“We’re British! We’re not going to stop drinking,” joked booze tourist Tom Young, insisting Brits would not slow down even if the UK leaves the EU without a trade deal.

Tom was packing the boot of his car with bottles of French wine after popping across the Channel to stop up before trade arrangement with the EU can change.

Many of our favourite tipples, including wine and continental larger, are significantly cheaper in France.

Tom travelled from Essex to the French port of Calais, returned home with 300 bottles of wine for a wedding.

“We come every year for our holidays. We take advantage of those trips to buy wine, whether it’s in a place like here or in the vineyards in France,” Young said.

Many Brexiteers want to leave without a deal, insisting the UK can strike new trade deals and buy even cheaper goods, but pro-EU campaigners say it will a disaster, preferring to stay in the bloc.

The fears have triggered a cross-Channel scramble as Brits stock up, according to French supermarkets.

Guillaume Pigniez, manager of the Terre de Boissons wine store in a shopping centre in Calais, said he had noticed a spurt in activity after Britain secured a first Brexit extension on March 21.

“There has been a major upsurge of British people all over Calais,” he said.

“Many people took precautions and came to quickly buy their stock for the year.”

Marcello Vargui, an Italian man living in London who crosses the sea every three months to fill up on wine and champagne, was relaxed about the chances of Brexit pushing up the price of his glass of red.

“I don’t think that Brexit will change anything,” he said.

“It’s in the interest of both countries to limit tariffs as much as possible. The French need to sell and the British need to buy.”

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