With the wonderful trade opportunities which will open out for the UK after the end of March next year I thought I’d investigate how deeply the British market had penetrated that most elusive of Italian retail sectors: the discount store.

I chose our local ‘Penny Market’ at Borgo and scoured its shelves yesterday. Heading for that other essential item when having a cuppa, the biscuit, I found the digestive biscuit. Penny has had an imitation, manufactured in Italy, for some time.

Now, however, it has the real McCoy!

I think I will start having ‘can you tell the difference between Mcvities and……’ tea parties. After all, a sensitive palate does often link up with a sensitive personality. A good way to distinguish true friends? OK, so you couldn’t tell the difference … don’t look around for another invite then!

Of course, one could always drown one’s sorrows. There’s a choice between two brands of mother’s ruin, one of which is manufactured in Italia under license and the other which, reputedly, is distilled in the Great Wen.

Of course, no gin is complete without its traditional complement:

I do know local friends who like to mix the stuff with pineapple or other fruit juice, however.

The water of life is distilled north of Hadrian’s wall and I await a really freezing winter’s evening to allow myself a tipple of this tincture.

Naturally, if you go to ‘higher class’ (but not necessarily higher quality) supermarkets you’ll find HP sauce (but only the barbecue variety) which has abandoned Brexitain and is now manufactured in the Netherlands (how low….), Heinz baked beans, Lea and Perrins (still matured in Worcestershire) and several other items.

However, unless one enters the few speciality English shops in our area (like the one in Viareggio), it’s going to be difficult to find items like Wensleydale, Cheddar Stilton or, indeed, any other fabulous English cheese. Scrumpy drinkers will just have to go dry …… to say nothing of tea-cake or ginger-nut devourers.

Now all this is happening while the UK is in one and the world’s largest market. So what are the prospects after the next April fool’s day I wonder?

There may be excellent markets for digestive biscuits in South Africa, perhaps, and a G n T will be essential at sundown but….

Just realized I missed out on that classic snack, the Kit-Kat (now owned by a Swiss company) which I also spotted in ‘Penny’.

Perhaps, dear feeder, you might be able to fill me in on other great British exports, at least as far as food is concerned, on Italian discount supermarket shelves?

Do let me know. Thanks!

PS Prices are in Euro but there’s not too much difference now with sterling thanks to the UK’s glorious chancellor of the exchequer.