As much as being an American expat in England can be tough when you miss American things, it’s not hard to fill that American void with truly British things. From flavored crisps to flavored gins, Cheetos and Hendrix can quickly become a thing of the past. Beyond British food you can’t get in America, here are alcohol, toys, books and more unique British things America doesn’t have.💂🏻♀️
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British Things You Can’t Get In America
Between food, fashion, and the Union Jack, the UK offers so many unique things that can be far better than what you can get in the USA. It might not seem like it if you’ve just moved to the UK where the closest and only thing to Mexican food is Old El Paso. But the reality is the UK offers a lot of amazing things you can only get in Britain.
For Brits in the USA, getting a package full of these items could completely make their day or even their year. Consider a former American expat who’d do anything for another rhubarb gin. Trust me, it’s that good!
Sure, some of these things can be found in the USA if you are willing to pay a lot more for them but some you simply can’t find at all. So whenever I visit the good ole’ USA, these are some of the British things you can’t get in America that I take with me.
Or if you happen to be just visiting and want to know what to buy in the UK, this list is loaded with products you can’t buy anywhere else. Gift for yourself or for an American friend, happy shopping. 👜
British Alcohol You Can’t Get
Gin is synonymous with Britain, but until I moved to England did I comprehend the breadth of gin available. Although I’ve always appreciated a good Hendrix with cucumbers and blueberries on a hot Texas summer day, I had no idea what I was missing out on until I moved to the UK. With more alcohol options than I can list, here are a few fun and gift favorites.
- Flavored Gin, like:
- Isle of Wight Distillery – Mermaid Gin
- Whitney Neil – Rhubarb and Ginger
- Exclusive Scotch Whiskey, like Glenfiddich 19-Year Age of Discovery
- British Beer not available in America, like:
- Adnam’s New England IPA
- Gadd’s She Sells Sea Shells
- Mills Brewing
British Food You Can’t Get
It’s all a myth that the food in Britain isn’t very good. Farm-to-table restaurants serve the freshest seafood, meat, and vegetables ever. And the chocolate (or sticky toffee pudding) is one of Great Britain’s greatest gifts – IMHO. So be sure to try British food you can’t get in America, such as:
- Good Tea, like:
- Cartwright & Butler
- London Teapigs (though there is a Teapig shop in Brooklyn, NY)
- Pukka Teas that are nice to display as well
- Tunnocks Tea Cakes & Tunnocks Caramel Wafers
- Chocolates. Britain’s chocolate is better than what you can get in America, ranging from your local petrol store to an exclusive high street shop.
- Hotel Chocolat
- Magic Stars
- Crunchie Bars
- Oreo, Mint, Caramel, and several other Cadbury Creme Egg Flavours only
- Kernow Chocolate Bars wrapped in a British inspired artistic seaside or landscape
- Thornton’s…to name a few.
- Sticky Toffee Pudding
- Hawkshead English Mustard
- Elegant & English Biscuits
- Artisan English Cheese such as red Leicester or Colston Basset Stilton
- Blackcurrant Jam
- Gravy Granules
- Knorr Stock Pots
- Chutneys. All of them are simply better than any chutney you can get in America.
- Crisps in crazy flavors, such as:
- Prawn Cocktail
- Sunday Best Roast Chicken
- Aberdeen Angus Beef
- Ham and Cranberry
- Black Truffle
- British candy, such as:
- Rathbornes
- M&S Percy Pigs & Foam Lobsters
- Wine Gums
- Fizzy Cola Bottles
- Fried Eggs
- Black Skittles
For British food America doesn’t have packaged in a hamper, read my favorite British hampers that ship to America.
British Novelties You Can’t Get In America
- Shopping Bags from loved British brands:
- Harrod’s Signature Vinyl Tote
- Seasalt Jute Bags with the Cornish Coast
- Cath Kidston
- M&S in a pouch
- Schuh London
- Liberty London
- British Tins – Tins aren’t used in America nearly as much as they are in the UK. The quirkier British tin the better!
- British or London-inspired pillows, like the ones you can buy at Portobello Market.
- Vintage Union Jack Flag & Bunting
- Royal Collection Ornaments
- National Trust gifts
- English Heritage gifts
- Unique jewelry made in England, like this London skyline necklace
British Books & Magazines Only Available For Purchase In The UK
- Local Picture Books
- British Magazines like OK!, Heat, Grazia or BBC’s Match of the Day.
- British cookbooks from restaurants and lovely hotels, such as Fortnum & Mason, Claridge’s, and even The Borough Market Cookbook.
- Flower books that show off the best of blooms in London, especially cafes, Chelsea In Bloom, and other experiences in the UK (to include gorgeous flowers) that America doesn’t have.
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British Toys That Are Hard To Find In America
- London Skittles – A super cute London-inspired bowling set.
- Match Attax
- Smiggle (technically Australian but a very loved brand by kids in Britain)
- Harry Potter Gifts Exclusive to The Harry Potter Shop at Platform 9 ¾
British Brands That Are Tricky To Get In America
While some American brands and retailers collaborate with these British brands, the full range is only accessible in Great Britain.
- Liberty Print Fabric
- Emma Bridgewater [Update 2022: Emma Bridgewater has a USA online shop.]
- Lock & Co. Hatters
- Cath Kidston
- Harrods
- Barbour, like the James Bond Barbour jacket, and especially the kids’ line.
- James Smith Umbrella, like this Mary Poppins one.
British Vintage Treasures
Some of the best Britain stuff not available in the USA can be found at antique shops. If you love Fixer Upper and Magnolia and haven’t made your way to a second-hand shop in the UK, you’re missing out. Favorite finds that you can’t get in America include:
- Antique Door Knocker
- Hamper (a picnic basket; read more about my second-hand shopping tips in Britain for a fraction of the cost)
- Picture Frame
- Cutlery
- Original train station signs
- Vintage British Flags
Final Thoughts On British Things You Can’t Get In America
So, whether you’ve just moved to the UK and trying to figure out what exclusive British things to try that you can’t get in America or what to bring back to the USA that’s unique to the UK, any of these quintessentially British items will do. 🇬🇧💂🏻♀️
What did I miss?
Looking for more British gift ideas? Try these.
- 11 British Gifts To Give Americans
- My Top 6 British Hampers That Ship To The USA
- Moving to the UK? Get the full shopping list in my Moving To England Workbook
24 comments
Hello Lisa, interesting read. I am in RI and a lot of stores carry marmite , also crunchie bars. Hendrick gin is widely available, it is from Scotland originally. Crumpets I can find here too. If you really need a union Jack a flag shop would likely have one, or amazon Perhaps it depends on where in the US you are coming from
Michael
Thanks so much for the tips Michael. Hendrix is definitely widely available in the UK – it’s the flavored versions that that I miss most living in Texas. I still haven’t seen Crunchie bars available in grocery stores but they are available on Amazon US. Good callouts on marmite – I’ll update the post because I can find that pretty regularly now. Some of these British things are just better bought in the UK (and cheaper) – it’s the nostalgia for me x
Things like orange flavored chocolate/milk chocolate are rare to find in the US compared to the UK like orange kit-kats and Terry’s Orange Chocolate(although available around Christmas season). I really love orange chocolate.
That’s an excellent point, thank you! I especially love the little knits people make for the orange chocolates you can buy at the markets at Christmas time. x
Products in the United Kingdom are far superior than what we are able to get in America as well as so much more choice and variety, plus, not only superior quality, but also ‘Dramatically’ better prices too. No wonder everyone in America is in debt, we pay anything from x5 to 20x more on so many products. Example: King size Duvet ‘Yes there is a slight difference in bed sizes” but putting that aside, Bed Bath & Beyond King size feather down duvet $599.00 totally Outrageous! UK Price GBP 45.00. I could go on all day. It is SICKENING how we are all being ripped-off here in the US.
Hi Lisa! That is such a great point. I do think that quality is far better and the uniqueness of items too – not to mention affordability for high quality. Thank you for sharing this! x
This list made me smile – I love the UK, and the two things I get every time – is a Costa coffee and Pukka teas. Thanks for bringing back fun memories, can’t wait till we can actually travel again:)
Thanks Madi! You and me both! x
Hello, I’m English and I agree Pukka tea is good. However, if you stick to Costa you’re missing out on coffee. It really isn’t great and it’s often better to go to a more local independent coffee shop which sells artisan or Italian coffee like Lavazza (which you can also buy in the supermarket).
Hi Jessica! Thank you for sharing. I totally agree with you – the independent coffee shops are the best options. x
I thought kinder eggs were prohibited in the US and therefore not able to be sent either? Am I wrong? If so this would be great as would love to send some to a friends children
Hi Melissa! Kinder Eggs are actually available for purchase in the USA now. Places they can be purchased include Target and Amazon. I hope that helps. x
i heard you cant get pizza rolls or wramen in the uk
Hi Kia. You definitely can’t get Ramen noodles, though there is a similar version available at Tesco. It’s the only place I’ve been able to find anything like it! As for pizza rolls, I’m fairly sure you can get a version of something like a pizza roll but not a Pizza Pockets brand or similar. Thanks for contributing!
You can get ramen noodles in the UK. You trippin’
Haha! Please share where, Tim. I’ve only ever found knock-off versions of the classic Ramen brand. Thanks!!
Actually, I didn’t know Ramen was a brand in America. Ramen as a thing just refers to the Japanese noodle dish Ramen or the Korean noodles, Ramyeon. So you can buy other authentic noodle brands that aren’t the Ramen brand 😀
Absolutely! You can buy the same type of noodle, just not the same brand. Thanks Dia.
No you get Loads of ramen and instant ramen in the Uk!
Hi Kath. Yes, you’re correct. My comment was specific to brand but the noodles can definitely be found in the UK.
That’s wrong, u can get oreo cookies in USA, go on walmart, its there. Also Oreos were made by an American company
Hi Jerimiah! Yes, you can definitely get Oreos in the USA and you can get Oreos in the UK, too. However, I have never found Oreo Cadbury eggs in the US which my kids love.
Excellent article. Very helpful! If I’d known there wasn’t a Crunchie equivalent in the US, I’d have included some in the chocolate parcel I sent to my friend in Texas last week! She’ll have to make do with Maltesers, Milkybars and Fruit Pastels until next time! 😆
Awww, thanks Caroline. That sounds like an amazing gift package. She’ll love it and look forward to the Crunchie next time 😉