14 things Brits living in the US miss most about the UK

Metro

6 hours ago

Caroline Westbrook Published June 19, 2025 10:32am Link is copied Comments There's many things we're known for in the UK, from our Royal Family and our iconic tourist attractions through to food and drink which only the British could possibly take to their hearts. Which means that those citizens who might have upped sticks and moved across the pond are bound to miss certain aspects of British culture - particularly food items and other things which aren't going to be quite the same in the US. But just what do British people living in America miss most about Blighty? Read on to find out more... (Picture: Getty Images) It might be one of those things you either love or hate but Marmite remains ridiculously popular among Brits in the US - actor Bill Nighy has even shared stories of being stopped at Heathrow border control for trying to leave the country with a jar in his luggage. While it may have a low profile there, and be hard to find outside of specialist food shops, a recent tongue-in-cheek ad campaign by adam&eveDDB has been calling out for 'Marmite smugglers' to try and get a jar through border control - while a flyposting campaign in New York is aiming to introduce locals to its yeasty goodness. So perhaps it could take off after all (Picture: Getty Images) Whenever this question comes up, this always seems to feature high on the list of things which just aren't the same on the other side of the Atlantic. Jeremy Davis of YouTube duo Magic Geekdom said of the pub: '[In the UK] people socialise and hang out and eat food - you can meet some really cool people. I feel that's not what happens in the U.S. [Here] it doesn't have the same feeling of friendliness' (Picture: Getty Images/Mint Images RF) Here's one which expats are always bringing up - according to them the humble crumpet is very hard to come by in the US, unless you can find yourself a supermarket stocking British treats, or make them yourself. On Reddit, one person commented: 'I found them in the freezer of British shop. Didn't think to look there. You would have thought I won the lottery the way I was jumping around screaming' (Picture: Getty Images) This is one which seems to strike a chord with expats, who have said that US bacon doesn't taste half as good as the stuff you get in the UK. 'It's all streaky in US, no back bacon,' one person commented on Reddit. The difference in taste may be down to the way it's made though, as explained by a Quora user: 'American bacon is typically made from pork belly and is cured and smoked. It is known for its crispy texture and salty flavor. On the other hand, British bacon is often made from pork loin and is typically less fatty than American bacon.' So now you know why your bacon sandwich doesn't taste nearly the same across the pond (Picture: Getty Images) Is there anything better than having butter oozing from your freshly toasted slice of sourdough? Not according to Brits living in the US, who reckon the butter there just isn't as good as it is back home. Martha Stewart reveals on her website the differences are down to the manufacturing process - while American butter has to contain only a minimum of 80% butterfat, European butter has between 82 and 85%, which makes all the difference. It is possible to get European butter though, with people flocking to a YouTube video by Those Two Brits where they discussed US butter being 'white' rather than yellow. 'Butter that's white tends to come from grain fed cows which is most of America, yellow butter is the old school grass fed cows, but because all milk has to be pasteurized here no matter what all the yellow tends to come out anyway leaving the white,' one person explained (Picture: Getty Images) While we're at it, many Brits living in the US have said they miss British bread - hinting that a decent loaf you can use to make sandwiches or toast isn't nearly so easy to come by. A Reddit user commented: 'I find most of the bread here is sweetish which I don't like. I look for Italian or French to get around that but it's always tiny slices. I still miss the bread from home.' Another added: 'There is good bread but you normally have to find specialised bakers' (Picture: Getty Images) In the UK we might be accustomed to hopping on the bus, taking the Tube or just walking to the local high street or wherever we want to go - but with many places in the US only accessible by car, expats are quick to admit they miss it. One Reddit user admitted they missed 'it being normal to walk about', while a second added: 'Much of the US is definitely not designed with pedestrians in mind. All of which would seem to fit in with 2023 research from Virginia Tech and Rutgers University, which found that just 12% of all trips in the US are walked (Picture: Getty Images) Here's one people definitely felt when they moved to the US - that sense of humour which is so unique to Brits. One said on Reddit: 'It sounds like something so stupid and minor, but it really, really got to me,' while a second added: 'They don't really do humour/banter in the same way. Irony, wit, satire, sarcasm, under/overstatement etc are quite lost on them. They often take what's being said at face value' (Picture: Getty Images) Cadbury's Dairy Milk is of course one of Britain's greatest treasures - but Brits living in the US have admitted good chocolate is hard to find there, and that the local equivalent just doesn't compare. 'The first time I really missed something about the UK was at college here,' one said on Reddit. 'I'd had a long week, just got out of a long class and all I wanted was a bar of chocolate from the vending machine. I'd let my guard down and forgot where I was. The instant I realized there would be no proper Cadburys chocolate in there I was absolutely crestfallen' (Picture: Getty Images) Us Brits tend to be spoiled when it comes to holidays from work, with many of us getting five weeks leave per year or in some cases, more. But it's a different story for those of us working in the US - of course, we get time off but not nearly as much. 'I miss having TIME OFF,' commented one Redditor. 'It's a foreign concept here. I've only just started a full time job after being a student here so I'm just starting to feel the effects of having no annual leave - God help me' (Picture: Getty Images) If you're a British person living in the US it's inevitable you're going to miss tea - given the enormous part popping the kettle on for a cuppa plays in our culture. While you can get tea in the US of course it tends to be served without milk - with the Tea Association of America saying that in 2021 around 84% of all tea consumed was black tea, 15% was green Tea and the remainder was other types such as Oolong and white tea. Whether or not any of it was your bog standard PG Tips with a splash of semi-skimmed remains to be seen (Picture: Getty Images) If you're a fan of a decent strong Cheddar you might struggle if you live in the US, where Brits have complained the cheese is orange, soft and not nearly as good as the stuff you get on these shores. 'I missed real cheese,' complained one, 'had to pay $10+ for the little block of cheddar that's a couple of quid here' (Credits: Getty Images/500px) Having a baby? If you're in the UK you can look forward to several months of maternity leave to bond with your new arrival - which can vary depending on where you work and what they offer. In the US though, it's a different story, and one which hasn't escaped the notice of Brits living there. 'When I tell Americans I get 12 weeks they exclaim how lucky I am,' one said. 'I then tell them that in the UK I would have got 9 months, including time off before the baby to get ready. Here I was in labour at work, finished my shift and gave birth the following morning' (Picture: Getty Images/iStockphoto) Finally, we're guessing that those of you living in the US might miss some of the chains we have in the UK - with the likes of M&S, Waitrose and Tesco all mentioned by expats chatting online. However one favourite which seems to come up quite regularly is Greggs - as it's one place which has yet to make it across the pond and Brits are definitely missing the chance to pop into their local branch for a steak bake. One said they miss 'Greggs, curry, Greggs, biscuits, Greggs, Mum and Dad's Sunday lunch, Greggs, cheese that isn't Kraft or super expensive, Greggs, scotch eggs, Greggs, the meal deal boxes where you could build your own curry or Chinese, Greggs, prawn crackers, full English breakfast, and Greggs.' Yep, we get the point... (Picture: Getty Images) This article was originally published in May 2024