Shipping costs to Europe are crazy! Customs questions... LHR
 

I have decided to use one of my old million mile suitcases and carry 50 pounds of stuff I would normally ship to my destination. I am going in to LHR, so of course I must pray it arrives ;)
This will cost me some hassle. To ship this stuff would cost me a few hundred bucks, if you can believe it!
Now I am facing UK customs carrying 50 packs of chili mix, 50 packs of cornbread mix, 50 gift bags and ribbon, 2 cans of Rotel, 2 pounds of Velveeta, 2 Old ElPaso Taco Kits, 4 packs of Taco Bell taco mix, 2 packs flour tortillas, 2 jars of picante sauce and 2 pounds of dehydrated refried beans.
All of this will be in that suitcase. I will fill out declaration forms and have the reciepts, just in case.

Do you think I will have problems with customs trying to bring all this in the suitcase?

I think the 4 packages of Taco Bell tac mix will definitely set off the airport alarm bells.

TxTravel..and you are taking this why??? Curious minds want to know, lol.

I honestly don't think you are going to have any problems. That is NOT stuff the UK is interested in. I have brought back similar stuff (and MUCH, MUCH more) for the past 7 years. Granted, not into the UK -but I have never been questioned. Well, I have gotten a few "odd" looks at the US airport - but never beyond that.

some of that stuff I have seen on sale in the UK (Old El Paso). The only problem you might run into is that someone has an exclusive license to bring that brand into the UK, but I can't imagine that anyone would bother over this.

The question is, how nervous will you look when you go down the Green Lane?

You're not taking this to sell - this is for personal use, right?

I think the ONLY thing that might draw someone's attention IF they choose to look thru the suitcase is the 50 packs of chili mix and the 50 packs of cornbread. That does seem a little excessive (even for me!!). Nothing else should cause a problem.

Are you taking other bags? If so - you might want to "spread around" the chili and cornbread mixes so they weren't all in one suitcase.

You won't be allowed to bring in anything containing meat or milk products. I suspect that you can get an equivalent of Velveeta locally. Here's a page from the British high Commission regarding food imports for personal use:

http://tinyurl.com/zhl77

Leave out the Old El Paso taco mix. You can find it very easily at the major grocery chains--Sainsbury's and Waitrose, for example, both carry it. You can also get flour tortillas at Waitrose. I'll be in Waitrose today, I'll check to see which brand it is and also which brand of picante sauce they carry.

Otherwise, don't worry about it. My mother-in-law loves a particular brand of German toothpaste (Ajona) and every time we go back to the U.S. we bring along about 30 tubes (in our checked bag). I always tell the check-in agent what it is (don't want anyone to think we're smuggling some kind of red-tubed plastique) and there has never been a problem.

NO VELVEETA?????????

Actually, those limitations appear to be for people coming from the EU and it does allow for a small amount to come in for personal use from a variety of countries.

Still trying to figure out what the 50 packs of chili mix and cornbread mix are for!!! I only bring back about 8 or 10 cornbread mixes for the year.

I don't see any indication that the page is for EU residents. The opening paragraph says, "The British High Commission would like to remind anyone intending to travel to the UK that new EU rules on the personal importation of meat, milk, other products of animal origin and plants came into force on 1 January 2003. Below is a summary of the new rules that apply to travellers entering the UK."

The import restrictions are primarily to prevent the spread of diseases, and the named countries are not considered to be potential sources of problems such as mad cow disease or foot and mouth disease.

You could get arrested for bad culinary taste, but otherwise you probably don't need to worry.

Good morning all!
The Chili/Corn Bread mixes are for people attending a seminar that I am conducting. I have these cute bags with a raffia ribbon and I give them each a bag. It's nothing expected, just a little gift from Texas.
All the other stuff is for the people helping me organize the event.
They love the Taco Bell taco mix... so I will not bring the Old El Paso stuff... I'll look for something better to replace it.
I think I will smuggle in the Velveeta. Gotta have it for the Rotel dip. No matter what salsa you have there, the one I am bringing is better. I leave in the flour tortillas just for convenience.
I love rotel dip and I can assure you that even the biggest food snob can hardly resist a dip of a Frito or Dorito in authentic Rotel.
I'm a trained cook, my grandmother was a chef with a TV show, my daughter is a chef... so no one even bother hatin' on my Velveeta!

For those of y'all in Europe. What is something else I could bring?
My sister is taking Cocoa Puffs to her friend, if you can believe it!

I LOVE Rotel dip!!!!!!!!! That is one of the first things I make when I get back to the US in the summer!!!

As for things to bring...depends on who you are thinking of. I don't know about the UK, but I know that I have never been able to find grape jelly anywhere I have gone. Every other flavor imaginable - but not grape and that, of course, if my kids' favorite!!!!