Unique British Souvenir ideas

We brought home several different decorated canvas tote style bags from various places we visited. Notting Hill market had a great selection as well as most of the other attractions. They are light, pack easily and with so many of us trying to help the earth by reducing our usage of plastic bags, we thought they were a great option. We had many nice responses from the folks we have given them to!

Paddington Bear products. Ideally made in the UK.

Dish towels….tea….frig magnets from WAbbey……canvas grocery bags from Whole Foods that were honoring Charles’ coronation.,

Key chains; crowns, bobbie hats, union jacks, double decker red buses, black cabs, red phone booths, Paddington Bears. Practical and readily available.

Walker Shortbread tins or a box of shortbread.

Tea Towels and Teas tins. I use my Elizabeth Tower tin for holding tea bags. My friend uses the red phone box one I gave her to keep coinage.

Museum gift shops are good places to find all kinds of attractive gifts. I bought myself a potholder the other day; lightweight, unbreakable and practical.

Some children like foreign coins, and you don't even have to shop for those.

And if they like candy or chocolate you can get some really pretty tins at Fortnum and Mason. Also pretty mugs and tea sets.

For Jane Austen fans a 10 pound note with Jane on one side and the Queen on the other. Makes a great bookmark! Not sure if these are still available since Charles is the King now.

Another vote for Fortnum & Mason - not only chocolates, but also nice teas and coffees, biscuits and marzipan.

Also nice is Liberty - branded reusable bags, as well as Liberty print fabrics and related items.

Chocolates - Charbonnel et Walker is great.
Tea- Whittard is a personal favourite.

Leather goods - Aspinal, and Smythson (also does nice stationery). Although more expensive, smaller items like diaries, card holders etc make nice gifts.

When I was in York this past May, I got myself the cutest coronation pajamas at Marks and Spencer. I believe it was Emily from Vienna who mentioned on a previous post that she likes to shop and Marks and Spencer for pajamas. So, she gave me the idea to look there. It’s a great department store.

We always look for something that really mentions the place we have been - so for London maybe a Big Ben or a Tower Bridge small model.

Commemorative tea or biscuit tins.

Check out the gift shops in any NT or English Heritage places you visit. They often have some nice gifts.

We always look for lens cloths and fridge magnets from the gift shops of the places we've visited during our stay. This past trip in June, we also bought eye glass cases.

These are great ideas! I'd been thinking Chocolates that are only found in UK. Anyone know these. I was also thinking of cookies or bisquits too. & I love the tote bag idea! Thank you everyone! I'm adding these and other ideas to my list!

I had some very tasty truffles from Monty Bojangles; found them in Sainsbury's. Chocolate hedgehogs might be fun for children. I used to buy them at the chocolate shop in the Princes Arcade -- can't remember the name and it may not even be there anymore. My very favorite chocolate-adjacent souvenir is a box of cocoa-dusted almonds from Harrods. Oh, and Lion bars!

Two of my best souvenirs were "bags for life" from Tesco in Oban. One of the Star Wars movies was about to be or had recently been released, so the bags have the OG cast on one and the newer cast (Finn, Rey, BB-8) on the other. I always get comments from baggers at the grocery store about them. "Where did you get these?" "Scotland!" And then they look at me like I have two heads ...

My favorite souvenir gifts are those from museum shops (and places like wasleys suggested) and food shops. People always love that stuff.

Tea towels. I was just in England last month and tea towels were everywhere, many very nice. I must have brought back at least half a dozen from various places.

Coins and stamps

Something from one of Britain's big porcelain/pottery companies like Wedgwood, Royal Doulton, Royal Crown Derby

Tea. Honestly, unless you drink your tea the British way, i.e. with milk and sugar, then I don't find most British tea to be that great. But for basic black tea, earl grey, and chamomile, then it's typically pretty good. Try Whittard's of Chelsea (not just in Chelsea), the original Twinings on the Strand, or Fortnum & Mason.

Soccer (football) team hats, shirts, scarves, etc.

Pub coasters. Getting harder to find, but if you do, it's a great, typically free souvenir.

Jellycat stuffed animals. I doubt these are actually made in Britain, but they are cute if you are getting something for kids.

The London Transport Museum shop for anything and everything with the Underground map on it.

Most of what has been mentioned can be found in charity shops at lower prices or in normal supermarkets and department stores.
Local shops are also very good for finding other uniquely British bits and bobs, many of which would surely make a nice souvenir.

I was at an open air market in Salisbury on one trip and there were boxes and boxes of teacups. They were quite cheap. I bought a few of those to take home. They all had roosters on them. I guess the idea is waking up in the morning with your tea? The problem would be packing them well enough to get them home safe.