What can you get in the UK but not USA

[GreatestShowWoman]

Friend moving and wanting to put together a wee survival pack, what needs to go in?

You can definitely get good tea in the States, including Yorkshire Gold. World Market carries it, for anyone who is looking. Also things like Marmite. There’s not much you can’t get there.

Blackcurrant squash, I've heard.

You can most stuff but it’s expensive, we always have friends and family bring over a load of stuff for us!

But I agree with PP that if your friend is emigrating a big box of stuff to find room for just adds to the stress - phone and message often, book tickets to see them, send a care package once they’re settled

What do they drink instead of squash?

Mini checkers, pork pies, proper bacon. My sister lives in the US and has to order things from speciality shops or my parents take them over. Also simple face products and cordial

Currently live in the US and miss the following/ask visitors to bring over:

Bread that doesn't taste like 1000 chemicals
Gravy
Nice chocolate
Jaffa cakes (I do occasionally get them from the British shop for ££)
Marmite or Bovril
Cheap multipacks of tights (they are unreasonably pricey here)
Mince pies, unless you make your own

Golden syrup, or so I've heard.

Just realised my post said mini checkers. I meant cheddars.

If you’re near an international shop you can get most things but at a price. The main things I miss when I’m in the States are decent range of cheese, good tea, chocolate and bread- hate the sweetness of the American bread.

Brown sauce :-)

Ghirardelli's chocolate is excellent, is made in California and is widely available in the US.

www.ghirardelli.com

vodka try a brand called PIM's. I think they're European and they do a very passable jaffa cake imitation. Usually found in the cookie / snack aisle or the posh bit of the grocery store

greatest we can't get nurofen plus here, most other stuff can be found in the ethnic / international aisle of supermarkets if your friend is moving somewhere relatively urban. I've not been able to find those larger bags of jelly babies, eclairs etc tho

In regards to posting - my sister has found a way to ship a certain size box for a flat fee, regardless of weight via the post office. Just make sure you mark it as gifts with a very low denomination $$$ value as otherwise customs will try and charge tax on it

What state is she going to, we can give her a idea of where to head for different things

My list of must-haves from UK visitors who offer:
-Marmite
-British baked beans
-Weetabix (technically available, but only organic and very expensive)
-Horlicks

For people asking about squash- they generally use powders like kool-aid or they will water down juice. We have lemonade powder in for our nephews and tbh it tastes just like lemon squash.

I can get most things but some are crazy priced. I cannot get Percy pigs or lemsip. I have also yet to see a sausage roll, in fact most puff pastry I've had isn't great.
I found a German raspberry Jaffa cake, it was pricey, all food is, but very tasty.

How about a cookbook for cakes and sweet treats. In USA they seem to make everything with a readymix as the basis

Solpadeine
Nairns oatcakes
M and S knickers
Cornish pasties
Scotch eggs
Proper sausage rolls
One of the toothpaste brands, but i cant remember which one

Oh and mince pie tins and nice mince pies (if you dont make your own)

In USA they seem to make everything with a readymix as the basis

Utter rubbish. I haven't baked from a mix since I was 12. There is a vibrant baking culture here.

Any of the baking books by Kathleen King are outstanding.

Tate's Bake Shop: Baking For Friends

Tate's Bake Shop Cookbook: The Best Recipes from Southampton's Favorite Bakery for Homestyle Cookies, Cakes, Pies, Muffins, and Breads

SMH. So many myths about the US.

-Robinson squash

• Walkers Thai Sweet Chilli crisps (I've had to get these posted to me several times)
• Marmite

And decent bacon!!

MissConductUS, I apologise and stand corrected. I based my post on my American cousins. Glad to hear the baking culture is alive and well and I’ll remember not to cast my small sample across the whole of the US

mouse do you have a trader joes near you? Their weetabix (its the proper stuff) is about $3.50 a box

Literally the only things that we couldn't find in the USA were Percy Pigs
and squash (suggest the little concentrated Robinsons bottles)

Some things were hard to find or expensive (mince meat for mince pies; good bacon). We were able to find pretty much everything else or decent substitutions - especially if there's a Trader Joe's nearby for tea bags, chocolate and Weetabix ($4 for 24)

Ha - x-post with Little!