says
I agree! We own a lakehouse in partnership and sometimes find a treat left behind by another partner and we are happy to eat it and have never had a problem.
Connie says
That was a giant leek! All so fascinating.
The pretty China plate caught my eye too.
Elaine says
I’d eat that lasagne in a heartbeat!
Nancy M. says
Me too!!!
Julie P says
Me too
laura says
i love how your meals are (fairly!) balanced and cute (the chicken roll ups on a toothpick!). it just doesn’t occur to me to cook one carrot for dinner!! or one potato!! stay well fueled!! love all the pictures!!
Suzanne Shaw says
This is SO FUN!!! Any update on your ‘held in customs’ craft items? I mean – that’s the main reason you are there!!! And P.S. – Yes I would have eaten the mystery lasagna!
Laura says
Fascinating and inspiring!
Ellen Wagner says
So are you going to bake some scones to have with that clotted cream and some jam? CREAM TEA!
Mavis Butterfield says
Yes!
Pj says
Your face says utter and complete happiness! Thank you for taking us along. ❤️
Kim says
I wish I would be brave enough to eat the lasagna, but I’m afraid my “what ifs” would kick in and I’d leave it in the freezer for a braver soul, like you Mavis.
How do you live so fearlessly?
Jean says
I’m literally eating lasagna as I read this and it doesn’t look as good as mine. 🙂
Helen says
Mmm Tunnock’s tea cakes. If you can find Lyons brand they have jam in the middle. Must add to my shopping list for this week!
Mavis Butterfield says
Thanks for the tip! I’ll look for the ones with the jam in the middle.
Sue says
All looks splendid, with the exception of the mystery food from the freezer. That would be a hard no for me! That said, I’m very thankful that you enjoyed it!
Martina says
I am really enjoying your Fair Isle getaway. Do any of the local farms sell eggs etc?
Mavis Butterfield says
I haven’t seen any egg signs out yet.
PSUCHIC06 says
What a spectacular view out across the fields!
Thank you for sharing your trip!
So is HH “batching” it for a month, or the kids coming to …help!? Lol
Lilypad says
It’s funny to see the St. Dalfour orange marmalade in your haul—I buy the blackcurrant version at the PCC co-op in Issaquah, Washington close to your old stomping grounds. I can’t believe they have a French orange marmalade instead of a delicious Scottish brand!
I lived in Innsbruck, Austria for a summer when I was young and going grocery shopping was one of my favorite activities. It was so much fun to see what was on offer. The very first time I went shopping, I made three mistakes: 1) I didn’t know I had to weigh my own bananas and put a sticker on them with the result so the checker knew what to charge me 2) I didn’t bring any shopping bags to carry my purchases in (so I bought a beautiful basket which I still treasure 32 years later) and 3) in my excitement, I bought way too many things and then realized unlike at home in the US, I didn’t have a car to drive them back to my flat. It’s funny now but at the time I was so mad at myself. Dragging everything home on the streetcar was a lesson learned.
I would definitely NOT eat the lasagna mostly because I’ve been a vegetarian for 18 years and wouldn’t trust anything I hadn’t cooked myself and also because I’m a huge germaphobe and wouldn’t trust anything I hadn’t cooked myself. 😉
leslie says
We went to Hawaii last year at an airbnb. Someone left a very expensive steak with 3 days before the expiration. You bet your booty, we cooked it up and it was delicious and memorable! Also eat what is there, and leave some for someone else, who like Mavis maybe couldn’t get to the store right away
Sherry L Kurtz says
Lmao about eating the orange to prevent scurvy!!!!
debbie in alaska says
the tea cakes look like mallomars and I LOVE those. I bet the tea cakes were better though! Whether I would eat the lasagna would have to depend on how it was sealed/wrapped — if it looked like it was still sealed as it was first wrapped to go into the freezer and I was somewhere that people likely leave things behind for others – I’d eat it. However if I was the person who left it behind I would have left a nice little note about it so others knew they should eat it if they like! Your trip looks like absolute perfection to me — I love traveling alone!
Deb says
I would have absolutely eaten the lasagna because the type of people who stay in a guesthouse on an isolated island with a population of 50 people are the kind who remember the store might not be open right away for the next guest. Apparently all those folks who won’t eat food they didn’t cook themselves never go to a restaurant. Your food looks yummy.
Judy says
Oh Mavis, I am loving the posts about your trip. Your pictures are great. You are so lucky!
Cecile says
You should make some dutch oven loaves to pop in the freezer for the next people if you have flour left over!
Dee says
The people who left the lasagna behind were thoughtful. I would leave something, too. Yes, some might refuse any foods, that’s okay, too. But I would have eaten it with thankfulness for a gooďmeal.
There are many areas in the USA that don’t have internet service. How are you able to do it in such an isolated oplace? Satellite phone?
Just enjoy every minute of your trio. I am.