One of the great joys of being an Anglophile is discovering British food — and British snacks in particular are a revelation. From the humble digestive biscuit to the gloriously named Jaffa Cake, British snacks are unlike anything you'll find in an American supermarket. Here are 25 British snacks every Anglophile needs to try at least once.
British Biscuits (The Essential Category)
1. McVitie's Digestive Biscuits — The most popular biscuit in Britain. A slightly sweet, wheaty biscuit that is perfect with tea. The chocolate-covered version is even better.
2. Hobnobs — A oat-based biscuit with a satisfying crunch. The chocolate Hobnob is one of Britain's greatest achievements.
3. Jaffa Cakes — Technically a cake, not a biscuit (this is a matter of great national debate). A sponge base topped with orange jelly and covered in dark chocolate. Utterly addictive.
4. Rich Tea Biscuits — A plain, slightly sweet biscuit that is the classic dunking biscuit. Dunk it in your tea for exactly three seconds — any longer and it disintegrates.
5. Bourbon Biscuits — Two chocolate biscuits sandwiched with chocolate cream. Nothing to do with bourbon whiskey — the name comes from the House of Bourbon.
6. Custard Creams — A vanilla-flavoured sandwich biscuit with a custard cream filling. A British classic since 1908.
7. Shortbread — Buttery, crumbly, and utterly delicious. Walker's Shortbread from Scotland is the gold standard.
British Confectionery
8. Cadbury Dairy Milk — British Cadbury tastes noticeably different from the American version (which is made under licence by Hershey). The British version is creamier and less sweet.
9. Cadbury Crunchie — A honeycomb toffee bar covered in Cadbury chocolate. The crunch is deeply satisfying.
10. Maltesers — Crunchy malt honeycomb balls covered in milk chocolate. Lighter than American chocolate, dangerously moreish.
11. Flake — A crumbly, flaky bar of Cadbury chocolate. Famous for being extremely messy to eat.
12. Twirl — Two Flake fingers covered in Cadbury chocolate. The superior version of the Flake.
13. Wine Gums — Chewy, fruit-flavoured sweets with no actual wine in them. A British classic.
British Crisps (What Americans Call Chips)
14. Walkers Prawn Cocktail — Prawn cocktail-flavoured crisps. Sounds strange, tastes incredible.
15. Walkers Cheese & Onion — The most popular crisp flavour in Britain. The blue bag (not the green one — that's Salt & Vinegar).
16. Tyrrell's Crisps — Thick-cut, hand-cooked crisps from Herefordshire. The poshest crisps in Britain.
17. Quavers — Light, airy cheese-flavoured corn snacks. Irresistibly light.
British Sweets (What Americans Call Candy)
18. Haribo Starmix — British Haribo is slightly different from American Haribo. The Starmix includes cola bottles, fried eggs, and heart-shaped gummies.
19. Rowntree's Fruit Pastilles — Chewy, fruit-flavoured sweets with a sugar coating. A British institution since 1881.
20. Sherbet Lemons — Hard lemon-flavoured sweets with a sherbet centre. A classic British sweet shop staple.
British Drinks and Spreads
21. Yorkshire Tea — The most popular tea in Britain. Stronger and more robust than most American teas.
22. Ribena — A blackcurrant cordial that is diluted with water. The taste of British childhood.
23. Marmite — A yeast extract spread that you either love or hate (the brand's own slogan). Spread thinly on buttered toast, it's extraordinary.
24. Lemon Curd — A thick, tangy spread made from lemons, eggs, butter, and sugar. Perfect on toast or scones.
25. Clotted Cream — The essential accompaniment to a proper British cream tea. Rich, thick, and utterly indulgent.
How to Try All 25 Without Flying to London
The easiest way to try authentic British snacks in the USA is with a LondonPop Box subscription. Every month, we hand-pick 6–8 authentic British products — including many of the snacks on this list — and ship them directly from London to anywhere in the USA. It's the best way to explore British food without leaving home.