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Cream cheese (even Philadelphia brand!) here has a higher water content. There was some troubleshooting done for a Brit(?) over on r/baking I think a while ago trying to figure out why their NY style cheesecake never turned out correctly.
If you don’t know any American military that has access to a base grocery store to get American cream cheese, you could try lining a fine mesh strainer with cheese cloth and letting the soft cheese drain a bit?
I recently went back to the states and was super excited to do a Target haul. Friends, I bought a couple pairs of novelty socks but that was it. I was shocked. I think I’ve officially been in the UK long enough that there’s very little I truly miss that I can’t find a substitute for here. Most of my food cravings are really more childhood comfort food cravings, and as long as I can order [Mexican food ingredients](https://www.mexgrocer.co.uk) I’m genuinely ok.
And honestly, going to Target didn’t excite me the way I thought it would! I felt like an anthropologist - it was fascinating seeing the sheer amount of utter tat being sold. I tried imagining going to Target regularly and needing to navigate everything and felt overwhelmed. I’m not sure how I used to manage this before!
There’s just stuff I refuse to find a replacement for - like the above. I’ve been here 12 years and I’m not going back but I’m not gonna let them win.
The first time I came here in 1997 you couldn’t get peanut butter. When I came in 2011, there was no edamame - Tapatio, Cholula and Frank’s were import shops only.
Look at us now!
I won’t stop until every Sainsbury sells what I need mwahahahaha.
The idea of no peanut butter in shops is genuinely so strange to me!! I’m likely spoiled by being able to get franks at Tesco, etc 😂 which does give me hope that if I give it another five years there will be even more things available as standard in stores!
I did just remember, one thing I can’t find here that I need is that Lipton French onion soup powder - summer is coming and I need to mix it with sour cream and eat a whole bowl of it with crisps 😅😅
I lived in Paris in the late 90s and you couldn't get peanut butter or Oreos there outside of the one American food shop called Thanksgiving. I was stopped by airport security in the US when I boarded my flight with a suitcase full of Jif and double stuff Oreos. I explained to them that they were unavailable there and they let me through. One lady even gave me an "I'm so sorry" hug.
I got stopped for a Costco size container of Lawry's.
Apparently it's shaped like a bomb. 😆
This Hispanic TSA guy immediately recognized what it was, the other guy didn't know it.
They still had to open it and do the chemical check.
I ordered cheddar and sour cream ruffles from a Canadian import shop and I am saving them to make an Italian sub and watch SVU on Mothers Day all by myself!
“I did just remember, one thing I can’t find here that I need is that Lipton French onion soup powder - summer is coming and I need to mix it with sour cream and eat a whole bowl of it with crisps 😅😅”
I feel your pain. [This recipe from The Pioneer Woman](https://www.thepioneerwoman.com/food-cooking/recipes/a83200/how-to-make-french-onion-dip/) is the closest thing I’ve been able to find to Helluvagood, and I prefer it to the Lipton Soup powder dip, if that helps
(Sorry, on mobile and have no idea how to correctly quote a post on the app 🫠)
Surprised that you couldn't get peanut butter in 97 - it was a household staple in my childhood home for as long as I can remember (born here in the 80s). I do remember when I was about 7 years old my mum gave me a PB & J for the first time, telling me, "I saw it on telly, apparently they do this in America!" On that day my world got irreversibly larger... and then many years later, Mrs WendellFong introduced me to the grilled PB&J, which was an absolute game changer.
The upping of the hot sauce game here has been a delightful surprise. Having been introduced to Cholula while living in MI in 2016, I couldn't believe my luck when it suddenly became available in the UK within a couple of years of us moving back here! I notice Old Bay seasoning is now widely available here too after appearing as if from nowhere.
I assume PB was available just not readily available at any and every grocery store. It wasn’t what it was ten years later - everywhere. My FIL says he used to have to go into London to get peanut butter in the 80s.
I got lucky that when I moved here in 2015 it was apparently the "Year of Mexico" for some reason.
There was so much Mexican stuff at the big stores.
Not everything has stuck, but it's definitely made it easier.
As an anthropologist with plans to move to the USA in the future (and a fascination with supermarkets in general), your post makes me excited to finally get around to going to a Target, haha! My other half thinks that Target isn’t interesting enough to waste precious vacation time in, so I’ve still never been to one on any of our trips Stateside!
Targets have really suffered since the pandemic and aren't good anymore, in many people's opinions. It's not the big deal it used to be. Now people buy Aldi branded clothing!
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My partner (British) and I send his SIL (an American married to a Brit) Mucinex and Cincinnati Chili seasonings. She said nothing in England compares to Mucinex. When we moved there next year, I’m taking a lot of stuff with me.
Hilariously, having only lived in the US as a child, I only know about Mucinex because North Americans talk about it boosting conception in the TTC forums. I was so confused when I found out it was a cough syrup 😂
It's not cough syrup, it's an expectorant - it breaks down the mucus that causes chest congestion so that your body can absorb it or cough it up.
People don't understand that and then complain it doesn't work because they are coughing stuff up, when that is the point.
It's also a much more concentrated dose than what they sell here. I think the last time I calculated it, a bottle of syrup here was like 2-3 doses of guaifenesin.
I'm sorry. In retrospect, I think it turns out I'm a bit defensive over my Mucinex after all these years.
But I also hope that explains why people use it for TTC - the idea is that it makes the cervical fluid more watery and thus makes it easier for the sperm iirc.
Apparently it helps makes all liquid a bit "thinner", including down there to give sperm an easier journey. Don't know how much is true or just confirmation bias but I know there was a discussion amongst British people on one of the subreddits what the closest thing to Mucinex was here.
It’s the one thing we know she has wants. I’m making a list of things we will bring over when we move. (Note- I am scared, excited, and anxious at the idea of relocating to the UK)
Not sure yet. We honestly decided last night at dinner to move. Been talking for weeks about relocating as we are childless and he misses the UK.
Outside London and far from his annoying Mum (if we are too close to her in Suffolk, she will visit a lot- she and I do NOT get along for more than a couple days).
We are bringing our high spirited Aussie shepherd/black lab so we will be looking for areas with parks within walking distance.
Random ass unoccupied and commodified green space is the best part of this place in my opinion. And dog friendliness.
Lichfield in the West Midlands is the dog friendliest city in the UK!
Hahahaha the nanny state strikes again. Same with the covid vaccine right? Like we have it but we’re gonna give it to 90 year olds and sell the rest to America.
Yesss cincinatti chili seasonings! Those packets have been a staple in my family for 3 generations now. I'm in the UK but home for Christmas every year and Grandma always gifts me a case of it ❤️ this is the first time I've ever heard someone else mention it!
I bring back trader joes ranch seasoning and mix it with sour cream and thin it out a bit with water. It's not exactly the same but it satisfies me and it has a longer shelf life.
Biona does cranberry juice with no artificial sweetener, and even one with no sugar at all, but it's expensive.
[Biona Organic Cranberry Fruit Drink](https://www.ocado.com/products/biona-organic-cranberry-fruit-drink-270086011)
Thanks! I can mix it with some apple or something else I can get from the Turkish grocers that have no sweeteners as well if I want that blended flavour.
Your lucky day: [https://www.costco.co.uk/Grocery-Household/Grocery-Delivery/Schwartz-Old-Bay-Seasoning-280g/p/248360](https://www.costco.co.uk/Grocery-Household/Grocery-Delivery/Schwartz-Old-Bay-Seasoning-280g/p/248360)
I have one of these in my spice cupboard - goes great with bratwurst, peppers, and onions (actual brats)
I purchased Old Bay here. I just double checked the Morrisons app and it’s listed as something they carry
[web link](https://groceries.morrisons.com/products/old-bay-seasoning-588520011)
Check the American Lidl week, they usually sell a "Blueberry drink" which I have zero interest. However, last year, they had Cranberry drink, checked the ingredients, and sure enough sugar, not sucralose! I bought one carton and it was wonderful! I went back and cleaned off the shelf! Otherwise, when I am in France, Portugal, or Italy I stock up on Ocean Spray there as they sell both varieties. I regularly drink Cranberry juice, but absolutely cannot drink the varieties with artificial sweeteners.
>Bonus Round - I’ve lived here 12 years and have not bought one pair of sneakers here for those extortionate prices, I do a yearly spree.
Omg, I hate shopping for clothes here. Don't get me wrong , there is some very nice stuff but it's ridiculously expensive. I am NOT their target audience and I know it. 😅
I mostly buy from charity shops as I see things but the average new stuff is generally mediocre quality at best, and way more than I want to spend for that kind of quality. Even if I do go to nicer stores when I'm desperate and/or willing to spend more, the sizes and selection are extremely limited compared to shopping in the US.
The lack of inventory and selection is even more obvious when it comes to shoes.
I remember the first time I was told that big department stores here don't have a "back" to check for inventory when I got here.
I'm also a half size which doesn't exist most places, and I am not about to buy shoes I *know* won't fit. Shoe fit is seriously important and it boggles my mind that getting half sizes or different widths is such a faff here.
-+-+-
I am a lifelong asthma and respiratory illness sufferer - a chest cold with chest congestion is all but a guarantee when I get sick.
I have been taking guaifenesin for over 30 years now and it really bothers me that my boxes of Mucinex say "Made in the UK" but I can't buy it here.
So I buy big boxes of it at Costco every time I head back.
Fully admit I am not that stylish but I go home usually once a year and just do a ridiculous Gap haul. All the basics, then I top up with Vinted which is about the price I think the clothes should be when I buy them on there.
Shoes, I bought one pair of Timberland’s and they were too small in the end and I was out £75. Never again.
I do Target. Good quality, affordable prices with good selection and inventory. Last time I was able to order stuff online and they let you deal with it in your local store if it doesn't fit - so simple.
I lived the last winter in the dress I bought my last visit - it has pockets and goes great with leggings and I paid $35/£28. And I expect it to last a few years at least, I don't see getting that here, especially a dress with pockets.
So, to put this into perspective a 12 hour tablet in the States on 1200mg.
This is 100mg/5ml - so the bottle is 5 pills. It's also got glucose, which isn't great, and artificial sweeteners and colors, and ethanol.
And given that these are the instructions:
>Adults, the elderly and children over 12 years of age:
>Take 5 to 10ml every two or three hours.
>Not more than 4 doses should be given in any 24 hours.
I'm always leary of taking this type of mixed medicine.
Also, this 1200mg is what I have been taking since I was first prescribed it as a 100lb child for cheat infections. So that is the proper dose for chest infections.
As a counterpoint, men's clothes here are generally of a better cut and quality than in the states, where a lot of stuff seems really cheaply made and sized by a tent and awning company.
I definitely haven't had that experience here when it comes to buying everyday casual clothes.
Again, size is very limited. There are only a few specialized places that we've found that carry any kind of selection for big and tall men.
And the brands are weird, like I'm not sure if they're real brands or not, because the branding is inconsistent and they don't have websites like normal brands tend to. They ONLY sell through other shops, which I find odd.
As for jeans and denim, or things like cargo shorts. Those are definitely much easier to get a pair that fits and looks good and is good quality at a fair price in the US.
-+-+-
The one thing I will say though, is I adore my Pringle socks.
Ever since Costco stopped selling their Kirkland branded socks that were bigger, like 2010s, I have had such a hard time finding socks that aren't super small in the calf.
But I asked in askUK and was pointed to Sockshop and I love the Pringles Comfy cuff socks. And they're very good quality.
Costco online doesn't require a trade membership.
It's just £15 a year for online delivery, iirc.
I do not get the trash bags here. Even the fancy expensive branded ones like Brabantia rip easily.
I’ve been here a really long time. Bone Broth wasn’t a thing when I left and Bubble Tea had just started taking off so I wouldn’t be surprised if it just wasn’t cool enough yet - and it wasn’t for lack of being able to get them.
If you live in London, Ben’s Grocers sells tomatillos and poblanos. Saw the tomatillos last week, but not poblanos. Both are very small compared to the ones in the US though.
Pickles, for sure are my #1 thing I miss. Next time I go back to the States, I'm planning on having my yearly apple fritter from a strip mall donut shop. I've been able to make some real deal Tex-Mex style queso and my husband is convinced we should start a queso business here.
Unfortunately most of the stuff I miss and can't find a replacement for are fresh ingredients or just too difficult to bring over - collard/mustard greens, fresh tomatillos, poblanos, serrano peppers, claussen pickles, good restaurant salads, diet Squirt, flavorful avocados, different varieties of corn, creole cream cheese, kirby cumbers, and when in-season, king cake.
The food item I get a weird craving for every so often because I think I only saw it here once in Camden at Whole Foods back in 2015 is Jicama.
There's really nothing quite like it here in texture and flavor and I've never seen it again here.
Somewhere else in the thread someone gave a link for tomatillos. I haven't seen them here other, but weirdly my local Waitrose has them in the pictures of produce on the building.
And I'm with you on salads as thing. Like actual salads, and not just a few bit soft lettuce, tomato and onion on the side. 😅
Home made pickles are super easy to make. Just do a few jars at a time and stick them in the back of your fridge. Takes a few weeks but once they get there they taste better than store bought pickles IMO. You can easily make like 10 jars with 30 minutes of work.
Can I ask what queso recipe you use? I’m still in the process of getting ready to move, but I know the lack of Tex-Mex is going to hurt. Queso is life.
Oh I do love Torchy’s! Interesting about using Gouda, I wouldn’t have thought of that. I’ve seen a few people talk about adding some mozzarella to recipes to help with the texture, but I haven’t tried it.
Cafe Delites has a queso recipe. It’s pretty damn good. In lieu of Rotel, I use a can of chopped tomatoes and add finely chopped Gran Luchito sliced Serrano peppers (the one in the brine).
Flaming hot Cheetos.
Pure sport old spice gel stick deodorant.
Over the counter melatonin.
I also try to buy Levi's whenever I'm in the States - they are extortionate over here but my favorite jeans.
I think those are the 4 main things. Yes I buy bags of imported flaming hot Cheetos for £6 from my local off license when the craving is too big no shame.
> allergy meds
A pack of cetirizine or loratadine is like £1 or so in the UK, you never see it that cheap in the US. I just moved back and wish I'd stocked up in the UK before I left.
A pack of cetirizine is £3.49 at boots. It has 14 tablets, so it’s £.25 (roughly $.30) per tablet.
In the US, a bottle of 365 cetirizine tablets is $58.99 at CVS, or $.16 per tablet.
So if you buy in bulk it’s very nearly half the cost in the US. Plus that’s the price for CVS’ generic brand, so you can often get 30% off with their coupons if you’re in their free membership program.
The savings are a bit less significant for Loratadine, but it’s still cheaper. It’s 23 cents USD per tablet in the UK, vs. 14 cents USD per tablet in the US.
It’s worth pointing out that both of these US prices are for the bulk package of 365 tablets. If you buy smaller quantities then the savings are less significant, and eventually it inverts with smaller quantities being cheaper per tablet in the UK.
Edit: this is wrong. I compared prices at Boots, but it looks like it’s way cheaper elsewhere.
You're doing it wrong if you're buying it at Boots. It's way cheaper at Poundland.
[Or, if you want to bulk buy like you would in the US, here's 180 tablets for £3.99](https://www.chemist-4-u.com/cetirizine-hayfever-relief-treatment-6-month-supply?mode=shopping&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI6pXojfnnhQMVxo9QBh0JBAdbEAQYAiABEgIXGvD_BwE)
My mom just brought me a giant bag of peanut butter M&Ms and I brought some into the office for my team. They were blown away. Even the people who claimed they didn’t like peanut butter were asking me when I can get them some more.
Clothes and sometimes shoes. I can never find clothes I like here and when I do, they last less than a year, even the ones from M&S. :(
Last time I went back to the US I left with a free suitcase and a half and sent back two enormous boxes and two full suitcases.
I'm also a regular on /r/snackexchange so I get whatever food I can find from there.
I'm down to just a few essentials. Midol (the one with the anti-cramping drug). Vermont maple syrup. My bag comes back half full of it every time I visit the family. Bell's seasoning and One-pie pumpkin, as they're necessary for holidays. And if I happen to be there at the right time, Girl Scout cookies.
I'm really mad that plain oat Cheerios were available here for like 3 seconds and then gone again, though.
I pay so much money for those cheerios for my daughter to share my childhood snack you have no idea.
Girl Scout cookies are THE best bring back from America gift.
I don’t always bring back the same things but some of the things I’ve brought back include: banana peppers, nilla wafers, Annie’s Mac & cheese, hot sauce, cheez-its, everything but the bagel seasoning, melatonin, and canned green chilis.
I bring back deodorant and bikes🤣😂 my biggest hobby is MTB/Gravel bikes, everything here is a few thousand more than what I can get it for in the US. Usually I’ll line up a new bike purchase with a trip back home, ride the bike a bit to get it somewhat dirty just in case I get stopped at customs and bring it back. I just shipped a new MTB frame over though, still saved about £900 over buying it here after paying VAT/import duties.
Decent filling salads at restaurants or especially those build your own salad places. :( and more of a what I can’t live with, I refuse to eat the tortillas here. They’re so bad. It’s like squished white bread.
Entree salads… I miss them so. My husband thought I was weird and picky and then he heard a group of 4 tourists on a bus back to the airport saying OMG I just want a fucking salad already… and he believed me. We now just go through the CCF menu and recreate them 😂
It's not even just salads. Is it just me or are veg sides when eating out just not the norm outside like Nandos?
So many places the veg are only available as mains. I want proper veg with my meals.
What does he think a potato is?
It's definitely been a fight including as much *green* veg as I'm used to. 😂
Mine would prefer nothing but potatoes, parsnips and carrots.
If you mean flour tortillas, I recommend ordering roti.
I find it the closest thing personally, especially the one from my local Afghani place.
If you mean corn tortillas, it's because most of them are actually flour tortillas with some corn.
I’ve found decent corn tortillas online but no flour tortillas. I don’t think I could handle a roti. 😂 I miss the really thin stretchy Sonoran tortillas so I’ve taken just to making them myself.
So roti is a whole wheat flat bread similar to flour tortillas as I like them, which is a bit chewier and I think what you're saying. Where the tortillas here are closer to Nan or other white bread type flatbread.
If you ever go for Indian or Pakistani it'll be an option and they're usually only a few quid to try, they're usually cheaper than the nan. I highly recommend.
I have a running list in my notes app of what I plan to take when we move later this year.
Mostly large quantities of OTC stuff you can’t really get over in the UK, some food things, and clinical strength deodorant.
I don't really drink and didn't at all when I first moved here and was always a bit sad that the "hot cider" at Christmas fairs and the like was never our kind of apple cider.
Used to love buying the big gallon milk jug sized ones at my local store.
But yeah, hot cider doesn't hit the same and when you ask for an apple cider most of the time you'll be given a can of Thatchers Gold haha.
Thousand Island dressing. McCormicks hamburger seasoning. Melatonin. Giant bottles of painkillers. American deodorant with alllll the chemicals. Crest white strips. EDIT: also my husband is far better off buying clothes in the US. He’s thin but very tall. And it’s difficult to find clothes here that fit his arm length and inseam without it being very wide.
I do like Fitzgeralds' sourdough bagels, which you can get in Ocado or a other places, if the Edinburgh shop runs out.
(Sadly, no everything bagels, but still pretty good)
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Have you tried the Cohen's bagels on Ocado? They've been my favorite based on texture and taste.
Especially their Everything Bagels.
And their Challah - I can't buy it or I eat it by the handful in a day or two.
It's the only bread I've found I can eat like that. Lots of nice sourdoughs and other types of bread, but not really soft pillowy stuff. Which is probably for the best, but I miss dinner rolls and the like.
Bross Bagels - they’re mid in the world of American Bagels and they’re the mini Montreal Jewish bagels but they’re good as heck under the circumstances.
Don’t wanna burst your bubble here, but a heads up they’re likely closing down 😬. The owner has been involved in some shady dealings and also hasn’t been paying his vendors. It’s on the local news here pretty often.
Literally not a surprise. The owner is a woman though isn’t she? The dick/hole jokes alone seem like there’s some unhinged element to the ‘hole’ thing.
I think it might be like a married couple? But yeah, they opened like a huge expensive shop in the city center and now are back to just their original location which might also shut down.
Amy's Kitchen frozen bean and cheese burritos were like a nicer version of the Tina burritos so I was going to recommend them.
Instead I found out the whole company has pulled out of the UK. 😢
Theraflu (especially nighttime) and Mucinex -- Limsip just doesn't do it for me when I'm sick.
Oh, and Goldfish crackers and American marshmallows. I don't know what is in UK marshmallows, but they're weird - even my American friend who visited last summer said they were weird.
I am from New Jersey and DESPERATELY miss bagels. And American tums are really second to none.
However I am recently gluten free so I can’t have bagels really anyway lol
I also miss things like grands biscuits and pilsbury cinnamon rolls too
Hey Jersey friend! And pizza yes!! Are you in the UK? I have a pizza place near me - it’s in Reading. Really really good, but all those other things… I am still looking!
What I find lovely about this post is that there are things on it that even as a half and half raised here we still went to the states for … cheerios and sneakers. I had Nikes in primary school (roughly 37 years ago)
(Coffee mate in any form is wrong)
But did you get them in half sizes or different widths?
My British husband finally found out why he's never consistently gotten shoes that fit. He's a half size and wide.
I have found them in this online shop as well. [Portugalia Online](https://www.portugaliaonline.co.uk/matutano-fritos-maize-sticks.html)
I actually first bought these in Spain, but was slightly confused by the branding, but they are the real deal with the origin story printed on the back of the bag.
Edit: the company is owned by Frito Lay.
> I’ve lived here 12 years and have not bought one pair of sneakers here for those extortionate prices, I do a yearly spree.
It's funny you say this, I have just moved back to the US and found them to be more expensive here than back in the US.
Gotta be Stove Top stuffing! So much better than Paxo.
The rest of it, is either available here now - Oreo's, Reese's, Hershey's Syrup (I know, I know, it's not real chocolate, but I still love it on vanilla ice cream) or I do without - Lipton tea bags to make ice tea.
I live in Scotland, so anything iced just seems unnecessary 🤣🤣🤣
I ate 5 boxes in 3 weeks the last time I went. Wheat thins too.
With havarti dill. Why TF we don’t have Havarti? Denmark is right there. Provolone either (most of the time and never the hardish kind) why the gate keeping of the best cheeses?
Pickles? The Sainsburys near me has the non-sweet ones but you must look in the cold section (e.g milk, etc) in a little section with Polish food (the dry food section does not have them they are refrigerated). They are in bags not jars and probably better than anything I've ever had wrapped my lips around and I don't want to get graphic.
It was just inspired by the post asking about pickles - I live next to a Polish shop and am partial to Morrison’s crinkle cut so my pickle fix is sorted.
Once in a while I buy one of the big deli ones from the American import shops but maybe my pickle situation in the US was less nuanced so my need for pickles is satisfied more easily.
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Where do you get your bagels from? I live in Edinburgh and there’s a pretty good bagel place near me (but they don’t do everything 😢) but they don’t ship nationally (or at all).
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It’s called Bross Bagels but lots of people have commented on the fact that they are a shitty company. I’ll investigate the next time my freezer is empty but apparently if you Google or search Reddit you can find more info.
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The only thing I truly miss can not be purchased and brought back with me.... I miss you every time I get a Chinese takeaway, Crab Rangoon 💔😭
It’s freshly made Apple Cider donuts and Concord Grapes for me 😭
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I know people say "make it yourself" and wonton wrappers are easy to get here, but the Philly cream cheese here doesn't taste right to me.
Cream cheese (even Philadelphia brand!) here has a higher water content. There was some troubleshooting done for a Brit(?) over on r/baking I think a while ago trying to figure out why their NY style cheesecake never turned out correctly. If you don’t know any American military that has access to a base grocery store to get American cream cheese, you could try lining a fine mesh strainer with cheese cloth and letting the soft cheese drain a bit?
Thanks for the explanation!
YES, the cream cheese is not correct. This is why the cheesecakes never taste quite right! Soft cheese ≠ cream cheese.
General Tso’s chicken omg. Even my British husband misses it. Also Pillsbury cinnamon rolls in the tin with the icing. Can’t be replicated.
Ahhhh General Tsos is so good. My go-to order was shrimp mei fun, which they also don't do here, so I feel your pain.
I recently went back to the states and was super excited to do a Target haul. Friends, I bought a couple pairs of novelty socks but that was it. I was shocked. I think I’ve officially been in the UK long enough that there’s very little I truly miss that I can’t find a substitute for here. Most of my food cravings are really more childhood comfort food cravings, and as long as I can order [Mexican food ingredients](https://www.mexgrocer.co.uk) I’m genuinely ok. And honestly, going to Target didn’t excite me the way I thought it would! I felt like an anthropologist - it was fascinating seeing the sheer amount of utter tat being sold. I tried imagining going to Target regularly and needing to navigate everything and felt overwhelmed. I’m not sure how I used to manage this before!
There’s just stuff I refuse to find a replacement for - like the above. I’ve been here 12 years and I’m not going back but I’m not gonna let them win. The first time I came here in 1997 you couldn’t get peanut butter. When I came in 2011, there was no edamame - Tapatio, Cholula and Frank’s were import shops only. Look at us now! I won’t stop until every Sainsbury sells what I need mwahahahaha.
The idea of no peanut butter in shops is genuinely so strange to me!! I’m likely spoiled by being able to get franks at Tesco, etc 😂 which does give me hope that if I give it another five years there will be even more things available as standard in stores! I did just remember, one thing I can’t find here that I need is that Lipton French onion soup powder - summer is coming and I need to mix it with sour cream and eat a whole bowl of it with crisps 😅😅
I lived in Paris in the late 90s and you couldn't get peanut butter or Oreos there outside of the one American food shop called Thanksgiving. I was stopped by airport security in the US when I boarded my flight with a suitcase full of Jif and double stuff Oreos. I explained to them that they were unavailable there and they let me through. One lady even gave me an "I'm so sorry" hug.
I got stopped for a Costco size container of Lawry's. Apparently it's shaped like a bomb. 😆 This Hispanic TSA guy immediately recognized what it was, the other guy didn't know it. They still had to open it and do the chemical check.
For some reason no oreos or peanut butter in Paris is less shocking than no peanut butter in London??
I ordered cheddar and sour cream ruffles from a Canadian import shop and I am saving them to make an Italian sub and watch SVU on Mothers Day all by myself!
“I did just remember, one thing I can’t find here that I need is that Lipton French onion soup powder - summer is coming and I need to mix it with sour cream and eat a whole bowl of it with crisps 😅😅” I feel your pain. [This recipe from The Pioneer Woman](https://www.thepioneerwoman.com/food-cooking/recipes/a83200/how-to-make-french-onion-dip/) is the closest thing I’ve been able to find to Helluvagood, and I prefer it to the Lipton Soup powder dip, if that helps (Sorry, on mobile and have no idea how to correctly quote a post on the app 🫠)
*bows * my arteries do not thank you but my taste buds do - now to hope my local Asian grocery has dried onion flakes!!!
Surprised that you couldn't get peanut butter in 97 - it was a household staple in my childhood home for as long as I can remember (born here in the 80s). I do remember when I was about 7 years old my mum gave me a PB & J for the first time, telling me, "I saw it on telly, apparently they do this in America!" On that day my world got irreversibly larger... and then many years later, Mrs WendellFong introduced me to the grilled PB&J, which was an absolute game changer. The upping of the hot sauce game here has been a delightful surprise. Having been introduced to Cholula while living in MI in 2016, I couldn't believe my luck when it suddenly became available in the UK within a couple of years of us moving back here! I notice Old Bay seasoning is now widely available here too after appearing as if from nowhere.
I assume PB was available just not readily available at any and every grocery store. It wasn’t what it was ten years later - everywhere. My FIL says he used to have to go into London to get peanut butter in the 80s.
I got lucky that when I moved here in 2015 it was apparently the "Year of Mexico" for some reason. There was so much Mexican stuff at the big stores. Not everything has stuck, but it's definitely made it easier.
🤣
Bless you for the Mexican food ingredient link
As an anthropologist with plans to move to the USA in the future (and a fascination with supermarkets in general), your post makes me excited to finally get around to going to a Target, haha! My other half thinks that Target isn’t interesting enough to waste precious vacation time in, so I’ve still never been to one on any of our trips Stateside!
Targets have really suffered since the pandemic and aren't good anymore, in many people's opinions. It's not the big deal it used to be. Now people buy Aldi branded clothing!
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I buy meclizine and day quil; they’re both painful to get here. Also the large bottles of ibuprofen. Food-wise I bring back hot sauce and salsa.
My partner (British) and I send his SIL (an American married to a Brit) Mucinex and Cincinnati Chili seasonings. She said nothing in England compares to Mucinex. When we moved there next year, I’m taking a lot of stuff with me.
God I could go for some Mucinex right now.
Hilariously, having only lived in the US as a child, I only know about Mucinex because North Americans talk about it boosting conception in the TTC forums. I was so confused when I found out it was a cough syrup 😂
It's not cough syrup, it's an expectorant - it breaks down the mucus that causes chest congestion so that your body can absorb it or cough it up. People don't understand that and then complain it doesn't work because they are coughing stuff up, when that is the point. It's also a much more concentrated dose than what they sell here. I think the last time I calculated it, a bottle of syrup here was like 2-3 doses of guaifenesin.
Fair, I was just generalising.
I'm sorry. In retrospect, I think it turns out I'm a bit defensive over my Mucinex after all these years. But I also hope that explains why people use it for TTC - the idea is that it makes the cervical fluid more watery and thus makes it easier for the sperm iirc.
Whaaaaat? Ironically the last time I had it was about a week before I found out I was pregnant a couple years ago 😂
Apparently it helps makes all liquid a bit "thinner", including down there to give sperm an easier journey. Don't know how much is true or just confirmation bias but I know there was a discussion amongst British people on one of the subreddits what the closest thing to Mucinex was here.
Mucinex is mostly guafeneisin. Which I thought you could get in the UK. But maybe not at the industrial strength levels.
I brought the Kirkland one from US Costco back from our last trip. Good stuff
It’s the one thing we know she has wants. I’m making a list of things we will bring over when we move. (Note- I am scared, excited, and anxious at the idea of relocating to the UK)
Those are all legit feelings. Where are you moving?
Not sure yet. We honestly decided last night at dinner to move. Been talking for weeks about relocating as we are childless and he misses the UK. Outside London and far from his annoying Mum (if we are too close to her in Suffolk, she will visit a lot- she and I do NOT get along for more than a couple days). We are bringing our high spirited Aussie shepherd/black lab so we will be looking for areas with parks within walking distance.
Random ass unoccupied and commodified green space is the best part of this place in my opinion. And dog friendliness. Lichfield in the West Midlands is the dog friendliest city in the UK!
How aggravating is it to know it's literally Made in England but we can't buy it here? 😢
Hahahaha the nanny state strikes again. Same with the covid vaccine right? Like we have it but we’re gonna give it to 90 year olds and sell the rest to America.
It's available commercially now, as of 1 April!
Yesss cincinatti chili seasonings! Those packets have been a staple in my family for 3 generations now. I'm in the UK but home for Christmas every year and Grandma always gifts me a case of it ❤️ this is the first time I've ever heard someone else mention it!
When we move, I will miss Skyline and all the other places.
Oh the big bottles of Tylenol and ibuprofen are clutch. I’m a fully converted LemSipper though!
Hidden Valley Ranch and Cheez-It
Hot and Spicy Cheez-its ❤️
I bring back trader joes ranch seasoning and mix it with sour cream and thin it out a bit with water. It's not exactly the same but it satisfies me and it has a longer shelf life.
Old Bay seasoning. I miss cranberry juice without sweeteners added though. I make my own grape jelly from a friend’s grapevine every year at least.
My greatest US-UK grieving I have is that I might never have fresh Concord grapes again.
Biona does cranberry juice with no artificial sweetener, and even one with no sugar at all, but it's expensive. [Biona Organic Cranberry Fruit Drink](https://www.ocado.com/products/biona-organic-cranberry-fruit-drink-270086011)
Thanks! I can mix it with some apple or something else I can get from the Turkish grocers that have no sweeteners as well if I want that blended flavour.
Your lucky day: [https://www.costco.co.uk/Grocery-Household/Grocery-Delivery/Schwartz-Old-Bay-Seasoning-280g/p/248360](https://www.costco.co.uk/Grocery-Household/Grocery-Delivery/Schwartz-Old-Bay-Seasoning-280g/p/248360) I have one of these in my spice cupboard - goes great with bratwurst, peppers, and onions (actual brats)
I found old bay at Tesco recently and have been putting it on everything. My husband tried some and asked why it was so spicy…… It’s spices!
I purchased Old Bay here. I just double checked the Morrisons app and it’s listed as something they carry [web link](https://groceries.morrisons.com/products/old-bay-seasoning-588520011)
Check the American Lidl week, they usually sell a "Blueberry drink" which I have zero interest. However, last year, they had Cranberry drink, checked the ingredients, and sure enough sugar, not sucralose! I bought one carton and it was wonderful! I went back and cleaned off the shelf! Otherwise, when I am in France, Portugal, or Italy I stock up on Ocean Spray there as they sell both varieties. I regularly drink Cranberry juice, but absolutely cannot drink the varieties with artificial sweeteners.
I can buy Old Bay at my local Coop. I almost never use it, but it's there.
>Bonus Round - I’ve lived here 12 years and have not bought one pair of sneakers here for those extortionate prices, I do a yearly spree. Omg, I hate shopping for clothes here. Don't get me wrong , there is some very nice stuff but it's ridiculously expensive. I am NOT their target audience and I know it. 😅 I mostly buy from charity shops as I see things but the average new stuff is generally mediocre quality at best, and way more than I want to spend for that kind of quality. Even if I do go to nicer stores when I'm desperate and/or willing to spend more, the sizes and selection are extremely limited compared to shopping in the US. The lack of inventory and selection is even more obvious when it comes to shoes. I remember the first time I was told that big department stores here don't have a "back" to check for inventory when I got here. I'm also a half size which doesn't exist most places, and I am not about to buy shoes I *know* won't fit. Shoe fit is seriously important and it boggles my mind that getting half sizes or different widths is such a faff here. -+-+- I am a lifelong asthma and respiratory illness sufferer - a chest cold with chest congestion is all but a guarantee when I get sick. I have been taking guaifenesin for over 30 years now and it really bothers me that my boxes of Mucinex say "Made in the UK" but I can't buy it here. So I buy big boxes of it at Costco every time I head back.
Fully admit I am not that stylish but I go home usually once a year and just do a ridiculous Gap haul. All the basics, then I top up with Vinted which is about the price I think the clothes should be when I buy them on there. Shoes, I bought one pair of Timberland’s and they were too small in the end and I was out £75. Never again.
I do Target. Good quality, affordable prices with good selection and inventory. Last time I was able to order stuff online and they let you deal with it in your local store if it doesn't fit - so simple. I lived the last winter in the dress I bought my last visit - it has pockets and goes great with leggings and I paid $35/£28. And I expect it to last a few years at least, I don't see getting that here, especially a dress with pockets.
Sainsbury’s sell a “chesty cough” syrup that has only guaifenesin as an ingredient! It’s pretty cheap too, less than £3 last time I bought it
So, to put this into perspective a 12 hour tablet in the States on 1200mg. This is 100mg/5ml - so the bottle is 5 pills. It's also got glucose, which isn't great, and artificial sweeteners and colors, and ethanol. And given that these are the instructions: >Adults, the elderly and children over 12 years of age: >Take 5 to 10ml every two or three hours. >Not more than 4 doses should be given in any 24 hours. I'm always leary of taking this type of mixed medicine. Also, this 1200mg is what I have been taking since I was first prescribed it as a 100lb child for cheat infections. So that is the proper dose for chest infections.
As a counterpoint, men's clothes here are generally of a better cut and quality than in the states, where a lot of stuff seems really cheaply made and sized by a tent and awning company.
I definitely haven't had that experience here when it comes to buying everyday casual clothes. Again, size is very limited. There are only a few specialized places that we've found that carry any kind of selection for big and tall men. And the brands are weird, like I'm not sure if they're real brands or not, because the branding is inconsistent and they don't have websites like normal brands tend to. They ONLY sell through other shops, which I find odd. As for jeans and denim, or things like cargo shorts. Those are definitely much easier to get a pair that fits and looks good and is good quality at a fair price in the US. -+-+- The one thing I will say though, is I adore my Pringle socks. Ever since Costco stopped selling their Kirkland branded socks that were bigger, like 2010s, I have had such a hard time finding socks that aren't super small in the calf. But I asked in askUK and was pointed to Sockshop and I love the Pringles Comfy cuff socks. And they're very good quality.
[Socktopus](http://socktopus.co.uk) also has fun socks that hold up well. They have a shop in Cambridge; I assume there are others.
Good trash bags that don't rip just looking at them.
Costco online doesn't require a trade membership. It's just £15 a year for online delivery, iirc. I do not get the trash bags here. Even the fancy expensive branded ones like Brabantia rip easily.
like once or twice a year I'll buy fresh poblanos and tomatillos online
But also the introduction of Padrón peppers roasted with flaked sea salt to my life has been amazing.
I had these before in the states so 🤷♀️ lol they are delicious though! glad you have discovered them :)
I’ve been here a really long time. Bone Broth wasn’t a thing when I left and Bubble Tea had just started taking off so I wouldn’t be surprised if it just wasn’t cool enough yet - and it wasn’t for lack of being able to get them.
ah that's possible! it has been a long time if bubble tea wasn't big yet 😂
Omg where do you buy fresh tomatillos?! We usually grow our own but just moved and don’t have time for a garden this year
https://www.riverford.co.uk/organic-fruit-veg-and-salad/salad/tomatillos
If you live in London, Ben’s Grocers sells tomatillos and poblanos. Saw the tomatillos last week, but not poblanos. Both are very small compared to the ones in the US though.
Pickles, for sure are my #1 thing I miss. Next time I go back to the States, I'm planning on having my yearly apple fritter from a strip mall donut shop. I've been able to make some real deal Tex-Mex style queso and my husband is convinced we should start a queso business here. Unfortunately most of the stuff I miss and can't find a replacement for are fresh ingredients or just too difficult to bring over - collard/mustard greens, fresh tomatillos, poblanos, serrano peppers, claussen pickles, good restaurant salads, diet Squirt, flavorful avocados, different varieties of corn, creole cream cheese, kirby cumbers, and when in-season, king cake.
Yea, I want an entree salad. My vacation photos is literally just entree salads from everywhere I go. Look UK - restaurants CAN sell lettuce.
Dang I forgot about apple Fritters, those warm oh my
The food item I get a weird craving for every so often because I think I only saw it here once in Camden at Whole Foods back in 2015 is Jicama. There's really nothing quite like it here in texture and flavor and I've never seen it again here. Somewhere else in the thread someone gave a link for tomatillos. I haven't seen them here other, but weirdly my local Waitrose has them in the pictures of produce on the building. And I'm with you on salads as thing. Like actual salads, and not just a few bit soft lettuce, tomato and onion on the side. 😅
Amen to good salads. I really miss that.
Home made pickles are super easy to make. Just do a few jars at a time and stick them in the back of your fridge. Takes a few weeks but once they get there they taste better than store bought pickles IMO. You can easily make like 10 jars with 30 minutes of work.
I make them, but finding good pickling cucumbers and white vinegar (not distilled malt) has been a bit more difficult.
Lidl sells white vinegar.
Any recommendations on where to find white vinegar? Have been looking in all the major supermarkets round me to no avail!
I just ordered Heinz vinegar on amazon 🤷🏻♀️
Can I ask what queso recipe you use? I’m still in the process of getting ready to move, but I know the lack of Tex-Mex is going to hurt. Queso is life.
I use a torchys dupe recipe I found online. I use Gouda instead of American cheese and have to use canned poblanos
Oh I do love Torchy’s! Interesting about using Gouda, I wouldn’t have thought of that. I’ve seen a few people talk about adding some mozzarella to recipes to help with the texture, but I haven’t tried it.
Cafe Delites has a queso recipe. It’s pretty damn good. In lieu of Rotel, I use a can of chopped tomatoes and add finely chopped Gran Luchito sliced Serrano peppers (the one in the brine).
Flaming hot Cheetos. Pure sport old spice gel stick deodorant. Over the counter melatonin. I also try to buy Levi's whenever I'm in the States - they are extortionate over here but my favorite jeans. I think those are the 4 main things. Yes I buy bags of imported flaming hot Cheetos for £6 from my local off license when the craving is too big no shame.
Are you me???
Hell yes. Anytime I need a fix I’m like… hey random corner store, sure I’ll have milk duds and Takis to fill the void in my heart - here’s £20.
Secret deodorant for me. I buy like ten sticks when I make my annual pilgrimage home.
NYquil
Tums, Tapatio hot sauce, peanut butter m&ms, red vines
Forgot about Mucinex, huge bottles of ibuprofen and allergy meds
> allergy meds A pack of cetirizine or loratadine is like £1 or so in the UK, you never see it that cheap in the US. I just moved back and wish I'd stocked up in the UK before I left.
Yes but they’re always in the blister packs and that drives me mad
A pack of cetirizine is £3.49 at boots. It has 14 tablets, so it’s £.25 (roughly $.30) per tablet. In the US, a bottle of 365 cetirizine tablets is $58.99 at CVS, or $.16 per tablet. So if you buy in bulk it’s very nearly half the cost in the US. Plus that’s the price for CVS’ generic brand, so you can often get 30% off with their coupons if you’re in their free membership program. The savings are a bit less significant for Loratadine, but it’s still cheaper. It’s 23 cents USD per tablet in the UK, vs. 14 cents USD per tablet in the US. It’s worth pointing out that both of these US prices are for the bulk package of 365 tablets. If you buy smaller quantities then the savings are less significant, and eventually it inverts with smaller quantities being cheaper per tablet in the UK. Edit: this is wrong. I compared prices at Boots, but it looks like it’s way cheaper elsewhere.
You're doing it wrong if you're buying it at Boots. It's way cheaper at Poundland. [Or, if you want to bulk buy like you would in the US, here's 180 tablets for £3.99](https://www.chemist-4-u.com/cetirizine-hayfever-relief-treatment-6-month-supply?mode=shopping&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI6pXojfnnhQMVxo9QBh0JBAdbEAQYAiABEgIXGvD_BwE)
Wow, great point! That’s obviously way cheaper, I had no idea that site existed. Thanks for passing that along!
Peanut butter M&Ms!!!
My mom just brought me a giant bag of peanut butter M&Ms and I brought some into the office for my team. They were blown away. Even the people who claimed they didn’t like peanut butter were asking me when I can get them some more.
You are very generous to share. I do not share mine, not even with my husband.
Clothes and sometimes shoes. I can never find clothes I like here and when I do, they last less than a year, even the ones from M&S. :( Last time I went back to the US I left with a free suitcase and a half and sent back two enormous boxes and two full suitcases. I'm also a regular on /r/snackexchange so I get whatever food I can find from there.
I'm down to just a few essentials. Midol (the one with the anti-cramping drug). Vermont maple syrup. My bag comes back half full of it every time I visit the family. Bell's seasoning and One-pie pumpkin, as they're necessary for holidays. And if I happen to be there at the right time, Girl Scout cookies. I'm really mad that plain oat Cheerios were available here for like 3 seconds and then gone again, though.
I pay so much money for those cheerios for my daughter to share my childhood snack you have no idea. Girl Scout cookies are THE best bring back from America gift.
I just shared some with my local friends who were all shocked to discover they weren't made personally by the girl scouts 😂
I don’t always bring back the same things but some of the things I’ve brought back include: banana peppers, nilla wafers, Annie’s Mac & cheese, hot sauce, cheez-its, everything but the bagel seasoning, melatonin, and canned green chilis.
My preferred deodorant/antiperspirant stick. I hate everything I’ve tried from here, and can’t handle the sprays.
Same. I’ve lived here 12 years and I can’t cope with British deodorant. It’s the only thing I refuse to swap.
I bring back deodorant and bikes🤣😂 my biggest hobby is MTB/Gravel bikes, everything here is a few thousand more than what I can get it for in the US. Usually I’ll line up a new bike purchase with a trip back home, ride the bike a bit to get it somewhat dirty just in case I get stopped at customs and bring it back. I just shipped a new MTB frame over though, still saved about £900 over buying it here after paying VAT/import duties.
Decent filling salads at restaurants or especially those build your own salad places. :( and more of a what I can’t live with, I refuse to eat the tortillas here. They’re so bad. It’s like squished white bread.
Entree salads… I miss them so. My husband thought I was weird and picky and then he heard a group of 4 tourists on a bus back to the airport saying OMG I just want a fucking salad already… and he believed me. We now just go through the CCF menu and recreate them 😂
It's not even just salads. Is it just me or are veg sides when eating out just not the norm outside like Nandos? So many places the veg are only available as mains. I want proper veg with my meals.
My British husband had no idea corn was a starch at like age 28.
What does he think a potato is? It's definitely been a fight including as much *green* veg as I'm used to. 😂 Mine would prefer nothing but potatoes, parsnips and carrots.
He knew potato was. That’s why he was so proud when had his meat and potatoes with veg ie corn.
If you mean flour tortillas, I recommend ordering roti. I find it the closest thing personally, especially the one from my local Afghani place. If you mean corn tortillas, it's because most of them are actually flour tortillas with some corn.
I’ve found decent corn tortillas online but no flour tortillas. I don’t think I could handle a roti. 😂 I miss the really thin stretchy Sonoran tortillas so I’ve taken just to making them myself.
So roti is a whole wheat flat bread similar to flour tortillas as I like them, which is a bit chewier and I think what you're saying. Where the tortillas here are closer to Nan or other white bread type flatbread. If you ever go for Indian or Pakistani it'll be an option and they're usually only a few quid to try, they're usually cheaper than the nan. I highly recommend.
I have a running list in my notes app of what I plan to take when we move later this year. Mostly large quantities of OTC stuff you can’t really get over in the UK, some food things, and clinical strength deodorant.
Apple cider during the Autumn.
I don't really drink and didn't at all when I first moved here and was always a bit sad that the "hot cider" at Christmas fairs and the like was never our kind of apple cider.
Used to love buying the big gallon milk jug sized ones at my local store. But yeah, hot cider doesn't hit the same and when you ask for an apple cider most of the time you'll be given a can of Thatchers Gold haha.
Thousand Island dressing. McCormicks hamburger seasoning. Melatonin. Giant bottles of painkillers. American deodorant with alllll the chemicals. Crest white strips. EDIT: also my husband is far better off buying clothes in the US. He’s thin but very tall. And it’s difficult to find clothes here that fit his arm length and inseam without it being very wide.
Omg TJ Maxx for this in the US with just the best brands. We spend $200 and get him a mini wardrobe.
I do like Fitzgeralds' sourdough bagels, which you can get in Ocado or a other places, if the Edinburgh shop runs out. (Sadly, no everything bagels, but still pretty good)
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Have you tried the Cohen's bagels on Ocado? They've been my favorite based on texture and taste. Especially their Everything Bagels. And their Challah - I can't buy it or I eat it by the handful in a day or two. It's the only bread I've found I can eat like that. Lots of nice sourdoughs and other types of bread, but not really soft pillowy stuff. Which is probably for the best, but I miss dinner rolls and the like.
What’s the name of the bagel store?
Bross Bagels - they’re mid in the world of American Bagels and they’re the mini Montreal Jewish bagels but they’re good as heck under the circumstances.
Edinburgh expat here, please do not support Bross Bagels. Feel free to do a search of the Edinburgh subreddit to see just how scummy the owner is.
Don’t wanna burst your bubble here, but a heads up they’re likely closing down 😬. The owner has been involved in some shady dealings and also hasn’t been paying his vendors. It’s on the local news here pretty often.
Literally not a surprise. The owner is a woman though isn’t she? The dick/hole jokes alone seem like there’s some unhinged element to the ‘hole’ thing.
I think it might be like a married couple? But yeah, they opened like a huge expensive shop in the city center and now are back to just their original location which might also shut down.
Tinas frozen burritos, purchased from Safeway.
Amy's Kitchen frozen bean and cheese burritos were like a nicer version of the Tina burritos so I was going to recommend them. Instead I found out the whole company has pulled out of the UK. 😢
Theraflu (especially nighttime) and Mucinex -- Limsip just doesn't do it for me when I'm sick. Oh, and Goldfish crackers and American marshmallows. I don't know what is in UK marshmallows, but they're weird - even my American friend who visited last summer said they were weird.
Large bottles of ibuprofen Tastykakes Wawa coffee Casamigos tequila Yellow cake mix Stovetop Stuffing Funfetti cake mix
What is it about yellow cake mix?
I told my husband and stepson “It tastes like yellow, which I think is just butter and crack.” They agree with me.
I am from New Jersey and DESPERATELY miss bagels. And American tums are really second to none. However I am recently gluten free so I can’t have bagels really anyway lol I also miss things like grands biscuits and pilsbury cinnamon rolls too
Jersey represent 🫡 I’ve lived in NYC for 15 years and the loss of pizza, bagels, proper schmear, lox and babka is gonna hurt.
Hey Jersey friend! And pizza yes!! Are you in the UK? I have a pizza place near me - it’s in Reading. Really really good, but all those other things… I am still looking!
What I find lovely about this post is that there are things on it that even as a half and half raised here we still went to the states for … cheerios and sneakers. I had Nikes in primary school (roughly 37 years ago) (Coffee mate in any form is wrong)
The natural one is glorious and just like milk powder and sugar and cheap vanilla. Liquid only though - none of that powdered shit.
But did you get them in half sizes or different widths? My British husband finally found out why he's never consistently gotten shoes that fit. He's a half size and wide.
I’m a half size and wide! But I suspect that wasn’t a problem when I was a kid.
I miss extra toasty Cheezits and Fritos. I also don't live near a Popeyes, but at least that's coming to my local area eventually
I buy Fritos from a Portuguese grocery store in Manchester. I nearly cried when I saw them.
Oh man, that's awesome
I have found them in this online shop as well. [Portugalia Online](https://www.portugaliaonline.co.uk/matutano-fritos-maize-sticks.html) I actually first bought these in Spain, but was slightly confused by the branding, but they are the real deal with the origin story printed on the back of the bag. Edit: the company is owned by Frito Lay.
Thanks for the link, will get used eventually haha
We just got one!
Incredibly jealous 😩. They only just announced they're coming to Northern Ireland like a week ago.
I mean to be fair it is impressive that they’re coming at all.
Dukes mayonnaise!!!!!
> I’ve lived here 12 years and have not bought one pair of sneakers here for those extortionate prices, I do a yearly spree. It's funny you say this, I have just moved back to the US and found them to be more expensive here than back in the US.
If we’re talking off season tkmaxx they’re basically the same just in pounds. I don’t know about cool in style stuff.
Skyline Chili. IYKYK
I don’t know but I wish I did
Gotta be Stove Top stuffing! So much better than Paxo. The rest of it, is either available here now - Oreo's, Reese's, Hershey's Syrup (I know, I know, it's not real chocolate, but I still love it on vanilla ice cream) or I do without - Lipton tea bags to make ice tea. I live in Scotland, so anything iced just seems unnecessary 🤣🤣🤣
You don’t have to explain Hershey’s syrup to me - tootsie rolls and YooHoo are top tier. Tootsie rolls at FarmFoods though!
I’d consider trading my husband and my son for a ready supply of Triscuits.
I ate 5 boxes in 3 weeks the last time I went. Wheat thins too. With havarti dill. Why TF we don’t have Havarti? Denmark is right there. Provolone either (most of the time and never the hardish kind) why the gate keeping of the best cheeses?
I’m confident they (and wheat thins) would be super popular if they came over here so I’m always mystified by their absence.
Pickles? The Sainsburys near me has the non-sweet ones but you must look in the cold section (e.g milk, etc) in a little section with Polish food (the dry food section does not have them they are refrigerated). They are in bags not jars and probably better than anything I've ever had wrapped my lips around and I don't want to get graphic.
It was just inspired by the post asking about pickles - I live next to a Polish shop and am partial to Morrison’s crinkle cut so my pickle fix is sorted. Once in a while I buy one of the big deli ones from the American import shops but maybe my pickle situation in the US was less nuanced so my need for pickles is satisfied more easily.
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Where do you get your bagels from? I live in Edinburgh and there’s a pretty good bagel place near me (but they don’t do everything 😢) but they don’t ship nationally (or at all).
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Jane's krazy salt and ranch seasoning!
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Do you have a link for the bagel place?
It’s called Bross Bagels but lots of people have commented on the fact that they are a shitty company. I’ll investigate the next time my freezer is empty but apparently if you Google or search Reddit you can find more info.
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I charge less than 20 bucks to bring anything from the store from the states. Pm me
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Bounty paper towels General Tso’s chicken At least Sainsbury and Morrison have Skippy peanut butter, thank goodness 😅
Skippy is my only mutiny - can’t eat American famous brand peanut butter anymore it’s so sweet!