If you are stopping off at Horta, on Faial, in the Azores, out there in the middle of the Atlantic
Ocean, you will be pleasantly surprised at the provisioning opportunities
there.
Opposite the marina you will find Costa & Martin. Apart form carrying an excellent range of wines at the best prices you may have seen for some time, they also
offer a good range of provisions for voyagers, delivered to the boat.
More exciting still, for us, was the discovery of Modelo, the huge supermarket just behind the
town. There we found not only an excellent choice of food and drink but also an excellent array of
electro-domestics, clothes and other goods at prices way below anything we have seen in recent
years. What we didn't find was Marmite, Maggi seasoning or Branston Pickle but we did find pretty well everything else our hearts could
desire.
A taxi back to the marina, loaded up with provisions, only costs between 500 and 700 Escudos, so it's well worth the
effort. One thing they have there, which is fairly unusual to see elsewhere these
days, is packets of juicy sultanas. The Skipper puts them into all sorts of meals to add to the flavour and texture of our daily
fare. Curries are the obvious recipients but there are lots of other dishes that can be improved by the addition of a handful of tasty sultanas. The fresh fruit and vegetables there are also worth looking
at.
One thing we did learn, fairly early on, was that, if you see something you are likely to
want, it is better to get it there and then. The next shipment from the mainland may well fail to replenish reduced stocks of items you have seen
there, instead replacing them with new products.
The best butcher we found in town was Talho Ango (motto: Só Servimos Qualidade - We Only Serve
Quality) at No. 15 Rua Serpa Pinto, which is in the road which forms the right fork when you are facing the Post Office. The bakers all serve excellent bread and the easiest to reach from the marina is the Bico Doce. As you walk up from the steps at the side of the Marina towards Peter Sports Café, you will see a turning on the right with a large modern bank on the opposite corner. The bakery and cafeteria Bico Doce is just opposite the bank on the side of the road nearest the marina.
If you are travelling in a small boat where space and
weight are at a premium, you may be interested in the links
on our food story page.
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