Sometimes you feel heartache at the thought of the people, your town and the culture you leave behind when you move to another country. Sometimes, it’s more of a hollow feeling in your stomach. You know, like it’s empty?

One of the hardest things about being an expat so far from home is of course a distinct lack of easy access to not-too-expensive home treats. These for the most part aren’t a necessity or a world crisis if you can’t get them, but it can make quite a large difference when you’re homesick as a short-term fix to be able to masticate something you love.  

This has been an anguishing post to write (yeah right) taking more than 7 years of painstaking work to compile.

I have painstakingly tried and tested many, many UK food items, and have ended up with a (possibly acrimonious) list of replacements that are good in a pinch. Please don’t attack me, or boycott the blog if this upsets you as ‘it’s not the real stuff’ just bear it in mind next time you have a craving. And it enjoy the fact that it doesn’t cost 4 times what it would be in New Zealand.

One of the drinks I love the most you can surprisingly get here in pubs – Lemon, lime & Bitters – you normally just have to teach the bar staff how to make the drink (they musn’t sell it very often). Occasionally they pull out Lemon Bitters, but that’s quite a different drink all together.

There are a few requests I struggled to meet with that my expat friends missed; 

• Affordable & good Fush ‘n chups

• Not expensive Japanese food

• Fresh Mussels

• Chop Suey / Chow Mein

• Breakfast Tacos

• Ginger Kisses

What am I missing? As an expat, what do you miss the most?

* This title bar proved to be a long discussion. I was vetoed using the uber tongue-in-cheek “Uk goods that aren’t quite as delicious as the real thing” because it’s rude and “inaccurate”.

** They are just more solid that Timtams which makes sucking your tea through them difficult.

*** The New Zealand Gourmet Pie Company – who are offering 5 for the price of 4 if you enter the code “LondonKiwiEmma” into the notes box.

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