British meal ideas after years in Aus

[JDM625]

A relative is visiting the UK having moved to Aus in the 1960's. She has visited the UK over those years and the last time was pre-covid. I realise this is very individual but what meal would you like me to cook? Any specific ingredients/veg/dessert that aren't as popular or easy to get in Aus?

I have read your post 3 times and still can’t understand.

Are you in AUS and you have a UK based friend coming to visit?

@Peclet Apologies. I live in the UK. The relative immigrated to Aus in the 1960's and is visiting here back in the UK soon.

If they like traditional food-
Beef stew and dumplings or mash
shepherds pie
roast dinner with all the trimmings
fish and chips
fish pie
chicken and leek pie

Traditional snack/lunch foods
cream tea
toasted tea cakes
door step sandwiches with good quality ham and cheese
ploughman’s
scotch eggs
sausage rolls

Re Peclet's suggestion "roast dinner with all the trimmings" - that has to include Yorkshire puddings and horseradish sauce with your roast beef.
Desserts: what about a traditional rice pudding (with a nutmeggy skin), bread-and-butter pudding, or a crumble.

I can't think of too much that's unavailable in Australia - I'm a bit confused by the above list, we absolutely have beef stew, shepherd's pie and roast dinners available easily in Australia. Off the top of my head, clotted cream is something that's not easy to get here.

Speciality things that don't travel well would be my suggestion - do you have niche local foods like cheeses or heritage meats? Those would be the things that your relative can't get in Australia, not apple crumble or sausage rolls.

I second the clotted cream, I’ve only seen it once in 10 years! Chip shop chips as well, they’re nowhere near as good here.

Harris Farms occasionally has clotted cream at a huge price.

All the rest of it is cooked and eaten in Australia. Maybe ask her if there is something she misses a lot?

Sausages in onion gravy is my suggestion.

My nephew has been in Australia for 2 years and all he misses food wise is the local Chinese take away and Goldfish curry sauce!

Not in Australia but what I want to eat when I go back to the UK are things we don't get in North America: certain fruit & veg and especially fish/shellfish. The seafood available is completely different. I normally would blanch at the price for Dover sole, for example, but I treat myself to it when we visit because it's just not sold here, unless a high-end restaurant flies it in at an eye watering price. Not that you're likely to serve that, but it's an example of what comes to mind.

Also, British cheeses and dairy products especially clotted cream.

When I visit the UK the things I want are things like cherry bakewell tarts, good egg and cress sandwiches, scotch eggs, British cheese

Yorkshire pudding definitely.

Proper pork pie
doughnuts with raspberry jam inside

I'm giggling at the idea someone from Oz can't get fish and chips.

OP ask your visitor what they want. It can depend a lot on where in Oz your visitor lives.

Kedgeree made with actual smoked haddock, rather than smoked cod.

Mind you that might be quite uncommon in the UK these days, too.

I visited the UK and Ireland. in August from Oz. I bought lots of British and Irish cheeses, and hit up M & S food hall. I also very much enjoyed new season floury potatoes in Ireland. Everything else we can get here, roast dinners, pies, F & C , Yorkshire puddings etc are all easily available in Oz, well I can vouch for Perth any way.

Proper hand-cut chips
Fisherman's / admiral's pie with potato topping
Gammon
Clotted cream. Scones are in every supermarket, but I've no idea what Aussies put on them!

I live in NZ and previously lived in Aus. All of these suggestions are foodstuffs that are not only readily available in Aus but appear on most families’ weekly dinners and be found on any pub menu!

Aus food is very British and there is also a curry house and Chinese in every town. Also Goldfish curry is very much available in any supermarket. Yorkshire pudding very normal too. If it’s old school British food it’s standard fare for Aussies!

it’s a hard one but just go for something v ‘British’ rather than worrying about whether she can get it or not. So a roast maybe a stew. Toad in the hole etc

When I last went to the UK I went mad for all the old crisps I used to love (monster munch, skips, quavers, Twiglets) as they are definitely not available here. I also went a bit mad for Herta Frankfurters (I know it weird but the ones here are horrible). What you truly can’t get here is decent continental stuff. So an unpasteurised French cheese or a a really good just off the bone Spanish Jamon or boquerones. I also went mad for moule mariniere as the mussels here are MASSIVE and gag worthy and proper French food as so difficult to find here. I realise though that a continental platter was probably not what you were thinking of!

I can't believe I forgot about crisps, I brought so many back with me. And Irish Dairy Milk and Percy Pigs. 😃

Okay here’s are the things people have suggested you definitely can’t get (or can at great expense) in Aus so are good calls:

Pork Pie
Smoked Haddock and other fish you can’t get in Aus (including the aforementioned moules… whelks, cockles etc)
Clotted cream (you can but it’s shite and expensive)
Pasties

Aussies are mad for their sausage rolls, pies and butchers meat including sausages and offering them up will mean you open yourself up to unfavourable comparisons with the Yabbie Creek butcher and pie shop which will end up in an argument or someone getting the hump…

Same! We had to declare our crisp haul at Nz quarantine! The officer was quite keen to know what was so good about Beef and PO Monster Munch that I had a whole hold-all full of them. She thought it was hilarious.
Oh and Marmite. Vegemite is crap and NZ Marmite (made by Sanitarium who nabbed the copyright first) is downright disgusting.

Why not just ask what they'd like for a special meal and dessert and make that? 🤷‍♀️

Brit in Aus here !
a proper chippy
Indian / Chinese take away
all the crisps
pork pie - my husband makes the Tom kerridge one every Christmas and it’s a highlight
Mull cheddar
Potato scones
Square sausage
Morning rolls
Cold water straight from the tap
Diet Irn Bru
M&S party food
Meal deal

Every town or suburb in Aus has an Indian, a Chinese and a Thai restaurant so I'm not understanding the appeal of that.

I’m adding Scotch eggs as a thing you can’t get here.
Agree with speciality/heritage meats and cheeses.
Also M&S party food.
Cartmel Sticky Toffee Pudding
Good homemade Xmas pudding and brandy butter.
Walls Viennetta.

I've seen Scotch eggs on a few (Perth) pub menus recently, including a black pudding version, but I usually just make my own.