When I moved to Ireland, I packed a can of Ocean Spray cranberry sauce in my suitcase because I was uncertain I would find it in Ireland. I also brought a can of black beans for my husband’s amazing burritos and a few ranch salad dressing packets. There are many things I took for granted and didn’t think to pack. After over three years of life across the pond, I still cherish my American flavorites – you know, the favorite flavors that help make a dish a bit comforting and totally a favorite. Yes, I made the word up just now.
I have compiled this long and, hopefully, thorough list of all the American ingredients I’ve found over here and where they are available. Most stores are online or in Cork City, where I’m based, a few are elsewhere in Ireland and Europe. If you know of another source for these items, please comment so the link can be added. In general, these are the most popular sources for American food abroad:
KitchenCookware.ie, aka Market 57 in Westport, Co. Mayo
The Country Market, Howth, Co. Dublin
Now on to a list of favorites and where to find them in Ireland and the UK…
SPICES & SAUCES
Old Bay Seasoning, 170-gram tin, £5.47 on Amazon.co.uk
Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing bottles and mixes from Amazon.co.uk
Newman’s Own Bottled Ranch Dressing from Tesco
McEnnedy’s Ranch Dressing from Lidl
Stubbs Mesquite Liquid Smoke, 148ml bottle, £3.47 from American Soda
Stubbs Chile Lime Spice Rub, 99-gram container, £3.47 from Amazon.co.uk
Stubb’s Sauces, Rubs, Marinades, and Seasonings from Amazon.co.uk
Anchor Bar’s Buffalo Wing Sauce (they invented the Buffalo Wing evidently) from Amazon.co.uk
Frank’s Red Hot Buffalo Sauce from SuperValu, Dunnes, and Amazon.co.uk
Assorted Buffalo Wing Sauces from Amazon.co.uk
Pace Salsa Medium Heat, 1.81-kilo container, £7.97 from American Soda
Newman’s Own Sticky BBQ Sauce from Tesco and Dunnes
Tabasco Chipotle Sauce, 57 ml, 12-Pack for £23.28 from Amazon.co.uk
Canadian Maple Syrup from Mr. Bell’s in the English Market, Dunnes Stores (BEST PRICE), Tesco, Quay Co-op, or Market 57’s online shop KitchenCookware.ie
Vermont Maple Syrup from £16.25 on Amazon.co.uk
Aunt Jemima Original Syrup from Amazon.co.uk
Hershey’s Chocolate and Strawberry Syrups, various sizes and forms available from Amazon.co.uk
DRINKS & DRINK MIXES
Country Time Pink Lemonade, 538-gram container, £6.95 from Patridges or £6.97 from Amazon.co.uk
Country Time Classic Lemonade, 538-gram container, £6.95 from Partridges or £6.97 from American Soda
Hershey’s Chocolate Syrup, various sizes and forms available fromAmazon.co.uk
Kool-Aid Drink Mixes, various flavors from Amazon.co.uk
Irn-Bru from Amazon.co.uk
Cherry Coca-Cola from Amazon.co.uk
Dr. Pepper Soda from Amazon.co.uk
Mountain Dew from Amazon.co.uk
Ginger Ale from Amazon.co.uk
Root Beer Sodas in various brands, including A&W, MUG, Barq’s, IBC, and Stewart’s, are available from Amazon.co.uk
Cream Soda various brands, including Ben Shaws, A&W, and Barr’s, available from Amazon.co.uk
BREAKFAST
Pop Tarts, almost all flavors from Amazon.co.uk
Lucky Charms Cereal, £4.47/box from Amazon.co.uk
Kashi, from Amazon.co.uk
Captain Crunch Cereal, Amazon.co.uk
Quaker Instant Grits, £4.97 from Amazon.co.uk
Kellogg’s Apple Jacks Cereal, three 481-gram boxes, £20.97
Kellogg’s Bite Size Frosted Mini Wheats Cereal, £9.97
Golden Grahams, Tesco in Nenagh (Co. Tipp.)
Aunt Jemima Original Pancake Mix from Amazon.co.uk
Vermont Maple Syrup from £16.25 on Amazon.co.uk
Canadian Maple Syrup from Mr. Bell’s in the English Market, Dunnes Stores (BEST PRICE), Tesco, Quay Co-op, or Market 57’s online shop KitchenCookware.ie
Aunt Jemima Original Syrup from Amazon.co.uk
SANDWICH SPREADS, FILLINGS & SIDES
Marshmallow Fluff, Marshmallow Fluff
Welch’s Grape Jelly, 510-gram jars (Pack of 6), £23.94 from Amazon.co.uk
JIF Extra Crunchy Peanut Butter, 510-gram jar is £4.69
JIF Creamy Peanut Butter, 510-gram jar is £4.69
Vlasic Kosher Dill Pickles, from £4.47 on Amazon.co.uk
DINNER
Kraft Macaroni & Cheese (Blue Box) from Amazon.co.uk (£11.14/12 boxes or £2.67/single box)
Campbell’s Cream Of Mushroom, 300 gram can, 3-Pack for £6.89 from Amazon.co.uk
French Fried Onions, 79-gram container, £3.77 from American Soda
Elbow Macaroni, €1.05 from Mr. Bell’s in the English Market and occasionally at Lidl
JEWISH & KOSHER
Barkat Matzo Crackers which you can crumble to make your own matzah meal for Matzah Ball Soup, £6.40 from Amazon.co.uk
Bramwells Pickled Gherkins, about €2 from Aldi
Vlasic Kosher Dill Pickles, from £4.47 on Amazon.co.uk
BAKING & DESSERT
Libby’s Pumpkin Puree, £2.25 from Partridges, 425-gram can for £2.75 from American Food Direct
Danival Organic Pumpkin Puree, 500-gram jar, €4.24 from Cork’s Quay Co-op or £4.00 from GoodnessDirect.co.uk
Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix, 240-gram box, £1.15 from Amazon.co.uk
or £1.15 from Partridges.
Crisco, available from Kirkland bulk 1.8-kilo jar for £22.78
Aunt Jemima Corn Bread Mix, 283-gram box, £2.95 from Partridges or £3.25 from Amazon.co.uk
Apple sauce from Cork’s Quay Co-op
MEXICAN & SOUTHWESTERN
Moving to Ireland from California makes me keenly aware of the lack of authentic Mexican cuisine and ingredients, but with some ingenuity and a big of home gardening, you too can have half-decent burritos on your plate.
Stubbs Mesquite Liquid Smoke, 148ml bottle, £3.47 from American Soda
Stubbs Chile Lime Spice Rub, 99-gram container, £3.47 from Amazon.co.uk
Stubb’s Sauces, Rubs, Marinades, and Seasonings from Amazon.co.uk
Anchor Bar’s Buffalo Wing Sauce (they invented the Buffalo Wing evidently) from Amazon.co.uk
Frank’s Red Hot Buffalo Sauce from SuperValu, Dunnes, and Amazon.co.uk
Assorted Buffalo Wing Sauces from Amazon.co.uk
Tomatillo Seeds, 25 seeds for £0.99 from Amazon.co.uk
Seasoned Pioneers Chipotle Chillies, 18-gram, 6-Pack for £14.00 from Amazon.co.uk
Pace Salsa Medium Heat, 1.81-kilo container, £7.97 from American Soda
Newman’s Own Sticky BBQ Sauce from Tesco
Tabasco Chipotle Sauce, 57 ml, 12-Pack for £23.28 from Amazon.co.uk
Various Sauces, Ingredients, and Seasonings at Marks & Spencer
Whole Smokey Chipotle, 50-gram bag for £2.55 from Chilli Pepper Pete
SNACK FOOD & CANDY
Red Vines, 1.8-kilo tub for £12.27 from Amazon.co.uk
Twizzlers Straws, 180-Pack Tub for £9.69 from Amazon.co.uk
Fritos Corn Chips, various sizes starting at £0.69 from Amazon.co.uk
Triscuit Crackers from £5.95 from American Food Direct
Chips Ahoy Cookies, Amazon.co.uk
Wrigley’s Big Red, 65-gram package, £2.59 from South African Foods
Big Red, Trident, and Dentyne Cinnamon Gum from Amazon.co.uk
Jelly Belly Jelly Beans in various sizes (including Kirkland bulk 1.8-kilo jar for £22.78) starting from £1.25 from Amazon.co.uk
Cheez-It Crackers from Amazon.co.uk
Snyder’s of Hanover Pretzels, various sizes, styles, and flavors from Amazon.co.uk
Finz! Crackers (aka Goldfish) from Asda
Goldfish Crackers from The Country Market, Howth (Co. Dublin)
Keebler Crackers and Cookies, Amazon.co.uk
Butterfinger, 59.5-gram bar, Single bar for £1.07 from American Soda
Other Butterfinger options from Amazon.co.uk
Nerds, €2 at The Happy Pill in Dublin or 170-gram pack for £2.89 from Amazon.co.uk or at Auntie Nell’s Old-Fashioned Sweet Shop on North Main Street in Cork City
Reese’s Pieces, available at Auntie Nell’s Old-Fashioned Sweet Shop on North Main Street in Cork City
Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, Single 3-Pack is €1.40 from Market 57 in County Mayo and their website, KitchenCookware.ie, 10 3-Packs are £8.41 from Amazon.co.uk, and sometimes available at Auntie Nell’s Old-Fashioned Sweet Shop on North Main Street in Cork City, Dunnes, Cork’s English Market, Burren Smokehouse Visitor Centre in Lisdoonvarna (Co. Clare), and Auntie Nell’s Sweet Shop on North Main Street in Cork City. Other Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup variations are available from Amazon.co.uk
New York Style Bagel Crisps starting at £8.69 for a three-pack
Sathers Cinnamon Bears, 12-Pack for £7.69 from Amazon.co.uk
Dots, 64-gram box, £1.09 from Amazon.co.uk
CRANBERRY SAUCE
I wrote a blog post comparing the main brands available jarred in Ireland which offers taste description and information on how much cranberry is actually in each. But here’s where you can buy the bog berries in sauce form:
Ballymaloe House, 310-gram jar, €3.19 from Tesco
Cottage Delight Luxury Cranberry Sauce, 260-gram jar, £5.20 from Amazon.co.uk
Darlinton’s Cranberry Sauce, jar, £1.99 from Amazon.co.uk
Hawkshead Relish Cranberry Sauce, 200-gram jar, £2.80 from Amazon.co.uk
Janet’s Country Fayre, 180-gram jar, €3.91 from Cork’s Quay Co-op
M&S Cranberry Sauce, 310-gram jar, €1.89 from Marks & Spencer
Mackays Cranberry Sauce, 227-gram jar, 6-Pack for £8.50 from Amazon.co.uk
Meridian Organic Cranberry Sauce, 284-gram jar, £2.29 from GoodnessDirect.co.uk
Natural Cool Frozen Organic Cranberries, 300-gram bag, £2.77 from GoodnessDirect.co.uk
Ocean Spray Wholeberry, 350-gram jar, €1.99 from Tesco
Ocean Spray Cranberry Sauce Whole, 450-gram can, 3-Pack for £8.69 from Amazon.co.uk
Ocean Spray Cranberry Sauce Jellied, 450-gram can, 3-Pack for £8.59 from Amazon.co.uk
Real Organic Foods Company Cranberry Sauce, 310-gram jar, £4.95 from GoodnessDirect.co.uk
Tesco Brand, 200-gram jar, €0.99 from Tesco
Tesco’s Finest, 200-gram jar, €1.64 from Tesco
Tracklements Cranberry and Port Sauce, 250-gram jar, £2.99 from British Corner Shop
You have to remind me why we have utterly failed to get together for tea. I think we need to arrange a Tex-Mex potluck extravaganza somewhere — and soon!
It’s definitely worth checking out the local African or Brazilian shop. My son just got a tip from a friend that there is Masa Harina in our local Brazilian shop, so hopefully will be making homemade tortillas this weekend. Things are so much better now in Ireland regarding ethnic food. When I moved here 13 years ago there was nothing, not even Old El Paso!
Hello and thank you for including American Food and More Store (www.americanfood.ie) on your list of American food sources in Ireland. I hope that the readers of your blog will give us a try. Our prices are very competitive (and in euro) and we are based in Dublin and serve Ireland. I’m American and I have lived in Ireland for over a decade. Best wishes, Jane
Heya,
Stunning post 😉
Centra are now carrying the Hershy’s syrups too.
Also Aldi get in Peanut Butter Cups (3 pk) Reese’s Pieces & Nutragous. There is a shop on the Western Road in Cork that have Reese’s and Hershy Bars…
Lidl with the bakeries have Giant Pretzle’s too (SIMILAR to the ones I got from Street Venders in NY)
I have started seeing Mountain Dew about.. Not sure if its the real deal though 😉
Dr. Peppers in The Topaz’s Garages and Tesco (sometimes)
Irn Bru in Tesco too..
You’d never guess my dads best friend is American.. All the treats 😉 😉
Tori
The Supervalu in Churchtown/Dundrum has an entire Jewish food section. Matzah ball soup!
This is an amazing list. I can not wait to order some of this stuff! I’ve been having friends send over a few items 🙂 This will be much less expensive, I wager.
Thanks so much for publishing this! I’ve been in Ireland (Co. Cork) since December and I’m still looking for various items that I am missing from home. Until now I’ve been relying on family and friends that have come to visit from Texas to bring me a few things, but now I can get some of them myself! Thanks again!!
Your list is comprehensive. I didn’t know some of these shops even existed. I tend to bring things back myself or have friends bring things as well.
One major thing that I am missing is ricepaper. I want to make fresh thai spring rolls and can’t. I’ve tried to make my own ricepaper, but it just hasn’t worked out right.
JC’s in Swords has Dr. Pepper all the time and Lucky Charms for 2.99 euro. I’m trying to get them to order in Rootbeer as part of their regular stock as well.
Thank you for all of your hard work.
http://www.americanfood.ie
Has a great selection of American foods, also carries the real “beef jerky”
I think you forgot about : http://www.americangrocery.co.uk/
I buy my fruit loops from there!
Is there a way that I can find out how high the demand is for American food in Ireland?
I’m not sure if there is a way other than good old-fashioned market research. There are a few devoted Facebook groups for Americans in Ireland.
I am happy that you simply shared this useful information.
Your posts provided me with valuable information. Most grateful.
Very nice post. I just stumbled upon your blog and wanted to mention that I have really loved browsing your posts.
I can not find your e-mail subscription link or e-newsletter service. Do you have any? I want to subscribe. Thanks.
Hello,
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Wow, awesome weblog format! How long have you ever been running a blog for? you make blogging glance easy. The whole look of your web site is great, let alone the content material!
Thanks, Sweets. I just started this blog in July 2011 but in the future will be adding older content from my other three blogs here so check back for more delicious posts.
Does your website have a contact page? I’m having trouble locating it but, I’d like to shoot you an email. Either way, great blog and I look forward to seeing it grow over time.
Hi Abel, yes there is a contact page. Looking forward to hearing from you.
I had no idea that “some” American food was in such demand, espcially Kraft Macaroni and Cheese. I had to laugh a little at the fact that someone called Kraft Macaroni and Cheese “orange”. I never thought of it that way, I guess, but because of the “powdered cheese”, if you will, that’s what makes it orange. It is definitely a popular dish, especially for children. I could live off a box a day as long as my waistline would stay small. I live in America, actually, right in middle America, the state I’m from is Oklahoma, directly above Texas! I have read a lot from this blog regarding Texas chili, but really it’s a matter of taste. Texans make chili basically the same way everyone else does except they cook theirs for at least 3-6 hours. That’s the best kind because it allows all the spices to marinate together. If anyone is looking for a good chili recipe, please let me know because I will certainly give it to you. However, it may be difficult for you to find the seasoning unless Amazon.com carries it. How ironic that I’m on the internet searching for Irish food and I come across your blog on how to find American products. I just wish some of your meat markets could deliver some your sausages and cheeses. I do have one question and that’s in regard to some bread I saw posted on Food Ireland.com called Brennan’s Bread. Is this really a good bread to buy. What about your butter? What’s the best to get if I place an order?
Hey there! Do you use Twitter? I’d like to follow you if that would be okay. I’m absolutely enjoying your blog and look forward to new posts.
Yes, I’m @FreckledPast on Twitter (and also on Ravelry).
Wow that was unusual. I just wrote an really long comment but after I clicked submit my comment didn’t appear. Grrrr… well I’m not writing all that over again. Anyway, just wanted to say superb blog!
So frustrating, Jordan. Happens to me sometimes too. Thanks for visiting and commenting again.
We absolutely love your blog and find almost all of your post’s to be exactly what I’m looking for. Awesome web site!
Thanks, Bailey!