From dippy eggs and soldiers to beans on toast, sausage and mash and Arctic Roll, these are the simple British foods I didn’t realise I’d miss after moving to America.
Sometimes It’s the Food You Don’t Expect to Miss
When I moved from England to America, I expected to miss certain things.
My family.
Friends.
Familiar places.
The little routines that make somewhere feel like home.
What I didn’t necessarily expect was to miss food quite so much.
And I’m not talking about fancy restaurants or particularly complicated dishes.
I’m talking about the simple things.
The foods you grow up eating without really thinking about them. The things you might have had for breakfast as a child, eaten after school, had for dinner on a cold evening or found waiting in the freezer.
It’s only when you live somewhere else that you realise how many of those foods are tied to memories.
And suddenly, something as simple as a tin of baked beans or a box of biscuits can make you think, I really miss that.
So here are 15 British comfort foods I didn’t realise I’d miss after moving to America.
1. 🥚 Dippy Eggs & Soldiers
There is something wonderfully British about a soft-boiled egg sitting in an egg cup with strips of buttered toast ready for dipping.
We call them soldiers.
It’s one of those childhood foods that seems completely ordinary when you’re growing up in Britain.
Then you move to America and realise just how much of a British childhood ritual it was.
There’s something about cutting the top off the egg, adding a little salt and dipping that first piece of toast into the yolk.
Simple. Comforting. And somehow nostalgic.
And if you’re a Marmite lover, there’s another level: spread a little Marmite on the soldiers before dipping them into that lovely runny yolk.
It might sound slightly strange if you didn’t grow up with it, but for Marmite fans, it’s a very hard combination to beat. 🇬🇧
🇬🇧 Want to recreate it in America?
An egg cup and a good British-style breakfast tea make the whole experience feel a little more authentic.
👉 Shop my British breakfast favourites on Amazon →
2. 🫘 Beans on Toast
I don’t think I fully appreciated beans on toast until I couldn’t casually make it whenever I wanted.
To an American, the combination can sound slightly strange.
To a Brit?
It’s lunch.
It’s dinner.
It’s a quick meal when you don’t know what else to eat.
It’s something you make when you’re tired.
And sometimes it’s exactly what you want.
The important thing is that we’re talking about British-style baked beans in tomato sauce, rather than the sweeter, smoky baked beans often associated with American BBQs.
There’s just something about hot beans poured over buttered toast that feels like home.
And yes, I still prefer the proper British kind.
🇬🇧 My tip
If you’re living in America and missing British beans, check the international section of larger supermarkets or British food shops. You can also find British favourites online.
3. 🥔 Sausage & Mash
Mashed potatoes.
Proper sausages.
Gravy.
That’s basically the entire argument.
Sausage and mash is one of those meals that doesn’t need to be complicated to be satisfying.
It’s especially good on a cold evening when you want something warm and familiar.
And although America has plenty of sausage and potato dishes of its own, there’s something very specifically British about sausages, creamy mash and plenty of gravy.
It’s comfort food in the truest sense.
And for me, the gravy really does make the meal. It’s one of those little British touches that can turn a simple plate of sausages and potatoes into proper comfort food.
👉 Get proper British gravy here →
4. 🐟 Fish Fingers, Chips & Beans
Another one that instantly takes me back.
Fish fingers.
Chips.
Baked beans.
Possibly some ketchup.
Nothing fancy.
It’s the sort of meal many British children grow up eating, and it’s exactly the kind of thing you don’t realise is part of your idea of comfort until you’re living somewhere else.
5. 🍳 A Full English Breakfast
Of course this had to make the list.
A proper full English breakfast is one of those meals that feels almost excessive until you’ve lived away from Britain for a while.
Sausages.
Bacon.
Eggs.
Baked beans.
Mushrooms.
Tomatoes.
Toast.
And whatever else belongs on your personal version of the plate.
There are also strong regional opinions about what should and shouldn’t be included — which is probably best left alone. 😂
I’ve had plenty of American breakfasts over the years, but every now and then, I still want the whole thing.
Especially with a cup of tea.
🇬🇧 Want to recreate a British breakfast?
This is where British staples like tea, baked beans, HP Sauce and other pantry favourites can make a surprisingly big difference.
👉 Shop my British food favourites on Amazon →
6. 🥧 Cottage Pie
Few things say British comfort food quite like a proper Cottage Pie. Rich minced beef and vegetables topped with creamy mashed potato is the kind of meal that feels instantly familiar — especially when you’re living thousands of miles from home.
If you’re looking for a classic version, Delia Smith’s Cottage Pie recipe is a great place to start. It’s also a lovely option if you’re trying to recreate traditional British cooking in an American kitchen.
👉 Try [Delia Smith’s Cottage Pie recipe]
Want more classic British recipes? Delia Smith’s cookbooks are packed with traditional favourites and are a lovely addition to your kitchen if you’re living abroad.
👉 [Shop Delia Smith’s cookbook on Amazon →]
US supermarket tip: Most of the ingredients are easy to find in American supermarkets. Just remember that British mince is usually labelled ground beef in the US.
7. 🍮 Sticky Toffee Pudding
Sticky toffee pudding is a different story.
This one is properly indulgent.
Warm sponge.
Rich toffee sauce.
Ice cream or custard.
It’s the kind of dessert that makes you understand why British puddings deserve more respect than they sometimes get.
And while I’ve found plenty of good desserts in America, there are moments when I want that very particular combination of warm sponge and sticky toffee sauce.
There’s something about warm sticky toffee pudding with plenty of sauce that makes it feel like the ultimate British comfort dessert.
👉 Find Britsh Sticky Toffee Pudding here →
8. 🍨 Angel Delight
This one is pure nostalgia.
Angel Delight was never a sophisticated dessert.
And that was precisely the point.
It was fun.
It came in those little packets, you mixed it up and suddenly you had this fluffy, sweet dessert that felt like a treat.
For me, it’s less about the actual dessert and more about the memories attached to it.
That’s a lot of British childhood memories for one little packet.
If you’re feeling nostalgic, you can still find Angel Delight online and recreate a little bit of that childhood nostalgia at home.
🍰 9. Victoria Sponge
The tea. The conversation. The familiar kitchen. The feeling of being home.
Victoria sponge is one of those cakes that just feels British.
Two light sponge cakes sandwiched together with jam and buttercream, sometimes finished with a dusting of icing sugar.
It’s the sort of cake you’d find at a family gathering, afternoon tea or sitting on the table when someone came round for a cup of tea.
I’ve had plenty of wonderful cakes in America, but there is something about a homemade Victoria sponge that takes me straight back to Britain.
Perhaps it’s another one of those foods where it’s not just the taste you’re missing — it’s everything around it.
10. 🥔 Jacket Potato with Proper Fillings
A baked potato might seem like one of the least exciting things on this list.
But the British jacket potato deserves its place.
Especially when it’s baked until the skin is crisp and the inside is fluffy, then absolutely loaded with filling.
Cheese and beans.
Tuna and sweetcorn.
Chicken mayo.
Cheese and coleslaw.
Or whatever combination you grew up with.
It’s another example of British food being wonderfully uncomplicated.
11. 🥓 A Proper Bacon Sandwich
Sometimes you don’t need a recipe.
You need a bacon sandwich.
For me, there’s something about a British bacon sandwich that is difficult to replicate.
Crispy or soft bacon depending on your preference.
White roll.
Butter.
Maybe brown sauce.
Maybe ketchup.
And absolutely no need to overthink it.
It’s one of those foods where the ingredients are incredibly simple, but somehow the whole thing just works.
12. 🫓 Crumpets with Butter
Crumpets were another thing I didn’t realise I would miss.
Especially that moment when they’re warm from the toaster and the butter disappears into all those little holes.
You can put almost anything on them, but honestly?
Sometimes butter is enough.
They’re one of those foods that immediately make me think of a quiet breakfast at home.
A cup of tea.
The kettle.
And absolutely nowhere else to be.
They’re one of those foods that immediately make me think of a quiet breakfast at home.
A cup of tea.
The kettle.
And absolutely nowhere else to be.
If you’re living in America and missing that familiar British breakfast, crumpets are one of those little things that can make home feel a little closer.
👉 Find British crumpets here →
13. 🍎 Apple Crumble
Apple crumble and custard is one of those desserts that instantly feels British to me.
Warm apples.
Crispy crumble topping.
And proper custard poured over the top.
It’s not particularly complicated, but it feels like home.
And perhaps this is one of those foods where nostalgia makes everything taste better. Mum’s apple crumble was always the best, wasn’t it?
No matter how many versions you try, there’s something about the one you grew up with — the smell coming from the kitchen, the first spoonful while it’s still warm, and custard being poured over the top.
I’ve found plenty of American desserts that I love, but every so often, I want the kind of pudding that reminds me of Sunday lunches and family dinners.
And apple crumble does exactly that. 🇬🇧
14. 🍦 Arctic Roll
Now this is where the nostalgia really kicks in.
Arctic Roll.
For anyone who didn’t grow up with it, it’s essentially vanilla ice cream wrapped in a layer of sponge with raspberry sauce running through the middle.
It was the sort of dessert that could appear at a family gathering and immediately make everyone happy.
And if you really want to recreate that classic British dessert experience, serve it with tinned peaches on the side. 🍑
There was something about that combination that just worked — cold Arctic Roll, sweet peaches and all those childhood memories wrapped up in one very simple dessert.
And maybe that’s why I miss it.
Not because it’s the greatest dessert ever invented.
But because one bite takes you straight back somewhere.
That’s the strange thing about food when you move abroad.
Sometimes you’re not actually craving the food.
You’re craving the memory attached to it. 🇬🇧
15. ☕ Tea & Biscuits
And finally, we have to come back to tea.
Because really, how could I write a list of British comfort foods without including it?
A cup of tea and a biscuit is not really a meal.
It’s not quite a snack.
It’s just…
tea.
Someone comes round?
Put the kettle on.
Having a bad day?
Put the kettle on.
Need five minutes?
Tea.
And then there are the biscuits.
Digestives.
Rich Teas.
Chocolate Hobnobs.
Custard Creams.
Shortbread.
The list goes on.
🇬🇧 My British Tea Essentials
If there’s one category of British food I consistently find myself coming back to in America, it’s tea and biscuits.
👉 Shop my British tea & biscuit favourites on Amazon →
🇬🇧 It’s the Little Things You Miss
Living in another country changes what you notice.
When I lived in England, I never really stopped to think about how British some of these foods were.
They were simply normal.
Dippy eggs.
Beans on toast.
A jacket potato.
A bacon sandwich.
Crumpets.
Apple crumble.
Tea and biscuits.
Nothing particularly exotic.
But after years of living in America, I’ve realised that some of the things I miss most aren’t necessarily the big things.
They’re the little things.
The foods that remind you of being a child.
Family dinners.
Sunday afternoons.
After-school snacks.
Cold evenings.
Christmas.
Birthdays.
A cup of tea when someone needed cheering up.
That’s the strange thing about moving abroad.
You don’t always know what you’ll miss until you can’t have it quite as easily anymore.
And sometimes, a tin of beans or a packet of biscuits can feel surprisingly close to home. 🇬🇧➡️🇺🇸
🛒 Want More British Favourites?
If you’re a Brit living in America and missing some of those familiar cupboard staples, I’ve put together my British Essentials I Always Reorder in the USA guide.
I’ve included everything from tea and biscuits to pantry staples, beauty products and everyday British favourites you can find online.
👉 Read: British Essentials I Always Reorder in the USA →
And if you’re curious about the other things I’ve unexpectedly found myself missing since leaving England:
👉 Read: 25 Things I Never Thought I’d Miss from England →
🇬🇧 Shop My British Essentials
I’ve also put together my British Amazon favourites so you can browse some of the things I personally look for when I’m missing a taste of home.
👉 Shop My British Essentials on Amazon USA →
Shop my British Essentials on Amazon USA
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