Why is American chocolate suddenly everywhere?

[IamfromBarcelona]

Was in Tesco Express today, popped for a chocolatey snack and saw loads of Reece’s and Oreo chocolate eggs- not a creme egg in sight (hastily passing over the fact that I am perusing chocolate eggs in January!)
And then further down the shelf- more Reece’s stuff, and Hersheys!

They weren't being sold here a could of years ago- what’s changed? Is it Brexit? Has there been an Anglo-Anerican merger somewhere?

(I think they’re revolting but that’s just my opinion).

Used to live in the US - I don’t think I ate much chocolate when I was there and none of it has passed my lips since leaving.

I did used to crave Taco Bell, but when I went to one of the UK ones year ago it was a very pale imitation indeed of what they have in the US. If I had to name one US brand I really liked, it would be Little Caesars - so much better than domino’s or Pizza Hut. I wonder if I’d like it as much now.

@stuntbubbles Reisen is usually available in Home Bargains. Or Bourneville toffees which are a close second.

@halulat

Where is Bath and Body works available in the UK? Love their stuff.

Next - on line. Go to the site and search bath and Body works. I love their stuff too. In some stores too.

@GellerYeller My nearest is 90 minutes away via two buses, the DLR, another bus, then a walk. I stand by my complaint of poor availability!

Love Reeses, not Hersheys. Remember going into the Hersheys store off Times Square and the smell was just horrible.

@stuntbubbles you are right, that is poor!
On the American sweets subject my kids love all things grape or cinnamon flavour, and I loved Jolly Ranchers when they were freely available in loads of shops here in the 90s. No way am I paying a fiver for a bag of boiled sweets, tic tacs or a few sticks of gum. Sort it out UK manufacturers please!

A colleague of mine claimed the American candy stores in london are money laundering!! No idea if that’s true or where he’s heard it. I know they cost a fortune, £10 for some pre theatre pic n mix my daughter chose

American chocolate is usually terrible.

Ritter Sport all the way. Can't stand American chocolate.

@halulat

Where is Bath and Body works available in the UK? Love their stuff.

Yes, I need to know this now!

At Next - on line and in some stores.

@LondonWolf thank you so much 😊

Urgh! I can't abide American sweets, especially the chocolate. They're all so revoltingly hyper-sweetened. Makes me feel a little bit sick just thinking about them!

Yes it’s the butyric acid - they use a kind of milk product that’s soured first to preserve it, and that gives it the vomity taste (butyric acid is in vomit), whereas traditionally European chocolate was made with fresher milk.

Oxford st and parts of central london must have about 20 of these american choc shops now...all used flog tacky souvenirs....no tourists so......

@Darbs76

A colleague of mine claimed the American candy stores in london are money laundering!! No idea if that’s true or where he’s heard it. I know they cost a fortune, £10 for some pre theatre pic n mix my daughter chose

I posted that these are ex souvenir shops also flogging vapes, and some flog awful fake gucci / louis vuitton... bits etc at the back but several got raided last week...no tourists so hence the change of use but they always seem empty.....rents must be huge for central london...!!

As an American I grew up eating Hershey's, never felt any particular way about it, but since moving to the UK years ago I really can't eat it now! It IS gross!

I don't care about Wendy's and Chipotle but apparently Popeye's is coming to the UK which is amazing.

I heard the Taco Bell in London serves their tacos with mayo : )

omg thanks for the Bath and Body Works tip! yay!!

fyi their Sleep range of lotions and sprays really do help with insomnia (they help me sleep anyway)

God knows. Maybe because it's cheap, available, and disgusting and probably more easily imported than stuff manufactured in the EU.

I have American relatives. Even they admit that American chocolate is shit - they much prefer British stuff.

Pretty much all American sweets are artificially flavoured including Hersheys chocolate.

I'm British in the USA and do not like Hershey's. My kids love Reese's, though. There's got to be something to growing up on it because my kids are fine with that slightly rancid flavour. Hershey's make KitKat here and they are not as good. TBH I am not really a cheap chocolate person most of the time, from either country. All of it is much more sugar than cocoa.

I do not like grape flavour and cinnamon on its own isn't my thing, but at least those are distinctive and different. The grape things may be artificial, but Concord grape juice really does taste remarkably like that. American Oreos aren't the same as the European made ones. The original American ones are better, surprisingly. I don't always want them as the filling is sicklyit's pure vegetable fat and sugarbut they have a good texture. I thought the Oreo thins were a gimmick at first but surprisingly I like them. They are satisfyingly crispy and the very thin layer of filling is just right.

Popeyes, now--that's worth it, miles better than KFC!

@LondonWolf

American fast food places too. Taco Bell, Chipotle, Wendys and Popeyes all easily reachable from where I live now. Also American brands like Bath and Body Works now much more easily available in the U.K. in central London there’s multiple large American sweet shops now - Oxford Street, Regent Street. I love it. Love American goods

Where’s the Taco Bell? I need it!

Where’s the Taco Bell? I need it!

Two in West London that I see almost daily. Funnily enough I have never been in though have been meaning to for ages.

Two near me in south London, we have ordered it a few times on uber eats.

Because they’re cheap, oily rubbish (with potential for enormous mark up).