10 of the British Royal Family's Favourite Foods

You don't have to be a royalist to want a nose at some of the British Royal Family's favourite food and drinks. 

After all, who among us doesn't want to eat, drink and make merry with some of the finest brands available to humanity?

What is a Royal Warrant? 

Before we dig in, it's important to say that the reason we know the culinary preferences of the royal household is due to the Royal Warrant system

A Royal Warrant is an endorsement that recognises companies that have supplied goods or services to the British Royal Household for at least five years. 

They can only be granted by a monarch and they're currently held by over 800 brands.

It goes without saying that being a warrant holder shows that a business operates to the highest standards of quality and excellence. 

10 of the British Royal Family's Favourite Foods

If you're looking for the perfect British culinary souvenir to gift a visitor, friend or family abroad, you're in the right place.

Here are ten of the finest, tastiest and quintessentially British food and drinks products to showcase our culinary culture and history. 

All rubber-stamped by royalty, of course. Let's begin. 

1.) Twinings Tea 

iStock Photo / 200mm

To an English person, tea is so much more than just a drink. 

A cup of tea is a way to welcome visitors. It’s a way to start conversations. It’s a way to bond. A way to rally friends and family for a catch up.

Plus, on a day-to-day basis, it's the cue we all need to take a hard-earned break from work. 

Now you get the idea of how important tea is to a Brit, you can probably guess that quality is key. 

There are a few tea brands in the UK that are considered god-tier and Twinings is on the list. Both in terms of quality and expense. 

As one of the higher-end tea brands in the country, it's available in sturdy collectable tins

This makes it a great gift to take or send abroad for the Anglophile in your life.  

2.) Maldon Sea Salt 

Image owned by and used with permission of Maldon Salt

It may sound odd to wax lyrical about salt.

However, Maldon Sea Salt is a culinary game-changer and this is a hill I'm prepared to die on. 

Luckily I don't have to, as members of the Royal Family are also seemingly firm fans of this storecupboard staple.

Produced in the coastal town of Maldon since 1882, the business is still owned and managed by the same family.

And in 2012, Maldon was granted a Royal Warrant as an official purveyor of sea salt.

From the second you see the instantly recognisable, expertly branded green-striped paper box, you know that this is no ordinary salt. 

Your first crunch on these soft, snowflakey 'pyramid crystals' will have you hooked. 

Sprinkle Maldon sea salt on hassleback potatoes, over a fresh insalata caprese, or rip up some fancy artisanal bread and dip it in these luscious flakes with quality Greek olive oil. 

Maldon salt flakes are a reminder that its simple things done well that are the most exceptional.

The sensory joy this top-notch British product brings is a gift your loved ones will thank you for. 

3.) HP Brown Sauce 

Wikimedia Commons / Kolforn

When I lived in Japan, there were two British products I missed the most. Cadbury's creme eggs and Heinz HP Brown Sauce

Established in the US in 1869, Heinz went on to become world-famous and one of the most recognisable and trusted brands in the UK.

Although it creates hundreds of varieties of sauces and condiments, with ketchup its global bestseller, nothing says British quite like brown sauce. 

Often unheard of outside of the country, Heinz HP brown sauce was invented by a grocer from Nottingham in 1899.

The business then went on to receive a Royal Warrant from Queen Elizabeth II in 1954. 

This unlikely mixture of molasses, dates, spices, tomato and vinegar is the perfect accompaniment to savoury foods, including meats, sandwiches and chips (i.e., fries). 

But most importantly, brown sauce is the famous bedfellow of the great British bacon butty

Top tip: Before sending a loved-one abroad some brown sauce, make sure you sample it yourself the right way.

I.e., between two layers of white bread on top of some crunchy bacon. There - British gastro perfection.

4.) Mr Kipling Cakes

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Mr Kipling cakes are to tea what Charles is to Camilla - seemingly inseparable. 

Now owned by industry giant Premier Foods, Mr Kipling is a brand of cakes and sweets treats produced in Yorkshire and Stoke-on-Trent.

Its products - from classic Cherry Bakewells to the cubic crowd-pleaser battenburg and alluring French Fancies, yank hard on the heartstrings of sweet-toothed Brits. 

Established in 1967, Mr Kipling became the UK's foremost cake brand within ten years and still enjoys that status today. 

And it seems the Royal Family is firmly on board.

In 1976, Queen Elizabeth II granted the company the Royal Warrant for supplying cakes to the royal household. 

If you're looking for a thoroughly British gift for a loved-one, look no further than a conveniently portable snap-pack of these "exceedingly good cakes".

5.) Walker's Shortbread 

Image owned by and used with permission of Walker’s Shortbread Ltd

When it comes to things the Royal Family loves, Scotland is high on the list. 

And so, it seems, is its shortbread. Specifically the well-loved and famous Walker's Shortbread.

This top-quality sweet treat was established after Scot Joseph Walker set up a bakery in 1898 in the Speyside village of Aberlour. 

Fast-forward to today and his great-grandchildren are still at the helm, overseeing the production of products such as Walker's mince pies and puddings and whisky cake. 

But make no mistake, it's the shortbread that charmed its way into cupboards the world over and remains Walkers' bestseller to this day. 

The business was first granted a Royal Warrant in 2002 by Queen Elizabeth II and the Queen Mother.

In January 2025, King Charles III renewed that vote of confidence. 

If this buttery, crumbly delight is good enough for kings and queens, a sturdy tin of the stuff will make a fine souvenir. 

6.) Colman's Mustard

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Boasting some of the most loud and recognisable packaging on the kitchen shelf, you couldn't get a more English souvenir for a foodie than a jar of Colman's Mustard.

Although now owned by food giant Unilever, Colman's remains synonymous with Norwich, having been established just south of the city in 1814.

One of the oldest existing food brands today, Colman's was granted the Royal Warrant In 1866 as a manufacturer of mustard to Queen Victoria.

Pretty mind-blowing to think that her great-great-great grandchildren still enjoy it in 2025.

This versatile condiment makes an ideal, portable gift for a non-Brit and can be used in bakes, casseroles and, if you're especially brave, a bloody mary. Yikes.

7.) Yorkshire Tea

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Following on from my brief tea education, another tea brand that causes a stir here in Blighty is Yorkshire Tea

As the debate over which is the best tea rages on, this is one brand that consistently comes up trumps.

Britain's best-selling tea since 2019, Yorkshire Tea's founding business has the rare claim of still being based in its original town of Harrogate and run by a family company now in its fourth generation.

This is a tea brand that has more fierce supporters than any other.

Many purists will insist that, since the brand was launched in 1977, tea and God's own country have become inextricably linked.

And among its fans are, of course, the Royal Family. The Prince of Wales granted Yorkshire Tea a Royal Warrant in 2009.  

Whether you're a Yorkshire defender or more of a Tetley’s lover, it's undeniable that a box of Yorkshire Tea is a fitting souvenir from these shores.

8.) Wilkin & Sons Preserves 

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You're going to need some toast and jam to go with that tea.

And there's no better place to source it than from the royally endorsed Wilkin & Sons Preserves.

Owned by Tiptree, the company was first granted the Royal Warrant in 1911 and retains the honour today. 

Among its products you can find classic jams such as strawberry, raspberry and blackcurrant, along with lesser-known examples such as mulberry and green fig.

However, the quintessential British souvenir has to be a jar of marmalade.

Not only for that tangy goodness, but for a touch of Queen Elizabeth and Paddington Bear nostalgia. 

9.) McVitie's Biscuits 

iStock Photo / lleerogers

In 1893, bakery McVitie & Price was asked to bake the future Queen Mary and King George V's wedding cake. And the rest was history. 

Having been granted numerous Royal Warrants through the years, McVitie's, as it's known today, continues the tradition in 2025 by appointment of Charles III.

A typical sight in cupboards the country over, McVitie's is the creator of the famous chocolate digestive - officially Britain's favourite biscuit.

But you don't have to be a Brit to love this frankly heavenly food item. 

Its tempting combination of a crunchy, crumbly wheat base, topped with a smooth layer of milk chocolate could topple even the most health-conscious among us. 

And dipped in tea? Believe me when I say you won't be able to have just one.

If you give the gift of digestives, either original or chocolate-coated, you'll be popular forever more. 

10.) Prestat Chocolates 

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Now to finish this delicious menu of products with something truly luxurious. 

And that is, of course, chocolate. Specifically the royal favourite Prestat Chocolates.

Not only is Prestat known for producing top-quality chocolate truffles, the company's founder is credited with introducing them to England. 

After they were invented by his relative in France, master chocolatier Antoine Dufour moved to London in 1895.

There he opened up his first store and voila - got us all hooked on these silky, chocolatey delights.

If you're looking for a memorable, delicious and downright pretty gift, then a box of these bad boys is a winner.

Giving British Gifts Abroad - The Science Bit

Whether you're exporting food items by post or packing them in your case, check your destination country's policies on what you can and can't bring across the border. 

Many countries or regions have strict rules about which food and drink items you can bring in and out. And there are very good reasons for this.

If in doubt, it's always best to stay on the right side of the law. 

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