So you’re an American in Britain with a hankering for Reese’s Peanut Butter cups, a Hershey’s bar, a Mr. Goodbar or whatever. What to do, where to go? Got a few tips for you that may help.
First of all, the Brits aren’t too fond of the entire peanut butter and chocolate combo. Believe me, I know. I test it out quite often and am always pleased when I find the 1 in 10 person who seems to think Reese’s are great.
Any touristy area of London will have newsagents or small grocery stores. Pop into any of these places, and you’ll likely find Reese’s for sale. They’ll be expensive, but go on, treat yourself!
Need to bulk up? It’s been several years since I was last at a Costco store in the Britain. But when I was there, you could usually get boxes of 24 or 30 or whatever. You’ll find a list of stores and info here. Yeah, they’ve got big bottles of French’s mustard, too. Just remember that the smaller bottles that most groceries stores carry now (including Waitrose) probably fit better in your tiny refrigerator.
Also, think ahead. When you’re coming back from a trip to the US, stock up on candy and food you can’t get. I never come back from a trip without at least six or seven bags of Cocoa Pebbles in my suitcase. Pull the cereal out of the box, and they fit in a lot more easily. Also see the end of my post about decrypting the shelf life of Hershey’s products for a link with storage tips.
Still stuck for your favorite sweets? Get thee to Cybercandy, with shops in London, Brighton or ordering online. There’s an entire American Food section you can browse, which has areas for candy, cookies, gum and much more. Sadly, they don’t stock Cocoa Pebbles in the cereal area.
While I’m covering food, I thought I’d pass along a few American to British translations, when it comes to food:
- Mustard: This means English mustard, which is an entirely different creature from French’s mustard.
- Milkshake: If you order it, ask whether ice cream is actually involved. Milkshakes more commonly will be, well, just sweet tasting milk.
- Cookies: The Brits call them biscuits.
- Biscuits: You generally don’t find nice, light airy homestyle biscuits. But scones will do the job.
- Candy: Generally means hard candies, rather than chocolate and other types of sweets. If you offer someone candy, that’s what they’ll assume you have.
- Milky Way Bars: Not the American kind. They’re more like 3 Musketeers, but not quite. Fortunately, Snickers are the same as Snickers bars in the US, though many many moons ago when I first came to the UK, they were called Marathon bars. Or, and Smarties are not the sweet-tart kind but instead more like M&Ms but with a different taste and slightly harder texture.
- Popcorn: At the movies, you’ll have a choice of sweet or salted. Sweet is sugar sprinkled on top, which I find disgusting. Even more so if you buy it buy mistake, not knowing better and put a handful in your mouth expecting the salted type.
- Lemonade: 7-Up. Maybe it’s not branded 7-Up, but British “lemonade” tastes like 7-Up or a lemon-lime soda. It is absolutely NOT American style lemonade.
- Ice: Doesn’t exist in Britain. If you’re lucky, you might find a place that drops a single cube into your glass of Coke, usually followed by a lemon wedge.
I’ll never forget 15 years or so ago buying a can of coke at a Tube station stand. I was shocked when the vendor handed me the can sitting out in the open, which I assumed was just on display, rather than reaching into some hidden refrigerator to give me a freezing cold one.
Seriously, look at the cans of Coke in Britain. Notice they suggest “Best served ice cold” on them, something I’m fairly certain cans in America don’t say.
Fortunately, years of practice have taught me to drink Coke warm. I totally don’t mind, anymore. Of course, it’s always nice to get back home and have it in a big huge glass full of ice.
Funny story, ice. Two or three years ago, we took the kids to a Ruby’s Diner in California. The waitress gave them both glasses of water.
“Daddy!,” my oldest son exclaimed. “There’s something in my water.” I looked expecting to see a fly, some food, something disgusting. Nope, it was just ice. Honest true story. They just weren’t used to ice and even today, they think it’s a real treat to have it. We obviously don’t have an ice maker at home — but I’ll talk about British refrigerators in a future post.
{ 32 comments… read them below or add one }
I have just recently moved to the UK, actually have been here for 6 months now and i can most definatly related with your story. I am originaly from Canada and have travelled to the US many times and actually lived in Florida for many years. I am still getting used to the whole idea of britan i really though it would be something close to the US with a certain flair but it’s not there are many different cultural differences that you just can’t escape, like yesterday i spoke to my neighbor and she asked me how many sugars i wanted in my tea i said two and showed her fingers and she got all upset at me … it was only when i got to work that one of my co workers told me that don’t the two fingers raised up was a very rude sign … Anyways i am still learning about the UK and i am glad to be here and especially glad that SEO got me here …
Hi, Um..
I’m English.
Very, English
and..Ice exists, very much.
and, believe me
We ‘brits’ know what American words are
in English.
Oh and, also, Milkshake isn’t sweet milk.
It’s ice cream based unless
we buy a tub of “nesquick”
which you put powder into milk and stir, basically
like hot chocolate, but it can be chocolate, strawberry or vanilla, or banana.
I am also an American temporarily moving to the UK. I came here for a job, and can’t wait to go back home to Pasadena, California. I noticed soooooo many of the frustrating cultural differences here as well. The Brits are VERY familiar with American culture and style because of the vast amount of American things here such as the movies, TV shows, etc. They don’t realize that we don’t have barely anything British in the US, so we don’t know how things are here. The biggest challenge, amongst many, has been the food issue. I am used to a variety of food on every corner and in the malls and shopping centers. It was very depressing being pregnant and not being able to get any of the foods I craved from home, i.e. Mexican food and soul food! I too was surprised not only about the ice thing, but the fact that they don’t automatically bring you water in the restaurants. I could go on and on, but I just wanted to post my brief thoughts on my food experience here. I have been able to somewhat compensate by going to a few websites that sell American groceries, so I’m coping for the time being. I too come back from the US with suitcases full of food.
If you are looking for a replica of restaurants and food items that you are familiar with in the US you will be sorely disappointed. Stay at home if this overly vexes you. Or, shockingly, you could be prepared to find something new, different and exciting. Having lived in the USA I also found many things I was not used to and missed certain food, however, I discovered a lot of new things and this *broadened my horizons*
Ice? Please! Sounds so shallow.
Mart, after 12 years of living in the UK, I think I did plenty of broadening my horizons. That doesn’t mean I also still didn’t miss some things from home. But no, ice isn’t shallow — not if you’re used to the difference it makes to a soft drink. Tea with no milk; cold coffee, perhaps those are similar examples.
im english. its england. its a different country.. so things are going to be different. so stop moaning and acting as if we are stupid. thankyou.
Georgina, i lived in England for 13 years. My kids are half-British. I understand it’s a different country better than you probably do. I wasn’t moaning, nor was I calling Britain stupid. That would be pretty stupid given the hybrid nature of my my family.
Despite living abroad, people sometimes want things from home. Ask any Brit looking for Cadbury’s or my wife and her quest to get some decent “British-style” bacon out here in the US.
*baffled* You have learned to live without an ice maker? Why don’t you make ice the good old fashioned way, with ice moulds from the pound shop like the rest of Britain?
Actually, more and more people have refrigerators with ice makers. In my last year there, I had one that did this wonderful — an nice “American-style” fridge.
Kitty, if you’re not regularly used to having ice in your cold drinks, you just won’t get it. I can’t explain it to you, and yes, it’ll just seem like windging. The best I can describe is imagine you have to have tea with no milk. Or you had to drink tea cold. Or pick whatever familiar thing you want, that you’re used to that suddenly changes.
If you’re used to ice in drinks, you like it. And you don’t like not having it.
Doesn’t mean the world comes to an end. Doesn’t mean Britain sucks. But doesn’t mean it’s also not good, either.
See it annoys me that Britain is synonymous with England. Have you lived in Scotland, or Wales, or N.Ireland? Cos I’ve lived in Edinburgh, Scotland which is part of Britain my whole life and we always get ice in our cold drinks when we go to restaurants. If you’ve lived in England for 12 years then say that, but don’t go tarring the rest of us with the same brush.
Jemma, as you know, Britain is not synonymous with England — nor did I use it in that way. I lived in England for 13 years, which as part of Great Britain, also means I lived in Britain for 13 years.
I’ve also traveled throughout Great Britain, including Scotland and especially extended stays in Wales. My last trip to Scotland was about 20 years ago, so if the ice situation has improved — that’s great. My apologies for having slighted the good country of Scotland — though frankly, people are taking this entire post in entirely too much an insulting tone, which is was never meant to be.
In terms of Wales, I was last there about a year and a half ago — and I was in that country regularly during my time in Britain. Ice wasn’t that common.
wow, I guess its true about the brits, they are the most violent….why are they so defense about not having ice!! im reading the posts laughing at the ignorance and hostility over ice and yet one of them proclaims the whole thing to be shallow!! Go figure…..
You guys are some kinda hostile!
Thank you for the post, Danny. I’m an American and I’ve just married an Englishman. I have finished all my packing and am getting ready to head over to the UK to live the rest of my life there with him.
When I visited the first time, we went to a restaurant and when I asked for iced tea the waiter gave me the strangest look. I don’t know if it was because I spoke with a clearly American accent or if they just didn’t serve tea cold there normally, but I had it. A small cup of tea, with my meal, and no ice. Dark tea. Certainly not the kind I was used to. Since my husband never drinks tea he couldn’t quite clarify whether that was normal or not. Needless to say I usually just have a water when we go out, or wine, though I miss my ice cold sweet tea.
I’ll be sure to pack a few ice makers for the trip. I’m nervous, English culture is so different from the American one. And it’s bizarre because we Americans aren’t ever exposed to other cultures: I have no idea why. Half the things my husband would tell me I always thought were fabricated and just jokes to get me riled, but it’s so different here! Even in the small ways. Like calling people “sir” and “ma’am”. Brits don’t seem to be used to it, they are a lot more formal with each other, but as an American I was raised to find this an acceptable term to use with anyone who was my superior while working in retail. And when you’re working and in retail, everyone is your superior.
Hey I think rachel is right, this is one funny conversation but I don’t think it’s hostile. Perhaps part of the contention here is that most Americans have a certain amount of afinity with England due to some perceived notion of connection through language and history. This is unrealistic as both countries have undergone and continue to be inspired by different mixtures of cultures and other inflluences. The above American comments about the lack of ice speak of their expectation and disappointment of this suppposedly rudimentary element of modern life. The Brits take this as arrogance and try to give examples of why this is rude and wrong. Pointing out the lack of a domestically preferred commodity, eg bacon, is not the same as pointedly saying that ice doesn’t exist in another country. Not true.
Sylvia
Hi, just ordered a load of US candy at http://www.handycandy.co.uk – they’ve got a decent selection…
Really, no ice? I’m British and I’m drinking ice cold coke with ice in it. I can assure anyone who is considering going to England we do have ice. Oh, and about milkshake, most milkshakes from coffee shops will have ice cream in it, like someone said, the only “sweet milk” milkshakes will be things like Nesquick or a run down café. We have biscuits and cookies. Cookies have chocolate chips, where as biscuits are generally just thin sweet hard cakes (I reccommend you search “McVities Digestives” in google images, biscuits are hard to describe).
There are two types of Lemonade: Cloudy and Clear.
And how someone can order sweet popcorn when you are asked: “Salty or Sweet” at the movies is beyond me.
Anywhom, I hope I’ve cleared up some of the fiction.
Oh and I forgot to add, if you don’t think you get enough ice, you are allowed to ask for more.
The reason why we dont have ice in drinks is because it’s England, it rains like 200 days a year, we don’t need ice to make us even more cold, which is another reason why we drink tea, its nice and warm ^^
Things have changed now though, big cities like London will definitely have something US style
I’m American… I didn’t take this article to be insulting or whining about anything…
I see a lot of stuff from people saying that ice is very important in their drinks. I really prefer drinks with no ice.. I think it tastes better. When drinks are ice cold I think you can taste it less. I want to live in England soon, so it’s very interesting to learn these things about food differences that I didn’t know before. Sweet popcorn? That sounds very different, I’d have to try it! I was wondering if it’s the same as kettle corn.. which is popcorn without butter, but with sugar.
HI guys
ok so…. basicly to sum up a lot of thoughts and things said above,
In England we do have ice, and every freezer in the country has ice trays.
and yes we have rain 200 days a year, and the rest of the time the temp never rises above 25f, so ice really isnt filled in glasses here unless you ask for it.
if you order a coke from a stand on the street in london, it wont be from a fridge, but go to ANY convenience store and they will be right there in the cold section.
as for iced tea, we dont have sweet iced tea in england, we drink tea hot and freshly squeezed from the drenched leaves, it is not sweet, kind of like green herbal tea.
therefore for iced tea it is recommended you buy it in bottled form from a convenience store.
sweet popcorn is like moosemuch, but less caramel, more like sprinkled sugar. you can get plain popcorn, and you can get popcorn like in the states which is buttered. just ask for it.
oh and just for some comedy purposes, ive been asked on multiple occasions what language we speak in england, and that was by everyday normal americans, including one teacher. i found this amusing and explained to them that english is the language of those from england.
another thing, we dont tip people here like in america, our wages are already high enough so we dont give people extra money, especially in starbucks. if you are in a restaurant where you are waited on, it is standard to leave a tip of 10%. no more, and only if you are happy with the service you receive.
i’m sure i could go on for days, but i wont, i love living in both countries, as a teacher and a transatlantic boyfriend.
feel free to ask me any questions by email rainbowxboy@hotmail.com
Tim
Morrisons Supermarkets sell lots of Reece’s stuff now – Pieces, Cups etc. Was never keen on PB & Choc until I tried the Cups once and now they are top of my must have choccy list
Danny:
Fun post. I spent a year in Australia and couldn’t believe my Aussie friends didn’t quite get the genius of peanut butter and chocolate together. Thankfully, I found the “Yankee Lolly Shop” which had Hershey’s, Reese’s and Junior Mints galore. One more funny food translation (not sure if this applies in Britain as well): fairy floss = cotton candy.
I had a lot of fun reading this article. I stumbled upon it whilst trying to find a place to buy butterfingers that isn’t the internet. I’m scottish and I think the Ice thing is kinda true. I suppose we like less ice, so it doesn’t mess up the drink. Cold coke, not watery coke. I’d love an Ice machine in my fridge yet there isn’t really room in my little british house for it.
“. In scotland thats just cheeky!
Ice tea? possibly my favourite drink ever (well after frozen diet coke) but sweet popcorn at the cinema is the ONLY choice.
Last time I was in america my milkshake came with a spoon not a straw. If i had wanted an ice cream sundae, that is what I would have ordered!
Peanut Butter is the thing I totally love about america though…we don’t embrace it enough here. Sylvia above probably has the most rational arguments.
As a british person I think out system of tips makes more sense (an extra when performed well) as appossed to the waiter writing on my reciept ” Tip is normally 20%
but seriously “biscuits” are about the worst things I’ve eaten in my life. It was so salty and disgusting.
ps. fairy floss = cotton candy = Candy Floss
Hiya guys,
I have a couple of questions for the americans on here.
I live in england and I make cupcakes, basically Ive noticed a lack of proper American cupcakes so am trying to make some, so would like advice on the following items…. can ou tell me what they are, if you know of anywhere in the UK I can buy them
Thanks
1. Graham crackers?
2. Candy corns (i know what these are but cant find them in UK)
3. The various names yo have for chocolate ie bittersweet semisweet
4. measuring cups??? do you have special ones as I have a measuring jug that has cups on it?
I’m American, I love England!–I was not miffed at all; I loved the change! New things are lovely, and so are new people and ideas–
France is nice as well, the markets are amazing! Also, I was treated very well, so I’m not sure why people ask me if they are rude? I think as long as your polite to people they’ll be polite and respectful back to you.
—I would also like to say that the English are sooooo polite and friendly–at least the ones I have met. Lovely people
I haven’t read everything sorry, because I’m lazy. But I understand whinging about home familiarities because I’m a northern Brit living in Japan and, believe me, I moan endlessly about not having real bacon and other things I love. I’m afraid a lot of Brits are quite hostile but you’ll actually find that a lot of the time they’re half joking or just letting off steam and the best thing to do is try and make them laugh really. We generally hate overly formal formalities like sir and ma’am, but I don’t think it means we’re not polite although it’s easy for, even me, not misconstrue it that way. I’m afraid we have a deep deep hatred for American snacks. We’ve never tasted 3 muskateers bars because milky ways (uk) are better (sorry). Hersheys tastes like something horrific to us (although my dad likes it) sorry. We really really hate Hersheys. Milk shake where I’m from usually flavoured milk, yeah, and your kind of lemonade is what we call ‘traditional lemonade’. As for ice, (where I’m from, near Liverpool) we just don’t like a ton of ice, because it makes the drink taste watery as you get to the end and it’s gross. you may as well just buy a cup of ice with a shot of coke if you’re going to do that. Buy it from MacDonalds if you really want that though. We generally don’t drink ice tea, but Lipton makes it (which an American told me is gross) and you can get that from the supermarket or whatever. If we drank ice tea or ice-oolong tea more, then we’d probably drink less alcohol and be less aggressive and grumpy though. So maybe it’s not such a bad idea.
Mistake – in the middle “it’s easy for, even me, to misconstrue it that way”
hi people,
and to “love the world”, most english people are stroppy and bitchy and rowdy haha. but yeah, i really dont like england, the weather is horrible as well!! i crave for everything american. also american people seem so nice and happy 
im english, or british, or whatever you wanna call it.
tbh, i HATE england. i have always dreamed to move over to america and live there. the food there is amazing, the place is amazing, the atmosphere is just so much more exciting than here in england. i love those Nutter Butter cookies and cookies and cream pop tarts which we dont get, we only get the strawberry and chocolate ones. also its very hard to find waffles! i LOVE waffles!! the only waffles i find are potato waffles
Howdy ho all-y’all,
I would love to find american candy in a shop other than selfridges? where the standard peanut butter jar is about £8 or some obcene amount.
Now all modern english cooking is in the metric system, so if you buy a Delia cookbook then buy scales, because that is what they use.
If you want variety then go to the more cultural area’s, I go either to the china town in Manchester or Rushhome? which I like to call curryworld.
Where I live as an American I notice that everyone knows I am an American so I try not to hide it, and they don’t hide who they are either it works out for the best. I also think that moaning is an english sport more popular than football, but their is no malice as it is just a sport.
Now to help both sides, in 1763 everyone in the American colonies would have considered themselves English, just colonial but still english. It only took 12 years for the government at the time to annoy the colonials enough by not treating them as the regular english that they had enought and called it quits. That is when both cultures went different directions. The English need to be thankful that the colonials didn’t vote to make the national language german (missed by one) and the Americans need to be thankful that they have the roots of law from England.
Next time imagine that you had to buy a language book to visit a different country. I don’t hear germans complaining about ameica or vice versa and I have worked there. Part of the fun is not being able to find the same things and leaning to adapt and overcome. It is what we as human’s are best at.
Found this website after searching the internet for American candy. I’m British and I just love it all so I feel your pain! I wish more Brits did see the amazingness that is peanut butter and chocolate. I’m not sure what you mean about the ice thing, I’ve never not been given ice in a restaurant/cafe/pub etc. As for the popcorn thing, I work in a cinema and I prefer salted popcorn to sweet but the amount of customers who say “Ew who’d want salted?” after I ask if they wanted salted or sweet is quite annoying!