When I first moved from the UK to the United States, I expected to notice the big differences—driving on the other side of the road, huge supermarkets, and yellow school buses.
What surprised me were the little things.
The everyday habits I’d never even thought about suddenly stood out because nobody around me did them. Some made me laugh, some made me homesick, and some sent me searching Amazon for a taste of home.
If you’re a Brit living in America—or planning the move—you’ll probably recognise more than a few of these.
🇬🇧 1. Tea Really Is Part of Our Personality ☕
I always knew I liked tea, but I didn’t realise quite how often I said: “I’ll just put the kettle on.” Tea isn’t just a drink in Britain—it’s the answer to almost everything.
Good news: you don’t have to settle for American tea bags.
🍫 2. Chocolate Really Does taste Different
I honestly thought people exaggerated this. Then I tried American chocolate. Let’s just say… I immediately understood why so many Brits fill half their suitcase with Cadbury when they visit home. Now I keep Dairy Milk, Galaxy and Maltesers permanently stocked.
🚶♀️ 3. We Walk Everywhere
In Britain, walking twenty minutes to the shops barely registers as a journey.
When I first moved to America, I’d say, “I’ll just walk there,” and get the same slightly confused response: “You’re walking?”
Depending on where you live, everyday life in America can be much more car-dependent than you’re used to in Britain. Suddenly, a five-minute drive can feel completely normal.
🇬🇧 4. Saying “Sorry” Constantly
Apparently, we apologise for everything.
Someone bumps into me? “Sorry.”
I bump into them? “Sorry.”
Someone is standing directly in my way? Somehow… still “Sorry.”
I never realised how often I said it until I moved to America and people started laughing whenever I apologised for absolutely nothing.
☔ 5. Talking About the Weather
British people don’t just experience the weather. We discuss it.
Rain? Too wet.
Sunshine? Too hot.
A bit chilly? “It’s freezing!”
It’s often the easiest way to start a conversation, fill an awkward silence or spend ten minutes discussing something neither person can actually control.
Americans definitely notice it — but honestly, we’re just making conversation.
🍽️ 6. Sunday Roast Is a Big Deal
Roast potatoes. Yorkshire puddings. Proper gravy. Maybe some cauliflower cheese if you’re feeling ambitious.
A Sunday roast isn’t just lunch — it’s comfort food, family, tradition and a little taste of home all on one plate.
And when you’re homesick, there’s something about sitting down to a proper roast that makes everything feel slightly better.
The good news? You don’t have to give it up just because you’ve moved to America. Many of the British ingredients and favourites you miss can now be found online.
👉 Shop my British Sunday Roast collection here.
🍞 7. Bread Isn’t Quite the Same
One of the first things many Brits notice is that American bread can taste noticeably sweeter than the bread we’re used to in Britain.
After a while, you find your favourites and work out which loaves actually taste more like home. But when you’re craving a simple bacon sandwich or toast with a cup of tea, you suddenly realise how much you took British bread for granted.
🚿 8. Separate Hot and Cold Taps
This was one of those completely ordinary British things I never appreciated until it disappeared.
The idea of having one tap for hot water and another for cold can seem completely normal when you’ve grown up with it. Try explaining it to an American, though, and you may get a very confused look.
And yes, the classic British challenge of getting water that’s actually the temperature you want is apparently something we just accepted as normal.
🫘 9. Baked Beans on Toast
Apparently, baked beans on toast isn’t considered a normal dinner in America.
They’re wrong.
It might be one of the easiest, cheapest and most comforting British meals there is — especially when you’re homesick and want something that tastes like childhood.
And Heinz baked beans aren’t quite the same as grabbing whatever American baked beans happen to be in the supermarket.
👉 Get proper British Baked Beans here.
🚗 10. Driving Everywhere
One thing that surprised me most was how much time Americans spend in their cars.
School. Football. Groceries. Coffee. After-school activities. Somehow, everything involves driving.
In Britain, I’m used to walking to the shops, popping somewhere on foot or jumping on public transport. In America, depending on where you live, getting in the car can become such a normal part of everyday life that you barely think about it.
And yes, I’ve definitely caught myself saying, “It’s only five minutes away,” before automatically reaching for my car keys.
🇬🇧 11. Queueing Properly
Brits queue instinctively.
We see a line and simply join the back of it. No discussion, no confusion, no need for signs explaining where to stand — the queue just works.
Moving to America made me realise just how deeply ingrained that little British habit really is.
🛍️ 12. I Never Thought I’d Miss Marks & Spencer
Before moving to America, I completely took Marks & Spencer for granted.
Whether it was picking up Percy Pigs, Colin the Caterpillar treats, a packet of biscuits, fresh sandwiches, or simply wandering around the food hall, M&S was just part of everyday life. I never imagined I’d actually miss a supermarket.
Now, every trip back to the UK includes at least one visit to Marks & Spencer, and I always leave wishing I could somehow bring half the food hall home with me.
It’s not just the food either. It’s the familiarity — knowing where everything is, recognising the brands and wandering around without having to think about what you’re looking for.
The good news is that while nothing quite replaces a browse around M&S, many of the British treats and pantry favourites I miss are available here in the USA.
👉 Shop my 100+ British Essentials collection to find many of the UK favourites I regularly reorder.
🧴 13. Boots
Who knew I’d miss Boots?
Not just the pharmacy — although having everything from prescriptions to toiletries under one roof was pretty convenient — but the No7 skincare, Soap & Glory, familiar British brands and that unmistakable Boots feeling.
Walking into Boots when I’m back in Britain is one of those moments where I realise just how many everyday products I completely took for granted.
And yes, I still have a little browse even when I don’t actually need anything.
👉 Shop British beauty favourites you can buy in America
🎄 14. Christmas Crackers
Christmas crackers are one of those little British traditions that can be surprisingly hard to explain until you’ve actually pulled one apart at the dinner table!
🎁 👉 Shop my British Christmas Favourites on Amazon USA
🧣 15. Hot Water Bottles
Americans often use heating blankets. Brits reach for the trusty hot water bottle.
There is something incredibly comforting about climbing into bed with one on a cold evening — and it was one of those little British habits I didn’t realise I’d miss until I moved away.
👉 Shop my favourite hot water bottles here and here.
🍪 16. Digestives Aren’t Just Biscuits
They’re the perfect tea companion. Enough said.
Whether you’re dunking one into a cup of tea or keeping a packet in the cupboard for visitors, McVitie’s Digestives are one of those simple British staples that can instantly make you feel a little more at home.
And yes, I absolutely think they belong in the biscuit cupboard.
👉 Get my favourite McVitie’s Digestives here.
🥤 17. Squash
Trying to explain Ribena or Robinsons squash is surprisingly difficult.
To many Americans, “squash” means a vegetable rather than the drink you grew up having at home. And trying to explain the concept of adding a little concentrate to water can lead to some very confused looks!
It’s another one of those everyday British things that suddenly feels very important when you’re living thousands of miles from home.
👉 Shop British squash on Amazon USA
🍟 18. Chips vs Fries
This conversation never ends.
In Britain, chips are thick, fluffy and usually served with fish, sausages or just about anything else. In America, “fries” are generally thinner — and asking for chips in a restaurant can get you a very different result.
🏠 19. Setting Up Your American Home
One thing I didn’t expect after moving from Britain was just how many little differences there are when setting up a home in America — from bedding and measurements to the things you suddenly realise you need to buy.
And when you’re starting from scratch, Amazon can become your new best friend very quickly!
👉 Read: How to Make Your New American Home Feel Like Home
🥔 20. Crisps
Walkers. Monster Munch. Quavers.
American chips just aren’t quite the same.
The flavours, textures and even the word itself are different, and sometimes you just want the proper British version — especially with a cup of tea.
👉 Shop British crisps & snacks on Amazon USA
🍮 21. Custard
Americans hear “custard” and often imagine something completely different.
For a Brit, custard can mean that lovely warm, creamy sauce poured over a crumble, sponge pudding or pretty much any dessert that needs rescuing.
There are definitely moments when only proper British custard will do.
👉 Get proper British Custard here.
🍳 22. The Full English Breakfast
There are few things more British than a proper full English breakfast.
For many Brits, it means some combination of sausages, bacon, eggs, baked beans, mushrooms, tomatoes, toast and, depending on where you’re from, black pudding and a few other extras.
It’s the kind of breakfast that feels completely normal when you grow up in Britain — but after living in America, you realise just how distinctly British it is.
And sometimes, nothing quite hits the spot like a proper full English breakfast with a cup of tea on the side. 🇬🇧
👉 Find British breakfast favourites here.
🍻 23. The British Pub
You don’t necessarily realise how much you miss a British pub until you live somewhere without them.
Not just the beer, but the atmosphere — old buildings, cosy corners, Sunday lunches, a proper pint, familiar faces and that feeling of being able to walk into a pub almost anywhere and instantly know what you’re getting.
American bars can be great, but they aren’t quite the same.
Sometimes I miss the simplicity of meeting someone at the pub, having a drink and putting the world to rights.
👉 Discover more British favourites here.
🇬🇧 24. British Humour
Sarcasm doesn’t always translate.
British humour can be wonderfully dry, understated and completely deadpan — which doesn’t always make it obvious to someone who isn’t used to it that you’re actually joking.
I’ve definitely had to explain that I was joking more than once!
❤️ 25. You Never Stop Being British
Moving to America changes many things, but it doesn’t change who you are.
Years later, I still get excited when I find Yorkshire Tea on sale, still say “Cheers” without thinking, and still believe a proper cup of tea fixes almost everything.
You can build a life in America, make new traditions and feel completely at home here while still keeping those little pieces of Britain that make you, you.
🛒 Missing a Taste of Home?
One of the first things I did after moving was start searching for the British products I missed most.
Over the years, I’ve built a collection of 100+ British favourites that I regularly buy here in the USA — from tea and biscuits to household products, beauty favourites, snacks and those little things you suddenly realise you can’t live without.
👉 Shop my British Essentials on Amazon USA
- ☕ Yorkshire Tea, PG Tips & Tetley
- 🍫 Cadbury, Galaxy & Maltesers
- 🥫 Heinz Baked Beans
- 🍪 McVitie’s Digestives & Hobnobs
- 🍬 British sweets and chocolates
- 🧴 UK toiletries & beauty products
- 🏠 Everyday British household essentials
Final Thoughts
Moving to America has been one of the best adventures of my life, but it also made me realise just how many little British habits I’d always taken for granted.
The funny thing is, it’s often the smallest things—a proper cup of tea, your favourite chocolate bar, or a Sunday roast—that make a new place feel like home.
If I missed one of your favourites, let me know in the comments. I’m always looking for more wonderfully British things to add to my growing list.