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Posted at 1:45PM, 16 February 2011 by Stuart Walton - Food and wine writer

The public froth that was whipped up a few years ago when Heinz announced it was going to discontinue producing its Salad Cream showed that the British still retain an unshakable affection for certain heritage food brands - enough in that case to get the decision reversed. It's not as though there isn't more competition out there than ever. As Homer Simpson rapturously says as he walks into the local megamarket, 'They have so many things! And so many different things of things!'

Anybody's list of the nation's favourites (not necessarily the biggest sellers, but the ones we feel fondest about) usually includes: Heinz baked beans, HP Sauce, Colman's English Mustard, Hellman's Mayonnaise, Branston Pickle, Frank Cooper's Oxford Marmalade, Lea & Perrin's Worcestershire Sauce, Kellogg's Cornflakes, Cadbury's Dairy Milk, Walkers Crisps, Polo Mints, and of course Satan's goop itself, Marmite.

These are mostly not British brands any longer, and in some cases never were, but they have become part of the nation's psyche to an extent that many shoppers won't entertain rival or own-brand products, even where they are cheaper (and even where they may well have been made by the original brand). They are the products that online retailers sell to homesick Brits living overseas, a reminder that in every sun-kissed foreign field, there is a rain-soaked corner that is forever Britain.

Other nations find these preferences rather fascinating. An American website explains to its visitors in anthropological terms that Brits have a peculiar attachment to products like Birds Custard Powder, which (who knew?) bears little resemblance to real French crème anglaise, and Oxo cubes, which we are told no self-respecting chef would give kitchen space to. (This from the nation that invented aerosol cheese.)

Nearly all the favoured brands are guilty-pleasure items

And here is the point about many of the favoured brands. They are nearly all guilty-pleasure items, or products that are pale imitations of the real thing. Cornstarch is an essential building-block in many of them. Our chocolate is mostly vegetable fat. We actually eat spreadable yeast. We know how to make proper crème anglaise, but look, the clue is in the name. It's anglaise. We invented it. So if we want to use an instant powder for quickness, we will do. And we won't even ask permission.

The other thing that strikes me about these lists is how many of the products are relishes or condiments or things to spread on toast. They are historically what we added to our basic food to make it taste of something stronger, whether salty, sweet or just pungently weird. Hot crisp toast is the ultimate comfort food, but even more so if its blandness is offset by being slathered with something more than just butter.

Remember, these are only the brands that we will admit to loving. There are others of more recent vintage whose names people dare not speak in surveys. Any votes for Pot Noodle? Or Peperami sticks? Krispy Kreme doughnuts? What other food brands could you not bear to live without?

Comments

KatyH

16 February 2011, 4:19PM
KatyH

But what about Tate and Lyle golden syrup?

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musther

16 February 2011, 7:17PM
musther

And twiglets

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casperdeum

16 February 2011, 9:08PM
casperdeum

Please can we have the original powdered Bisto back. The new granules are the not a patch on the old style Bisto and are a nightmare to prepare.

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busylizzie

17 February 2011, 2:14PM
busylizzie

Tinned mandarin oranges in orange jelly with evaporated milk. Straight back to childhood!!

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Big June

17 February 2011, 6:15PM
Big June

HP Brown Sauce. Is there anything else?

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Roberta

18 February 2011, 4:16PM
Roberta

Have always loved Marmite and Twiglets (original), cheese triangles, Horseradish sauce, Fruit and Nut and Smarties (the orange ones) AND I live abroad ...

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poppysuze

19 February 2011, 6:20AM
poppysuze

I have always loved Marmite, baked beans (not together . . .), cream crackers and mint sauce, going back to my childhood definitely tinned peaches and evaporated milk!

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Alpha-foxtrot

19 February 2011, 4:10PM
Alpha-foxtrot

For me you just can't go wrong with Bird's Custard Powder. There are many discssions around our table about the right concictency!!!

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Tinglish

22 February 2011, 3:36PM
Tinglish

I emigrated to Turkey a few years ago. In a box marked up as 'books' i stashed Bisto gravy granules, Birds custard powder, Colemans mustard powder, Tate and Lyles golden syrup, HP sauce....... The list went on! The funny thing was, i didnt use any of these very much but it was comforting to know that they were in the cupboard! All psychological!

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MsCupCake

6 March 2011, 4:31PM
MsCupCake

Oooeeewww twiglets?! I can easily do without them. What do you mean, no Bisto powder? I just used some. Are they phasing it out or ... are you mistaken? Gulp I would hate to see the demise of Birds custard powder too - tinned is not the same! Condensed milk I would not like to see disappear either - even though I don't make caramel shortbread THAT often!

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kitchengardener

6 March 2011, 8:45PM
kitchengardener

I never really thought about it much until I left the UK! You can keep the Hellman's, Marmite and Cadbury's but the things I miss are far more mundane - jumbo porridge oats (don't exist here), tate and lyle syrup and treacle, tetley tea (continental tea is just vile). As an expat I do embrace my new food culture and many of the products are far superior (chocolate and mayonnaise for example) but some things just simply don't exist and then I'm glad of my little stash of imports. And I would say that in my experience people here are far more brand obsessive than in the UK, the irony is that they're pretty much all owned by the same companies now!

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VikCakeStar

24 April 2011, 3:38PM
VikCakeStar

Here in France I have to say I make a trip to the English shop for Birds custard powder. I use it in my cupcakes for a nice texture and colour. Having got used to French chocolate I now find Dairy milk too sweet and I don't agree with the added vegetable oil. In France and Italy it would not be allowed to label it as chocolate, the fat must be cocoa butter only.

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VikCakeStar

24 April 2011, 3:40PM
VikCakeStar

And all those expats who need golden syrup for a recipe... I use wheat or rice sugar syrups, available in health food shops.

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Chauxcream

16 March, 9:56PM
Chauxcream

Though you get the same brand in different parts of the world it is not the same for example Birds Custard powder!! Yes, cereals are available in abaundance but how about wheetabix?

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