Americans certainly aren’t short on shops.
But it turns out that there are gaps in the USA retail inventory – British treats unavailable stateside that American travellers crave on trips to the UK, as revealed in a fascinating discussion on Reddit.
‘Soccergirl9090’ asked the forum, ‘What is the best souvenir to bring back to the USA from the UK?’
Contributors rustled up a feast of mostly food-themed suggestions, from controversial spreads to seaside candy and from tea bags to a chocolate bar that’s ‘better than the U.S version’.
USA citizens have a duty-free personal allowance of $800 (£644). Here’s what they’re spending it on…
SPREADS
‘Soccergirl9090’ asked Reddit, ‘What is the best souvenir to bring back to the USA from the UK?’ Contributors rustled up a feast of suggestions – mainly food. Many people recommend Marmite, a spread made from yeast extract with a slogan of ‘you’ll either love it or hate it’ that needs no introduction for Brits
As ‘travis_6’ puts it, ‘your best bet is food’ when it comes to a British souvenir, adding, ‘There’s not much else in the UK that you can’t get in the States.’
They say a favourite UK buy for their American family is Marmite, a spread made from yeast extract with a slogan of ‘you’ll either love it or hate it’ that needs no introduction for Brits.
‘Acceptable-Smile8864’ agrees, and says Marmite is ‘lovely on toast or crumpets [English muffins] but go easy as it’s punchy’.
A few people even suggest buying Marmite-flavoured crisps (chips) called Twiglets.
‘Charming-Dingo8866’ adds: ‘Even better if you dip the Twiglets into the Marmite.’
Another enticing British spread for Americans is blackcurrant jam.
‘Symbister’ notes that you can get it ‘from anywhere’ in the UK, with ‘LondonLeather’ suggesting a trip to supermarket Sainsbury’s to buy Tiptree Jams’ blackcurrant offering.
Others recommend buying English mustard, available from all supermarkets – although ‘Longjumping-Yak-6378’ warns: ‘Proceed with caution.’
CHOCOLATE
It’s not surprising (for Brits at least) that nearly everyone who answered ‘soccergirl9090’’s question mentions quintessential British confectioner Cadbury (whose chocolate is pictured here with Nestle treats)
It’s not surprising (for Brits at least) that nearly everyone who answered ‘soccergirl9090’’s question mentions quintessential British confectioner Cadbury, which has a chocolate portfolio that includes Dairy Milk, Crunchie and Creme Egg.
User ‘Hot_Success_7986’ says they always bring back loads of the latter for their friends.
Commenter ‘Ok-Contribution-2576’ plays the percentage game, remarking: ‘I go to Tesco [supermarket] and buy one of everything in the chocolate bar section. When I get home I have the children in my life choose from the candy bag.’
Some other users mention Thorntons, which sells chocolate selection boxes in supermarkets across the UK, while ‘IllusiveWoman20’ recommends a host of other non-Cadbury chocolate to try.
They say: ‘Definitely pick up a Toffee Crisp, Milky Bar, Aero, Kit-Kat (yes, there’s a massive difference in quality between a U.S. Kit-Kat and a UK one), all are fantastic.’
To keep costs down, user ‘TheLifeOfBisk’ recommends picking up ‘mini chocolates from a pound shop’ – such as Poundland, Poundstretcher or 99p Stores – where everything costs £1 ($1.25).
They add: ‘When I used to travel back and forth – they were always a big hit.’
TEA
Brits are known for their tea, and many Reddit users suggest picking up some Yorkshire Tea bags – available across the UK, not just in Yorkshire
Brits are known for their tea, and many Reddit users suggest picking up some Yorkshire Tea bags – available across the UK, not just in the county of Yorkshire.
However, Brits are also very particular about how it’s made, with ‘Hot_Success_7986’ joking: ‘If you boil water in the microwave for tea, Queenie will come back and haunt you.’
They suggest buying a kettle, while ‘BuyAccomplished205’ details the perfect way to brew a cup of English tea.
They say: ‘Boil water in the kettle, pour over tea bag, let steep 4-5 min, add a bit of milk and sugar.’
BISCUITS
Many contributors recommend heading to retailer Marks & Spencer to buy biscuits
To get the true British experience, you’ll also need some biscuits to dunk into that cup of tea.
As ‘claustrophonic’ puts it: ‘Oh, the biscuits! Hobnobs! Chocolate Hobnobs!’
‘BuyAccomplished205’ suggests buying ‘packets of custard cream biscuits, chocolate digestive biscuits, and shortbread biscuits’, while many other users recommend heading to Marks & Spencer, a retailer found on most high streets across the UK for those not in the know.
In there, says ‘BuncleCar’, you can find ‘all sorts of biscuits in tins, with red, double-decker buses and pics of Scotland’. User ‘Deadest_of_parrots’ adds: ‘M&S does nice £5 [$6.20] tins with a bear dressed as a soldier. I took some back for coworkers and you’d think I’d brought gold.’
STICK OF ROCK
‘If you haven’t been to the British seaside and watched a stick of rock being made you can’t say you’ve “done” Britain,’ says one contributor
Many American Reddit members were very confused when ‘Ok-Comment5616’, among others, suggested ‘a stick of rock is a great British holiday gift’.
‘You can get them in most gift shops and they’re small,’ they added.
Luckily, aptly-named ‘_youllthankmelater’ was on hand to explain that it’s a ‘British candy cane’, continuing: ‘It’s pink on the outside, and white in the middle with writing of the place it’s from – usually a seaside town.’
‘BackgroundGate3’ adds: ‘If you haven’t been to the British seaside and watched a stick of rock being made you can’t say you’ve “done” Britain.’
ROYAL MEMORABILIA
Americans looking for something more unusual than food as a souvenir should consider buying royal memorabilia – especially tea towels and crockery – according to the thread.
To keep the costs down, ‘LadyEvaBennerly’ suggests ‘hitting up some charity shops’ where ‘you could get royal wedding original mugs, plates, even a teapot’.
But, of course, they can also be found at any souvenir shop across the country – although you may get looked down on, warns ‘darthbreezy’, who bought a Princess Diana Mug for his ‘neighbour/cat sitter’, as it was ‘the one thing she wanted in all the world’.
They add: ‘On my last day, I went to one of the ubiquitous stands and asked for the first one off the shelf. You could see it on his face, “American tourist… Urgh!”’
Americans looking for something more unusual than food as a souvenir should consider buying royal memorabilia – especially tea towels and crockery – according to the thread. Pictured are some King Charles souvenirs on sale in the Westminster Abbey Shop in London