What gifts do I take to Australia from UK?

[ButterflyTulips]

So we're travelling over to see in laws in a few weeks and I'm completely stumped what to take as little gifts.

Obviously they have most things there and I'm not needing to take "marmite" or "tea" as they're Australian not British ex pats... So needs to be more presenty than that.

They have easter eggs (this would have been an easy win if it had been america!) and lindt and Cadbury etc.

Any ideas what might be a nice gift? We don't go over often at all.

Shortbread.

Novelty (trashy) crisps and Bombay Mix type nibbles.

Emma Bridgewater mugs. If they are tea drinkers, I recommend their special order pint mugs which are not sold anywhere else in the world because only Brits tend to drink tea in that quantity.

Burleigh, Wedgwood, Spode etc traditional china.

Leaf tea from Betty’s or Fortnum’s.

Do you have any Dc? If so, why not take them a recent and nicely framed photograph?

If not, do you need to take gifts? You could take them out for a lovely dinner whilst you are there or give flowers and wine as a parting gift as a way of thanking them for hosting you?

Markies snacks - that’s what my chum always asks for.

Tea towels - easy to pack, and you can get very nice ones with either British scenes or with Britishisms which can be fun (thinking of one a relative had with Scottish vocabulary on it). Coasters/placemats also good - not too hard to pack (though a little heavy) and make a good conversation piece after you've left and they have people round . If there are any younger kids/teens in the family, beach towels are a great gift again for same reasons. Have fun!

Percy Pigs

When my brother was alive he always asked visitors to take tins of lease pudding 😆😆

*pease pudding

This is surely the right answer

I have to admit, I always wanted Percy Pigs, but only because I loved them when living there - Australians with no connection to the UK might not! 🐷

Something from your local area.

Betty's of Harrogate tea mugs .nice tea bags and a fruit cake

I always ask my friend in oz coming the other way to bring sheepskin slippers as they’re cheaper over there and do
more styles. Choose something quintessentially British that they don’t have. Agree with pp that M&S stuff is a winner. Whilst they do have cadburys over there it’s not the same and our dairy milk is still 100% better than theirs despite Mondelez meddling.

So I would say M&S biscuits, sweets, chocolates. Etc and it’s Autumn there, winter is coming so maybe nice M&S sweater or scarves or nice socks if they live in the south.

I wouldn’t get British tea towels or stuff like that, the last thing I would want in my kitchen is a tea towel with a kangaroo or Aussie flag on it, as much as I love the people.

posh marmalade?

If you take food make sure to declare it, and nothing wooden

Percy pigs
Crisps not available there ( prawn cocktail, twiglets, hula hoops, niknaks)
Biscuits/maltoaf/jaffa cakes
Brown sauce/condiments/nice jam

Clothes-rugby tops/football tops/uk brands

Homeware/small items like tea spoon rests, tea towels, coasters.

We took some beautiful local (to us) honey when we went. Obviously had to hand it in at the airport as we had no idea 🙄

So don't take that.

(Nothing to Declare - the programme - was not a thing then)

Have since taken a piece of Wedgwood which has gone down well.

As an Australia who has spent considerable time in the UK, I would love a toy furry stoat or otter. It's odd what people like. I gave a Canadian friend who loved paperweights a chunk of petrified wood with a large streak of opal in it (cause opal and Australia). She loved it and when she visited me in Sydney bought some more to take back to Toronto.

What about local crafts? Are things like Caithness glass still a thing?

Not British Cadbury chocolate, please. Never.

What about some Fortnum and Mason bits? Biscuits, a marmalade, tea etc.

Just remember food may need to be declared on your arrival card. You’ll need to check what is allowed in and what is not. There are also restrictions on other goods, the following may help https://www.abf.gov.au/entering-and-leaving-australia/can-you-bring-it-in/list-of-items

I'd go down the local crafts route. I think most of the time when people think food from their home country is so great, you really have to try, etc it's because they grew up with it and it holds nostalgia. To other people it's just mediocre food you've slopped half way around the world. I remember having to pretend to be really impressed with timtams when to me they were just a shit penguin.

That's what I was asked for and took

You need to get as much information as you can out of their offspring (your partner) about their tastes and preferences. I would go crazy for Darjeeling tea from Tesco which is rare and very expensive in Australia now. But if they're coffee drinkers there's not much point.
If you were raised on Vegemite you'll usually find Marmite unpleasant.

Take them some penguin bars as they’re way superior to Tim Tams.

Seconding this. Food has to be declared and possibly won’t be allowed, and being given food you’re unfamiliar with is not a good present at all. (Australian here and had to look up Percy Pigs. We’re not exactly short of confectionery here, I wouldn’t bother.) Local crafts sound better if you do want to take something. I wouldn’t do souvenir tea towels because the point is they’re a souvenir of somewhere you visited - I bought and used stacks when I visited England long ago.

I wouldn't take any food as you'll have to waste time declaring it in customs. Things like Marmite are readily available at supermarkets in Australia.

I agree with pp that it might be better to bring nothing. Once in aus you can buy dinner for them as a gift, or buy some wine.

Thanks everyone. Yes I don't think they'd appreciate marmite or random "loved by Brits" food (and I've literally never had please pudding!!)

I like the point above that you never know what people from another country would find good and what people expect you to like isn't the case (Tim tams as a poor man's penguin being a good example. Aussies seem to think I will like them?! They do come in impressive flavours though)

My kids do fancy bringing back to England caramela koalas (like freddo frogs) and some stuffed kangaroos for friends.

But taking there. Obviously percy pigs are the best sweet ever. But his parents are much older foodies. And his brother is too.

I live on the south coast. I have no idea if we have local craft or food. (beyond Dorset knobs but I wouldn't inflict those. Dorset cereal is nice but not worth taking round the world...)

Yes we will take them out for a meal. Just nice to take a little token and my brain has gone blank!

As a random point our marmite is a different taste to aussie marmite and is exported over there as "Our Mate" but yes would be a random gift so wasn't what I was thinking.

We will definitely take something as a present but not sure what. Someone gave us some huon pine bits one year so maybe an English craft equivalent (what crafts are english? Maybe a local painting? But again like teatowels it's a bit random if you didn't go yourself)