Food & Drink for Expats in the UK
From recipe box deliveries and dining discount memberships to the finest British teas and wines — discover the best food and drink services to help you settle into UK life.
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Handpicked recipe boxes, dining clubs, tea specialists, wine retailers and meal kit services to make eating well in the UK simple from day one.
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The UK's most popular recipe box service — choose from 75+ weekly recipes, get perfectly portioned ingredients delivered to your door, and cook restaurant-quality meals at home with no food waste.
The UK's top-rated healthy recipe box on Trustpilot — gluten-free, nutritionist-approved meals with high-welfare British ingredients, delivered fresh each week with no long-term commitment.
Flavour-packed recipe kits that send you the sauces, spice blends and step-by-step recipe cards — you just add the fresh ingredients from any supermarket. A great introduction to British home cooking.
One of the UK's leading dining discount clubs — members save up to 50% off food and 25% off the total bill including drinks at over 6,500 restaurants nationwide, plus cinema and days out discounts.
Britain's most iconic tea brand, brewing exceptional teas since 1706. The online Teashop stocks 200+ teas from around the world alongside stylish gifts, accessories and subscription options.
The UK's largest specialist wine retailer with over 200 stores and 1,000+ trained staff — offering an unmatched range of wines, beers and spirits with free delivery on orders of six bottles or more.
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Eating & Drinking Well in the UK
Food is one of the first things new arrivals notice about the UK — and it tends to surprise people. British supermarkets are genuinely excellent, the restaurant scene in major cities rivals anywhere in the world, and the country's food culture has evolved dramatically over the past two decades. Getting to grips with it quickly makes a real difference to how at home you feel.
Recipe box services like Gousto and Mindful Chef are particularly well-suited to new arrivals. They remove the uncertainty of navigating unfamiliar supermarket layouts and ingredient brands, and introduce you to British cooking staples at your own pace. Mindful Chef skews healthier with high-welfare British produce; Gousto offers more variety with 75+ recipes each week and flexible portion sizes.
If you prefer cooking from scratch but want flavour inspiration, SimplyCook takes a different approach — sending concentrated sauces and spice kits that you combine with fresh ingredients from any local supermarket. It's a low-commitment way to broaden your repertoire without a full weekly subscription.
For eating out, the Gourmet Society membership pays for itself after just a couple of restaurant visits. With 50% off food at over 6,500 UK restaurants, it's one of the most practical discount cards an expat can carry — particularly in the first year when you're still discovering your local area.
Tea is of course central to British culture, and Twinings — whose London shop has been open since 1706 — offers the most comprehensive online tea range in the country. For wine, Majestic is the go-to for quality without pretension: knowledgeable staff, competitive pricing, and stores in most major towns and cities.
Food & Drink — FAQ
For many new arrivals, yes. Recipe box services solve a specific problem: you don't yet know where to shop, which brands to trust, or how British cooking staples differ from what you're used to. Services like Gousto and Mindful Chef deliver pre-portioned ingredients with clear step-by-step instructions, removing the guesswork entirely. Most offer a heavily discounted trial box, so the cost of trying one is low.
The UK restaurant scene — particularly in London, Manchester, Edinburgh and other major cities — is genuinely world-class and extremely diverse. Prices at mid-range restaurants tend to be higher than in much of Europe or Asia, but comparable to North America. Tipping culture exists but is less rigid than in the US — 10 to 12.5% is typical for good service, often added automatically as a service charge. Many restaurants now add this automatically, so it's worth checking your bill before adding more.
Yes, genuinely. The UK drinks approximately 100 million cups of tea per day and tea remains the go-to social lubricant in workplaces, homes and social situations. Being offered a cup of tea is one of the most common acts of British hospitality. The default is builder's tea — strong black tea with milk — but specialist tea culture has grown considerably, with independent tea rooms, loose-leaf specialists and premium blends widely available.
Supermarkets cover everyday wine well at competitive prices — Waitrose, Marks & Spencer and Sainsbury's are generally considered the strongest for quality. For a broader range with expert guidance, specialist retailers like Majestic Wine (200+ UK stores) offer a much better selection with staff who can make genuine recommendations. Online merchants including The Whisky Exchange and Naked Wines are strong for discovery and often offer better value on premium bottles.
Beyond the obvious full English breakfast, a few things are worth trying early: a proper Cornish pasty, a Sunday roast with all the trimmings, fish and chips from a good chippy, a ploughman's lunch, Scotch eggs, and a decent pork pie. For sweets, sticky toffee pudding, Eton mess and a proper Victoria sponge are British classics. The UK also has a strong craft beer scene and some excellent regional cheeses — Stilton, Cheddar, Red Leicester and Wensleydale are all worth exploring.
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