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SHOPPING
If you are only in Dundee for a short time, you will not want to
spend a lot of money on items you may need for your flat. Look out for
"charity" shops and "second hand" shops which can
be found throughout the city. Some students obtain household goods at
Dens Road Market. In all of these places, check the goods are in good
condition before you buy. If you want an adventure, you might try to
buy at the auction. Auction rooms in Ward Road display the items for
auction on Thursdays, then everyone comes to place their bids at the
auction on Friday afternoon. There is also an auction room in Forebank
Road . Each lot is sold to the highest bidder. Bids are binding you
cannot change your mind afterwards. It is usually best to watch one
week and come back to buy once you know what to do! Alternatively you
could try a car boot sale. People sell things from the boots of their
cars at low prices but watch that you don't buy rubbish! |
You may want to buy gifts in Dundee, perhaps traditional Scottish crafts.
These are expensive in shops but you can get good reductions in the price
if you wait for a sale. A good gift to take home might be silver items
from Orkney and Shetland or jewellery from a number of other parts of
Scotland, Caithness Glass or Edinburgh Crystal, prints of Dundee by local
artists, woollen wear from Shetland and from the border towns, or from St
Andrews or Edinbugh Woollen Mills, or pottery and woodcraft from craftsmen
throughout Scotland.You may be interested in traditional British folk
music instruments. There are a number of good craft shops along the Perth
Road and Nethergate and in Broughty Ferry.You can buy glass and china ware
in the department stores in town, but it is best to wait for a sale. The
same applies to clothing and textiles. Local books are available from the
major bookshops in the town both in the adult and children's departments.
Things we regard as everyday utensils may seem unusual and interesting to
you so you may find something good in an ordinary cookshop.
LOCAL FOOD
Dundee is in the centre of a fruit growing area. In Summer look out for
locally grown strawberries and raspberries in small greengrocers' shops.
These are excellent. We are close to excellent sea fishing ports such as
Arbroath, so the local fish shops are stocked with the best of fresh fish.
Local people mostly eat haddock and some cod and these are often cheap to
buy, but look out for smoked haddock, smoked mackerel and lemon sole for
an interesting taste. Arbroath Smokies are an excellent traditional local
dish, either with lemon juice or with milk and butter but only buy them if
you can cope with lots of bones! We have a good supply of freshwater fish
from our rivers and from fish farms. Try trout, salmon and smoked salmon
(if you are feeling wealthy!). Sometimes there will be freshly caught fish
from the Tay. There are prawns and other seafood too.
One of the most interesting shops in Dundee is the tea
and coffee shop in Castle Street, most easily located by its smell. It
still has a beautiful original Victorian wooden panelled interior.
Oats have always been an important part of the Scottish diet. Why not buy
oatmeal and learn to make porage? There is a recipe for it on this
website!You can get oatmeal more cheaply if you buy it loose in a
healthfood shop or Weigh and Save rather than packaged in a supermarket.
We like to eat oatcakes at mealtimes. There are many different
manufacturers, but the best we ever tasted are found only in local shops
in the Shetland Islands. In Dundee the closest equivalent are Stockans and
Gordon's Orkney Oatcakes.
Soups and broths made with lentils peas, vegetables and
barley are also important in the Scottish diet. Try them if you can. If
you cannot get a homemade soup from a British friend and have to resort to
tinned soup then you will find Baxter's of Speyside have a variety of
traditional and new soups in the supermarkets though they are not the
cheapest. Ask someone to teach you how to make your own! Cullen Skink made
with chunks of potatoes, onions, butter, milk, pepper and smoked haddock
boiled together is my firm favourite. Recipes for many of these are on this website.
Scotland is famous for traditional shortbreads. We reckon
the best comes from Dean's of Huntly. This is sold widely in Dundee.
Scotland is well known for cakes and bakers shops. Dundee
once allegedly had more bakers shops per person than any other Scottish
city. International students are often disappointed by our supermarket
bread. The answer is to find a good baker. Some local bakers have a range
of interesting loaves. Look out for traditional cakes. Dundee Cake in
supermarkets is not always as good as might be hoped. Other bakers sell
these though, sometimes in tins, so they can be kept or used as gifts.
Black Bun is traditionally eaten at New Year. If anyone offers you a
Cloutie Dumpling, say "yes!" This traditional pudding boiled in
cloths is well worth trying but hard to find. We enjoy Selkirk Bannocks
too.
If you want to try a Scottish haggis, make sure that you
go to a good butcher. Haggis is traditionally eaten on Burns' night with
potatoes and mashed turnip and at that time, more will be available. If
you buy a cheap one, it may be very greasy so you may have to pay extra to
enjoy a haggis. Beef is produced locally and you can buy good Angus beef.
A traditional lunch in Dundee was a hot pie, meat in pastry with potato on
top. Personally, I find these rather too greasy and don't eat them, but if
you feel you should try all local foods for the sake of
completeness.......
If you are in nearby Forfar, look out for Forfar Bridies.
Many of you will not want to eat meat here, but you may
be interested to know that Halal meat is available from shops on the
Hilltown, beyond the Wellgate centre. Grocers on the Hilltown also sell
other ingredients used in eastern cooking. There is a Chinese Supermarket in Gellatly Street. There are good Chinese
supermarkets in Glasgow and Edinburgh too.
