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Get the taste of the U.K. in Tokyo with 99 Flakes, meat pies, and Jaffa Cakes

Elliot Hale a few minute ago
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This tiny Shibuya spot brings quintessential UK snacks straight to central Tokyo.

Whether you have moved to a different country and pining for the foodstuffs of the motherland or you are interested in foreign cuisine without the hefty price tag of the airfare, specialty import stores are a treat to walk around. Tucked away amid the towering buildings of Shibuya, you’ll find The British Shop, a grocery store specializing in British ingredients with its own eat-in area.

Located just outside exit B3 of the Shibuya subway station, The British Shop’s footprint is even smaller than a convenience store, but the shelves are lined with British foods and a table is set up in the center from which you can enjoy a variety of foods.

One of the highlights for a nostalgic Brit would be the ice cream van staple of a 99 Flake, essentially a soft-serve ice cream cone with a Cadbury’s Flake chocolate bar inserted into it.

Unfortunately, sales were suspended on the day we visited, but we still got to enjoy some chocolatey goodness with our ice cream.

To satisfy our ice cream cravings, we opted for a double scoop (750 yen [US$4.74]) along with a Flake (100 yen): the first scoop was vanilla and clotted cream, and the second blackcurrant and double cream.

While clotted cream is an indispensable accompaniment to scones, it has to be said that seeing it as an ice cream flavor is pretty unusual. The taste was unexpectedly light with a gentle sweetness, reproducing the lightness of actual clotted cream. Combining a subtly milky taste with the rich aroma of vanilla made for an addictive, delicious flavor.

Blackcurrant is known as ‘cassis’ in Japan, where it is arguably seen most as a part of alcoholic drinks, but in the UK it is much more widely enjoyed in squashes (fruit cordials) or as a component to desserts. The tartness of the ice cream wasn’t too strong, and had a taste that made us keep coming back in for another scoop.

After spending any amount of time in Japan, you come to realize that ‘pies’ are almost always of the dessert variety, often containing fruits, but at this little shop you can purchase the Chunky Beef Pie for 600 yen, which is made with huge chunks of diced beef and has a very rich taste.

After coming all the way to the store, it would be unthinkable if you left without picking up some snacks as a souvenir, and what better way to do that than to take home the subject of Britain’s biggest snack debate: the Jaffa Cake (520 yen).

Delectable treats made by layering a soft sponge cake with a sweet-and-sour orange filling and coating it with chocolate, these once featured as the main focus in a legal case to determine whether they were actually biscuits (cookies) or, indeed as the name would suggest, cakes. Spoiler: they’re cakes. Since Jaffa Cakes are hard to find in Japan, these are a must-grab item if you visit the shop, and being sweet they make a perfect accompaniment to a cup of tea.

Next up were the Somerset Cheddar and Shallot flavor Savoursmiths crisps.

A high-end crisp brand from the UK comes at a price of 220 yen for a bag, which is definitely on the higher side when comparing other potato chips in a Japanese supermarket. The crunchy texture was exquisite, and we ended up finishing them before we had even realized it.

Sometimes a trip to Tokyo is not easy, so there’s also the option of ordering from the shop online, where shipping is free on orders over 12,000 yen.

The British Shop offers everything from classic snacks to slightly niche ingredients, with items such as bacon, bread, seasonings, and Yorkshire Tea Gold all available to purchase. If you’re not as unlucky as us when visiting the store, you’ll also get to try the quintessential British summertime treat of a 99 Flake all the way on the other side of the globe.

Store information
The British Shop
Address: Tokyo-to, Shibuya-ku, Shibuya 1-14-9 Towa Miyamasuzaka Biru 1F
東京都渋谷区渋谷1-14-9 藤和宮益坂ビル1F
Open: 11:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m.
Website

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