Treading delicately here.
The timing of this is dangerous, because of the themes in the upcoming presidential election. What we would see as a threat to what we enjoy on a day to day basis when we stay in France, is part of a wider and rather more tempestuous debate.
France is remarkable, in that a small village might support 2 bakeries, where something equivalent in UK would have none for miles. They have retained some aspects of life as vital / fundamental and the convenience of the supermarkets has struggled to change this mindset. Italy has many parallels and they've retained a level of specialism that in the UK we at times seem hopeful of reinventing, but that for the masses it is long gone.
In Italy, I do my bit for these small specialists. On our upcoming trip we have 2 x 15kg hold baggage on the way out, and the same PLUS a 20kg bag on the way back. All for 4.5 days. Ok a chunk of that will be wine, but the opportunity to bring fresh produce back is something cherished, even if we may lose that in a couple of years time (politics again!).
In Italy, a key resource for me is the annual Golosario, not perfect, but a greater insight into the specialists than any other resource I'm aware of. However Google maps / Pagine Gialle are useful additional checks, plus the best fallback of all, keeping ones eyes, ears and nose open to what is around us when there.
If anyone is planning on holidaying in Norfolk / Norwich, then I will try to resurrect notes I've done for a wine forum, and bring them up to date, so there is a resource here for specialist shops / food.
