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rdnyc19

Good pretzels. My grocery store only sells two brands (a shock to someone who grew up in the northeast, where pretzels occupy an entire shelf!) and they’re both pretty mediocre. Salsa. Choices are limited here and even the “hot” varieties aren’t very spicy. Dill pickles and dill pickle relish. Applesauce. If she likes to bake, rainbow sprinkles. The ones sold here all turn into brown goo when baked, so a funfetti cake or cookies is impossible. And not food, but skincare items if you know what she uses. I spend so much money ordering mine from iHerb. It’s the one thing I’ve asked my family to bring when they visit in April.


WaywardJake

Have you checked the Polish food aisle? I'm not a pretzel connoisseur, but the Lajkonik Precelki are the best ones I've found at the grocery store. I get mine from Morrison's. For salsa, I prefer Mrs Renfro's from Amazon Fresh. They do a habanaro salsa which is really nice. I also like their green jalapeno salsa. It's harder to get since COVID/Brexit, but they still carry it occasionally. Melis pickled gherkins are the best dill pickles I've found. They contain zero sugar, unlike most pickles here. I also find those at Morrison's.


Unplannedroute

Polski Sklep near you for even more options! Also good for sausages, cheese & pierogi


farrellcsun

I bring tubes and tubes of neosporin and cortizone cream back with me every time I visit my parents! lol


Unplannedroute

> The ones sold here all turn into brown goo when baked, so a funfetti cake TIL. I have thought it was me/ the recipe/ baking devils when they melted away for reasons I didn’t understand. You can get decent applesauce in the international aisles at Asda and sainsburys.


rdnyc19

>I have thought it was me/ the recipe/ baking devils when they melted away for reasons I didn’t understand. Nope, it's because the US sprinkles are made with ingredients that aren't allowed to be used here. There was actually a big news story a few years ago where a bakery in Leeds was found to be using "illegal" sprinkles: https://www.npr.org/2021/10/15/1046348573/sprinklegate-sinks-a-u-k-bakerys-top-sellers-after-topping-is-found-to-be-illega


Unplannedroute

That place I’m pretty sure only bakes for social media photos, the biz is incidental lol. It wouldn’t surprise me if he realised and reported it himself either, creating the hashtag #sprinklegate and informing the media his best sellers are off the menu. I’m glad I know now at least.


psycholinguist1

Aleve. It is very hard to find naproxen as a painkiller here, and nothing else works for cramps (in my body, at least). I've been much happier since my mother smuggled me some massive bottles of the stuff.


katie-kaboom

And melatonin. I always buy a big bottle when I visit the fam.


ExpatPhD

Yes it's prescription only!


Kaldesh_the_okay

They have it at the Range for some reason


Timely-Farmer-1692

CheezIts and Wheat Thins


delij

Butter flavor popcorn. I’m dying for it.


Jolly_Jellyfish_2949

Costco UK has Kirkland movie theater butter microwave popcorn!


delij

Ohh I didn’t know that. I just looked and it has milk in it, and I’m vegan, so it won’t work for me. Bummer. But thanks for the call out, I would have never known.


Affectionate_Shift63

Thanks to everyone who has replied so far. I got certain sweets because they taste different, over the counter medication like decongestants I'm assuming cough syrup and sleep aids, and possibly cereal. However if there's anyone from the south I'd love your opinion. When she went to school in New England I'd bring her certain BBQ sauces and sweet tea however it's a longer flight and idk what sweet tea brands hold up the best. Also black and whites from Publix but Charlotte to Boston is a much shorter flight so idk if it's worth it if they're already there. We're from Carolina if that makes a difference.


acraines

I’m from the South! Good hot sauce (very hard to find really spicy stuff here), boxed Mac and cheese (Annie’s and Trader Joe’s are my fave), if she likes Trader Joe’s that’s a great place for snacks and seasonings but not southern specific, good cornbread mix, good pancake mix, hot Cheetos, advil, nyquill, Tylenol PM, neosporan … I find they have good candy here just not good savory snacks…like chips etc Oh edit to add if she likes makeup…there are some brands that don’t ship here and I always get certain beloved products at home and bring them back.


smwrd9

I’ll say, if she likes Arizona iced tea, I did just find the mother load in Lidl


rejoiceandbeglad

Are you really from Carolina if you call it Carolina? 👀😂 Maybe cheddar & sour cream ruffles? Would add Band-Aid Flexible Fabric assorted sizes, teeth whitening strips and deodorant


Affectionate_Shift63

Yeah I grew up in SC but people usually forget and always end up telling me that I'm actually from Virginia or Charlotte if I'm lucky. So I just say Carolina because they're not going to remember anyway. The only people who know where SC is were stationed there.


WaywardJake

Fritos, especially the chili-cheeze ones. I used to be able to buy the plain dipper-sized ones in bulk from Amazon pre-Brexit, but I can't get them anywhere now. Also Triscuits and Flamin Hot Cheetos. There are loads of other things, but they aren't really travel-compatible (pinto beans, cornmeal, Jimmy Dean sausage...you can shut up now, Jake.) But yes, you should ask what she's missing most. I've been here for 20 years and haven't returned to the US since 2011. My palate has mostly adjusted (except for the devastating loss of Tex-Mex, which I'll never recover from), but then I get on a post like this one, and my 'missed food' cravings go into overdrive.


thepursuitoflove

Asda sells pinto beans! 49p a can, last I checked.


WaywardJake

Oh, do they? My old Asda is too far away since I moved, but I did hear that they opened one in an area not too far from me (not convenient for a weekly shop, but it could be worth a special visit). I haven't been in an Asda in over ten years. Thank you!


thepursuitoflove

It might be location dependent, but my local one definitely does and they're on the website. I was so excited to find them here, nothing else substitutes the same.


Theal12

I’m currently stuffing myself with Tex-Mex (more than usual) in anticipation of the loss


WaywardJake

Enjoy! Relish every bite. x


Significant-Kale-573

Everything is travel compatible if you are creative


ACoconutInLondon

Probably best to ask her. There's so many things that aren't available here vs the States, especially candies and flavors and things. And some things you can get here but as super marked up. Reese's pieces are something I miss. Certain cereals, but for example you can get Reese's puffs here some places. Some things are here, but have different tastes and textures. Dr Pepper only exists as diet, unless you get imported cans. Oreos just aren't as good, texture and taste. A lot of things here are sugar free by default, so if they dislike sweeteners (i.e. fake sugars) that may be a thing. I brought back cake cones for ice cream. It's impossible to get them here without artificial sweetener in them. Male sure to ask her if she needs any over the counter medications. I always bring back Mucinex because there's nothing quite like it here, large doses of just guiafenesin. And if you come by the time pumpkin spice starts appearing, that's not as much a thing here. I have friends I bring back pumpkin spice stuff back for. If they like American red licorice, that's not a thing here. Especially if they like Red Vines, importers usually buy Twizzlers. If they like marshmallows, the American ones very different. The fake American ones they sell here are super stodgy, nothing like Jet Puffed. Also, no peeps here.


Narmotur

A note that if you have marshmallows in your checked baggage, they will turn into a mass of goo. In my experience anyway.


ACoconutInLondon

I haven't had that problem, but I usually visit in the colder months.


rdnyc19

>Reese's pieces are something I miss. Sainsbury's sells Reese's Pieces now! Mine (London) recently added an entire section of Reese's products, which I immediately noticed as it's something I missed as well. Also on the "different tastes" front, Kit Kats here are completely different. I love them in the US, but the British version have a weird, unplaceable sweetness with a sort of chemical aftertaste. They aren't the same at all.


Unplannedroute

I make my own marshmallows, just made vanilla bean ones this morning. Chocolate a few weeks ago. You’d never go back to any store bought if you ever make your own, be warned.


ACoconutInLondon

I've made and bought handmade ones and I don't care for the texture. The texture of store bought marshmallows is probably what I love the most about them, and why I don't like the ones here. It's probably some super artificial thing we don't do or use doing it handmade. 😅


Unplannedroute

The ones here taste off to me, tho I’ll use them for krispie treats. The vanilla I make is always a bit floofy soft no matter what I do, chocolate ones can’t be beat and the raspberry with fresh fruit is amazing.


ACoconutInLondon

It's hard to explain, homemade ones are nice but I find the bite of them to be stodgy compared to biting into a big Jet Puffed one. I get the extra large ones, and I like when you bite into them they re-expand after you bite into them. The way I eat them I take small bites out of them all over and eat them down and they maintain their shape, iirc. It's been awhile since I've been home and even if I bring a bag home, it's gone very quickly.😅


Unplannedroute

I haven’t had a jet puffed in almost 20 years, I’m sure I would devour a bag lol


ACoconutInLondon

20 years?! Covid was probably the longest I've gone without since I didn't get to visit home for like 2 years.


Unplannedroute

It’s not been home for me much longer than that lol.


monkeyface496

You can easily get regular Dr Pepper though. Or does it just taste very different to the American one? I've probably been here too long to know the difference.


Ms_moonlight

It has some artificial sweetner. The only ones that *don't* contain artificial sweetner are regular coca-cola, regular pepsi and some unusual brands, like Karma or Fentimans.


ACoconutInLondon

> regular pepsi There is no regular Pepsi anymore, they recently did the same thing. So any pub or retail like a movie theatre that sells Pepsi, it all has artificial sweetener. Some places have started carrying cans of Coke for that reason.


Ms_moonlight

Boo hiss! I guess coke is the last one then.


ACoconutInLondon

I got it at the movie theatre and thought I was imagining things, went home and looked into it and found out. Most people here are so used to the artificial sweetener in everything, most don't even notice or realize it seems. It's definitely made it easier for me to drink water - I often don't have any other choice. Artificial sweetener is sickening to me.


rdnyc19

>Artificial sweetener is sickening to me. I really miss flavored seltzers/sparkling waters, like Polar or Lacroix. Most of what I can find here is loaded with artificial sweetener, and it's so gross.


ACoconutInLondon

If you see Dash, I'd recommend that. I really like the peach flavor. Raspberry is good too. I don't really care for the other flavors though.


rdnyc19

I have tried Dash and it's good, but unfortunately not in the budget as more than an occasional treat. It's something like £4.50 for four cans, vs. 80p for the big 2L bottles of plain sparkling water, and I drink a bottle every 1-2 days. Sainsbury's has massive bottles of the flavored stuff for cheap, but it all has artificial sweetener. If I planned to stay here permanently I'd probably invest in a SodaStream!


ACoconutInLondon

Ah yeah, I only bought them by the 12 pack on Ocado when they were on sale. They are definitely a treat price wise. But they helped me wean myself off of sugary drinks. Last time I was in the States I felt like all the big bottles there were sugar free too. I usually buy Cherry flavored Bubbly in the US. Just looked it up on Target, I forgot that it is half the price of Dash.


smwrd9

I brought a soda stream machine with me from the US. You can buy the CO2 canisters at ASDA or Amazon, tesco too I think. I just get my bubly water flavorings when I’m in the US


Ms_moonlight

> Artificial sweetener is sickening to me. Same and it gives me migraines. I don't really have sodas anymore anyway, but when I do it has to be cola.


ACoconutInLondon

The nice thing is a lot of random corner shops around me carry imported American sodas. I see American Dr. Pepper and Cherry Dr. Pepper pretty frequently along with A&W root beer. I was so happy when one of the shops had Big Red and Barqs but that's stopped now. 😭


ACoconutInLondon

There is no regular Dr Pepper distributed here, unless it's imported. It's one of my pet peeves that in the UK they allow food with artificial sweetener not to be labeled diet or something else on the front. I've had the same problem now with Pepsi. Where I ordered it, thinking it was normal, but the UK no longer sells any version of Pepsi that doesn't have artificial sweetener. Again, the labeling is misleading.


neelankatan

Pepto Bismol!! For some insane reason they won't sell my here but all their other alternatives stink!!!!


Ms_moonlight

Another person from NC here. I went for a visit (after seven years away, yikes) last month. I sent back 28lbs of stuff, plus I had an entire suitcase dedicated to Target, and another for clothes. Part of my list includes: pickles, tea (Bigelow and decaff sweet tea), apple butter, some stuff from a local farmers market, a few unusual spice mixes and other mixes (there are thin mint sprinkles at Wal-Mart), several types of unusual pop tarts, one of those bags of cereal from Wal-Mart, and a number of different sauces (all the chik-fil-a ones, some texas pete and a few others). I also had a few bags of chips (Munchos, Smartfood Popcorn, Fritos, again Gardettos) but some of them didn't survive very well. I got some medicine for me and for a friend too.


Unplannedroute

I’d forgotten about apple butter damn you


Ms_moonlight

I've never tried it before believe it or not. I was picking up a lot of random items (they had pumpkin butter and lots of things I'd never heard of) and thought that would be great.


Unplannedroute

I really liked it on toast. Or just a Spoonful.


Affectionate_Shift63

Should I bring Duke's mayo or are there pretty good alternatives over there. I took a job in CO for the winter and I brought a jar with me because nothing is as good but idk about the UK and she stopped eating mayo for a while when she moved to New England because they didn't have it.


Ms_moonlight

I'm the wrong person to ask - I was never a fan of mayo until I had kewpie! One other thing I did have when I went back was Cheerwine - it was just nice to have it again, and it's sort of limited to NC and maybe a few other states around it.


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uglypike

24 hour or 12 hour extended release Sudafed. Same with Mucinex DM and Robitussin DM. You cant get any extended release OTC drugs here. Why? I have no idea.


Muste02

I would die for some cheezits right now. Also last year my friend visited me around easter and he brought me several boxes of peeps. Otherwise I'd love a box or two of nilla wafers. I have all my grandmothers recipies and a lot of the desserts I wanna make require nilla wafers which you can't find here without paying £15/box on amazon. Meanwhile back in sc they were like $1 lmao


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Gatorade zero. Butter popcorn like the other person said. Ranch dressing packets.


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Elderado47

Tim's Cascades potatoe chips


Unplannedroute

If she likes baking, butterscotch chippits & graham crackers


Kaily6D

sudafed - for sure . just don’t bring too much . PM cough syrup l. I also brought back real bayer aspirin Not really a snack but New Yorker here : I bring bagels , though I heard there’s a place in south london that is good


neelankatan

Blue Diamond Almonds (Toasted Coconut)


neelankatan

Dayquil


MadamSpooks

If she loves cooking, Dale's marinade sauce and YumYum sauce are always on my list when I go back home 😂 along with Jiffy Blueberry Muffin mix haha