In 2016 I moved to London to get my Master’s degree, and I also spent my first Thanksgiving outside of the USA! I was lucky, and most of my family traveled to visit me in London so that we could have a big Thanksgiving dinner together. I absolutely loved Thanksgiving in London; and we were able to find everything we needed for a perfect “American” Thanksgiving. Keep reading for my 5 tips for spending Thanksgiving in the U.K!
1: Don’t worry about the turkey
Surprisingly (or maybe not), it’s super easy to find turkeys in many grocery stores around Thanksgiving time! We were able to pick one up at Sainsbury’s without ordering ahead.
Additionally, Borough Market is a fantastic location to find Thanksgiving food. They have fresh produce as well as yummy holiday desserts. We also picked up a fresh turkey at the market the day before Thanksgiving and it was perfect.
2: Bring some traditional foods in your checked bag
In U.K. grocery stores you’ll be able to find almost everything you need for your American Thanksgiving dinner. However, some items are more difficult to find, and can pretty expensive. The food items I had trouble locating include: cranberry sauce, canned pumpkin and stuffing mix. You can order these on Amazon in London, but I found that canned pumpkin was around £5-£10 a can.
If cranberry sauce, canned pumpkin and stuffing mix are essential to your Thanksgiving dinner, I recommend bringing them from home. Otherwise, be prepared to search for alternatives or pay a premium price.
3: Check the size of your oven
I lived in a student apartment and my oven was not large enough to fit a turkey. It definitely would have fit a chicken though, so that could have been a fine substitute. Depending on the size of your apartment/home, your oven may be too small for a large turkey
Luckily, I spent Thanksgiving in an AirBnb with my family, and the oven was big enough for a large turkey!
4: Invite others to join you
I was lucky because my family came to visit for Thanksgiving, but many Americans abroad will be spending the holiday alone, or having a Friendsgiving. I always like to extend an open invitation to others, so they have a place to celebrate.
Additionally, much of my English family joined in on the celebration, traveling from the Isle of Wight to join our Thanksgiving in London!
5: Black Friday still exists!
This is more of a fact than a tip, but you don’t need to worry about missing out on Black Friday. Many stores in the U.K. also offer great discounts and deals the day after Thanksgiving! In my opinion Black Friday in London is better than in the U.S., because it’s not so crazy busy.
Overall, I highly recommend spending Thanksgiving in London. I was a student during my Thanksgiving abroad, but I would absolutely plan another trip to London over Thanksgiving!
Thanks so much for reading! For more posts about London, click here!
You forgot to invite me🙁
You were most definitely invited!
Hope everyone is having a safe Thanksgiving in the UK!
Aw glad you were able to recreate Thanksgiving in the UK and useful tips for anyone far away from home! As a Brit I have never experienced a thanksgiving dinner but I hope that one day I will with some of my American friends!
Recreating holidays abroad is a thing I have to do too as a Brit living in Canada. I get my parents to send over some of the essentials too. It’s the little things that remind you at home
So fasinating! I wouldn’t have known about any of these things. Although the oven tip is a great one to consider. Everything is just tiny in the UK!
Best Thanksgiving ever!