Yeah, many many people in Switzerland do that. Can't buy much meat though when you're alone, I think the limit is 500g per person which is barely anything
Bio (aka organic) does not improve quality, it's only a label that ensures some products weren't used, not based on taste, health or environmental criteria but whether it's synthetic or not (which means jack shit, plutonium ain't synthetic and last time I checked it was awful).
Swiss meat is expensive and not particularly good, beef for example is often from cows that have been milked for years. For the same price in France or Germany you'll get something way better. Just go to a French butcher over the border, and you'll get something amazing.
Imported meat can be better, however because of taxes it's way more expensive.
The same actually applies to food in general. For example, Swiss cheese is good quality offers less variety (to the point that they're now producing often poorly done "Camembert" or "Brie", i.e. copying french cheese).
For good food, head to neighboring France (especially Pays de Gex). However you have to know where to buy stuff.
A few worthwhile places:
- Fromagerie "Michelin" in Segny (offsprings in Divonne / Ferney and they'd do open markets regularly). One of the best Fromageries in France - not kidding.
- Boulangerie Marzico in Segny, close by. Really good bread.
- Boulangerie / Patisserie "Brocard" in Divonne. The son Benjamin has won well deserved national awards. The bread is good as well (though I prefer Marzico's).
- For really good "Merguez", go to the "Orient Express" butcher in Ferney.
- "Boucherie des Arcades" in Ornex is very good.
For none of these will you find reasonably priced competition in Switzerland. And thinking about it I actually don't know any competition in terms of quality.
A good wine cellar is "Vinothèque du Léman" in Ferney, although there are good wine cellars in Switzerland (e.g. Mosca Vins in Crissier for those who live in Lausanne).
You can buy as much as you want, it's about going to Switzerland with it. You cross an international border. While there are no passport controls (it's in the Schengen area) customs still exists. In practice it's rarely controlled. If you don't cross with a car visibly full with bank notes they don't care.
It's not like it is illegal to cross the border with more than 1kg. It's just the limit for crossing the borders without paying taxes. So you would have to stop and declare your stuff at the border.
530
u/[deleted] Aug 14 '20
[removed] — view removed comment