Gifts from US to British friends - staying with them

Nancy, that’s such a nice idea. Our friends in Ireland and in the London area enjoy See’s candy. We carry on, so it’s easy to find room for a few half-pound or pound boxes…we know they appreciate it because we have requests for certain “nuts and chews”!

For me it would have been Trader Joe's Adjika seasoning but alas it's been discontinued and it is rather niche. Failing that a nice bottle of wine that showcases some of the excellent wines produced in the US. Other than that I'm not impressed with much of the food that's widely available in the US (I know there are some excellent "artisan" products).

Perhaps a small bottle of East Coast Maple syrup? Oregon is known for its Pinot Noir wine but I'm sure there are other good ones as well.

https://www.erath.com/

https://www.willamettewines.com/about-the-valley/oregon-pinot-noir/

I would not bring any gifts as it is hard enough packing your clothes etc. into cases to start with.

Personally, my favourite things to bring back from the US are chex mix and goldfish crackers. We don't have any snacks like that over here.

Treat them to dinner at their favorite 'splurge' restaurant?

You won't have to figure out how to pack 'something' and no worry about 'will they like it"

Cat VH: have you checked Partidge’s? ;-)

I know the Duke of York Square location is closed, but there’s one off of Sloane Square, I think. No more than a week before the Duke of York Square store closed I saw they still had that whole section of imported American snacks - including bags of goldfish! (The real American ones, with all the terrible stuff like dough conditioners and preservatives.)

OP: If your local area has a specialty (like sorghum in Iowa, or wild hot sauces from Louisiana, or, as mentioned, See’s candies) it might be a safe bet for something your friends can’t get in the UK. And then you’d have a little space in your luggage, once the gift has been given, to bring yourself something back!

Volva, many thanks for this recommendation- I was not aware of this shop but I can see on the website they have a lot of my favourites- including hard pretzels which are hard to find here- much appreciated!

Treat them to dinner at their favorite 'splurge' restaurant?

That's what I did when I stayed with friends in Liverpool last year for 3 days, and I know they really loved the meal. We went to one of their favorite restaurants in Wales and had a great time. You always run a risk with bringing gifts.

My BFF brought us a box of See’s as a gift last year. We live in southern France. I don’t know if it’s changed or we’ve changed but my husband and I found it cloyingly sweet. I may have tossed the rest after they left.

Assuming they’re British, just bring a small handcrafted thing from an art fair and then take them out to dinner. Or a book about your region and dinner.

If they are American, the only thing I ever want is Lawry’s seasoning salt, Saran Wrap and Heavy Duty Aluminium foil.

I agree with Elizabeth about See's. The chocolates they can get in UK are generally much higher quality than what we get. If you have a local artisan chocolate shop, then by all means, bring some of their wares. Texas has loads of local specialties. I know that bottled BBQ sauce is probably frowned upon, but that's an option if you're checking a bag.
You don't say whether you are stopping there first, last or in the middle of your trip. If it's not your first stop, another option is to gather up some nice meats, cheeses, booze, etc., along the way to share for happy hour or lunch in their garden or on an outing together.

Texas wildflower tea towels, fridge magnet, oven mitt.
Texas wine.

Signed,
A Native Texan