British Treats To Stock Up On

[silversnake125 266]

Bit random but I was thinking about how much I'm going to miss PG Tips, Quality Street, Marmite and things like that.

I want to stock up on these things and bring them with me when I leave so I can avoid paying a high amount for them for a little while.

 

List your favorite British consumables that you will miss as I may be forgetting some! 😝 I've looked at "British snacks you need to try" articles but I'm sure they don't cover everything.

 

Disclaimer: If you are also planning to take food/ drink with you please don't forget to check whether they're allowed or not!!! 😊

[J&S12 295]

1 hour ago, hannahjsf said:

Bit random but I was thinking about how much I'm going to miss PG Tips, Quality Street, Marmite and things like that.

I want to stock up on these things and bring them with me when I leave so I can avoid paying a high amount for them for a little while.

 

 

Those are available in the European section of major grocery stores in the states. No need to stock up. 

 

You can also order from here: 

 

https://britishfooddepot.com/

[silversnake125 266]

5 minutes ago, J&S12 said:

Those are available in the European section of major grocery stores in the states. No need to stock up. 

 

You can also order from here: 

 

https://britishfooddepot.com/

I know I can get them in the European section but if they cost more than I want to stock up so I don't have pay a lot for a while

My brother and sister-in-law live in Houston and he says that it costs a lot more for these things over there.

[J&S12 295]

1 minute ago, hannahjsf said:

I know I can get them in the European section but if they cost more than I want to stock up so I don't have pay a lot for a while

My brother and sister-in-law live in Houston and he says that it costs a lot more for these things over there.

I understand. The conversion from pounds to dollars on items here costs more anyway. 

I always hated "losing" money when I withdrew my USD from an ATM into pounds. Very frustrating. 

[silversnake125 266]

1 minute ago, J&S12 said:

I understand. The conversion from pounds to dollars on items here costs more anyway. 

I always hated "losing" money when I withdrew my USD from an ATM into pounds. Very frustrating. 

Yeah I know what you mean. When I visit my husband and use my card those foreign transaction fees add up.

Now the process is nearly over I was told about a card that didn't charge international fees, typical 😂

[J&S12 295]

3 minutes ago, hannahjsf said:

Yeah I know what you mean. When I visit my husband and use my card those foreign transaction fees add up.

Now the process is nearly over I was told about a card that didn't charge international fees, typical 😂

Yes they do. Haha, of course! There's a lot of info I wish we knew then what we know now in this process.

[Tristesse 17]

My fiancé wants me to bring three extra suitcases entirely full of Irn Bru, oatcakes and haggis. He already misses Scotland more than I will and it's only been a few months since he had those. 

**Apparently real haggis is banned in the U.S. 

Edited February 20, 2020 by Tristesse

[silversnake125 266]

50 minutes ago, Tristesse said:

My fiancé wants me to bring three extra suitcases entirely full of Irn Bru, oatcakes and haggis. He already misses Scotland more than I will and it's only been a few months since he had those. 

**Apparently real haggis is banned in the U.S. 

Omg how could I forget Irn Bru 😍😍

Thank you! That’s going straight on my list.

And speaking of Scotland you just reminded me of Tunnock’s Tea Cakes as well 😊

[Colette 16]

I've been here for almost 8 years and my list of things I miss gets smaller every year as I adapt. But there are times I could kill for a loaf of Warburton's bread!

Walmart sell Tetley British blend in the regular tea/coffee aisle for under $3 for 80. As far as I can tell it is exactly the same as home. 

 

Crunchies and Flakes are about the only chocolate bar I genuinely miss. So I beg friends and family to bring over as many as they can fit in their bag when they visit. 

'Only the crumbliest, flakiest chocolate...' No idea if they still have that in the flake adds, but I will continue to sing it every time I have a flake!

[yuna628 9,528]

Haggis can be found in the US, but by special makers and without the lungs. I know of a place on the east coast that will serve it, even though I would not dare eat it.

 

Most English tea can be found here like Tetley, Yorkshire, and PG tips. Taylors is also here, though a bit more pricey. What my husband misses the most is the chocolate and Warburton's bread.. of which he says, he's found no replacement. There's no other way to get the UK chocolate other than to have someone send it over or buy it from an import store. 

 

What I personally miss the most are scotch eggs and UK chicken. It will just never taste the same here. US sausage is not the same either, you'll need to find a supplier that makes it here UK style.

 

I'd say load up on chocolate. 😉

[laylalex 7,247]

I second the Scotch eggs and chocolate, and add crisps. Ask me about the unfeasible number of jumbo multi-packs of Walkers crisps I had to order for Christmas. I have been working on my Scotch eggs for a while now and have been pretty successful with the Jamie Oliver recipe but my fiance misses the ones from the Co-op because those are the ones his mum buys.  

 

I recommend biscuits. We stocked up on custard creams, bourbon creams, Jammie Dodgers, Mint Viscounts, Jaffa cakes, and even a huge tub of assorted ones for Christmas. We were in the middle of packing up to move and had friends in and out "helping" (debatable) us winnow down our belongings -- but I think they were coming for the biscuits.  I highly recommend British Corner Shop -- I have been using them for nearly a decade (first husband was English) and the service and selection gets better and better. Delivery is fast and the packing cannot be better.

 

We are very lucky to live only about a quarter of a mile from a place that has a small British bakery/butcher counter in it, so I can get proper bacon, plus pies and pasties. PG Tips is widely available (I have found) in supermarkets both down here and where we were living before in the Bay Area. The Tetley British Blend is very good and even more available.

 

Things he has asked for randomly have included Soreen (haven't found it here, must be ordered), Branston pickle (ditto), Bisto (I make gorgeous gravy but he wants Bisto, I can't even), Birds trifle kit (??? why), strawberry Angel Delight (what) and pickled onions (can be bought here of course, but not the "right" taste, must be Haywards). 

 

Also, our bread sucks. I have been told this many, many times and make much of our own bread for home consumption. 

[trudi 1,317]

Chocolate, sweets biscuits, cream crackers, tea, HP sauce, sausages, Cornish pasties,

Everyone is right about the bread here it really does suck 😣

You can buy a lot of things in the grocery store international section but I refuse to pay $10 for a box of 80 PG Tips and I have not found the packet of Jacobs cream crackers that haven't been on the shelf for years and gone soft!

Did I mention chocolate? Fry's Turkish delight, Cadbury flake, crunchie, Galaxy anything, Cadbury buttons 😁

[brainless69 240]

I literally had my POE yesterday and one of my suitcases was full of tea, 🤣 as i tried to look for Rooibos tea last time and saw it was $6 for a small box i brought around 1000 rooibos tea bags plus i'm not sure how much breakfast tea. Guess its quintessentially british to be a tea drinker and its the one thing we always travel with. In hindsight I should have brought some chocoalte hob nobs too... 

 

[laylalex 7,247]

3 hours ago, brainless69 said:

I literally had my POE yesterday and one of my suitcases was full of tea, 🤣 as i tried to look for Rooibos tea last time and saw it was $6 for a small box i brought around 1000 rooibos tea bags plus i'm not sure how much breakfast tea. Guess its quintessentially british to be a tea drinker and its the one thing we always travel with. In hindsight I should have brought some chocoalte hob nobs too... 

 

Reading this literally with a Hobnob in my mouth.  My fiancé is going back to the UK next week for work and to see his daughter and he knows his marching/shopping orders, including Hobnobs and as many Twiglets as he can cram in there. He said I have no basis for maligning Angel Delight when I am an aficionado of Marmite/Twiglets.

 

Welcome to America!!!

[yuna628 9,528]

3 hours ago, brainless69 said:

I literally had my POE yesterday and one of my suitcases was full of tea, 🤣 as i tried to look for Rooibos tea last time and saw it was $6 for a small box i brought around 1000 rooibos tea bags plus i'm not sure how much breakfast tea. Guess its quintessentially british to be a tea drinker and its the one thing we always travel with. In hindsight I should have brought some chocoalte hob nobs too... 

 

Rooibos is easy to find stateside thankfully, and you can buy bulk boxes.. though I like the smaller batches from Twinings for the quality.