These are the food and drink items Brits who live abroad miss the most - could you live without them?

Marmite was the third most popular UK foodstuff with British expats (Photo: Shutterstock)Marmite was the third most popular UK foodstuff with British expats (Photo: Shutterstock)
Marmite was the third most popular UK foodstuff with British expats (Photo: Shutterstock)

Tea, chocolate and Marmite have topped a list of food and drinks British expats couldn’t live without.

Also among the most-loved food and beverage items are crumpets, Heinz salad cream and Irn-Bru. Other items missed by those living overseas include bacon, mustard and Twiglets.

The British dessert staple, custard, also made the top 30, along with marmalade, scones and malt vinegar.

Tennent's and Whiskas among the most missed brands

Commissioned by grocery delivery company, British Corner Shop, the poll of almost 1,000 expats found more than two thirds named British food as the thing they miss most from home, outside of family and friends.

The study also revealed some of the more unusual items missed by those who have moved away, with one expat longing for pressed cod roe. Another lamented they weren’t able to get hold of Tennent’s Lager.

One said they were happy with all the foodstuffs they were able to get - but their cat was missing Whiskas Crunch.

Forty-eight per cent said they feel excited when they see products from home in their local area.

Others even went as far to say they felt relieved (17 per cent) and nostalgic about home (21 per cent).

More than half miss British humour

It also emerged 52 per cent of expats have a hankering for a traditional British pub.

Another four in 10 miss the sight of the rolling hills of the British countryside, while more than half long for the classic British humour.

The study also explored why those polled left the UK - three in 10 moved away to accept a new job. A fifth were attracted by the lifestyle overseas, around one in 20 wanted a new adventure and three in 10 left so they could enjoy better weather.

The top 30 food and drink items expats miss

1. Tea2. Chocolate3. Marmite4. Gravy5. Biscuits6. Crisps7. Beans8. Bacon9. Pies10. Cereal11. Pickle12. Sausages13. Crumpets14. Squash15. Cheese16. Bread17. Bovril18. Mustard19. Cake20. Salad Cream21. Sweets22. Soup23. Marmalade24. Irn-Bru25. Beer26. Custard27. Malt Vinegar28. Scones29. Fish & Chips30. Twiglets

Alex Kortland, communications manager at British Corner Shop, said, “Moving abroad can be tremendously exciting. But often it’s only once you’ve settled somewhere else, that you realise there are certain things which are much harder to get hold of.

“They may seem small and insignificant but sometimes you want that little taste of home with your favourite food or drink.

"Short of making extra visits to the UK, or forcing guests to bring jar after jar of Marmite out with them, we’ve been helping Brits satisfy their cravings for the foods they love from Britain for over 20 years.”

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