Two weeks ago I wrote a blog post about German food words in everyday English when my friend Suzan St Maur told me she got hungry reading my post and where could she buy some German sausages. And, actually, could I write a blog post about where you can buy German food in England.
So this post is for you, Suze, and everybody else who is interested in buying German food.
When Suze asked me about Bratwurst, my first answer was LIDL as it’s a German shop anyway. Although you can buy lots of English items there, you can get some very nice German sausages or other meat.
Apart from meat you can also buy sweets, chocolate and biscuits from Germany. Also Sauerkraut, various salads and rollmops.Not to forget marzipan and all other lovely Christmas sweets.
Aldi is another German shop. It also has a variety of German foods but tends to sell more English items than LIDL.
Most larger supermarkets sell some of the sweets and biscuits and, if you’re lucky, also Quark (look next to the soft cheeses or cottage cheeses).
Most also sell Pumpernickel and rye bread, although it’s not quite the same as the rye bread you can buy in Germany. Apfelstrudel can be found in larger supermarkets or Iceland.
If you have a Polish shop nearby, check it out, too. Although you won’t find any German writing on their products, you can get some of the packet mixes you may have seen in Germany. I found a Polish shop today (Of course I had to do some research and do some German shopping in the last few days – great fun ;-)) and bought Knorr Fix Gulasch, some packets of Knorr salad dressing bags, red cabbage with apple and rye bread.
So, most of those German food items are available in supermarkets, hopefully somewhere near you. If you live in London, you could also go to the German Deli (they also deliver) or visit the German baker (there may be more German bakers in London or in England).
Going back to the original post , I was able to find almost all those food items. I couldn’t find any Kohlrabi, but it is available in fruit & veg shops when in season, and you can always grow it yourself, as you can buy the seed packets are everywhere , where you can get seed packets.
I only had a problem with one item – Schnaps! For that you’ll have to go to Germany, but what a lovely excuse ….. EDIT 2016 You can get some Schnaps in larger supermarkets or try Beers of Europe
Have I missed anything? Do you know of any shops where you can get typical German food? Is there any German food you REALLY like but can’t get outside Germany?
Thanks so much Angelika … you’ve made me hungry again! We have both Aldi and Lidl stores in our city so I shall trot off – probably to Lidl – and get some sausages. They will be perfect for late summer barbecues (if the rain holds off, that is…)
As for Schnaps … I worked on a project once for a company in Frankfurt. Several times I would catch the first plane out of London in the morning, get cab downtown, work all day …. but before we could leave the building the boss would bring a huge bottle of peach Schnaps into the open plan office where I was working with his staff, and pour us each out a huge belt of this stuff. It was utterly delicious … and even after just one (largish) helping, my trip back to the airport and home to London would be in a delightful peachy haze…
So yes please, import some to UK! And thanks for this lovely post.
Suze
Glad, you enjoyed the post, Suze. As for Schnaps, (peach or apple, to name some) I don’t know why you can’t get any in the UK, unless I just haven’t found the outlets yet!
re Rollmops : very delicious marinated hering. At LIDL! So good and so cheap, also healthy.Not smelly at all!. I am looking for MAGGI Hackbraten FIX. With any minced meat it makes wonderfully tasty Meat balls,also Gulasch ect. .I always have to have it sent from Germany = akward!Where in London can I find this?
Thanks for stopping by, Jutta!
I can’t help you with the MAGGI Hackbraten, but if you can find a Polish shop you may be lucky and find Gulasch fix and possibly other packet mixes. Apart from having it shipped over from Germany, it seems to be the only option at the moment.
hi angelika, meanwhile Ihave found a supplier for the FIX preparations, namely : german deli warehouse shop, unit 1,hamlet industrial estate 96White Post Lane London E9 5EN.TEl:0208985 8000. i am so glad. they have everything!regards, Jutta
It’s nice to have some proper German food every so often, isn’t it 😉
https://www.germandeli.co.uk/
You may want to give them a try , they carry a very large variety of German goods
You can get Maggi fix’s at German Deli Online. That’s where I get my mine.
Hi just found this on Google search and found it interesting reading. I have found apfelkorn on ‘the drink shop’ web site. The bottles aren’t as big as you would buy in Germany, but it just means you have to buy two. 🙂
Buying two isn’t that bad, right? 😉
Tesco’s
Hi Suze, larger Tescos sell Peach Schnaps, you can sometimes also get Kirschwasser. Enjoy…
We need to talk about these rollmops and have them returned to East London where they rightfully belong 😉
As i’m not really that bothered about them, I’ll let you have them back – not sure how everybody else feels about that, though 😉
You can get Rollmops everywhere in the UK. I buy them all the time.
Tesco’s, Sainsbury’s, Aldi, Lidl, Deli’s etc. etc. etc.
Yes, you can now. This post was written in 2012 and, luckily, things have improved/ changed since then.
I’m curious now—what are rollmops? To me, they sound more like a cleaning appliance than something to eat. 🙂
I don’t have any pictures, Mary, but check out
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rollmops
I like them sometimes … others probably agree with you and would rather clean with them, although it would give you a fishy smell!
That’s brilliant, Suze, thanks!
I really enjoyed the delicacies you had to purchase as part of your research
Anybody know where I can get some Schwip Schwap?
Hi Phil,
I’ve never heard of Schwip Schwap, but after some search on google, I realised I know it as Spezi. At the moment I don’t know where you can get it. Maybe, if you ask Yummy Market, they could consider offering it.
Sorry, I can’t be of more help….
Schönen Dank Angelika,
I can make it myself by mixing Pepsi and Fanta but I’d like to know what the original tastes like.
I’ll try Yummy Market.
Phil
Try German deli London. Mezzo Mix
My groceries.co.uk used to sell schip schwap iirc but don’t have it listed presently. I understand they are based in germany so maybe they could get it for you if you drop them an email. Just placed my first order with them – i have an addiction to hela cury ketchup! Larger tescos now sell bratwurst and frikadellen.
Bought Bratwurst in Tesco the other day didn’t think much off them>
Lidl has the best ones by far
I haven’t tried Tesco’s Bratwurst but do like Lidl’s and have bought them quite a few time.
https://www.thegermanbakery.co.uk/product-category/genuine-german-bread-deutsche-brot/
https://www.germandeli.co.uk/
Both have a variety of German products. The German Deli has stocked more on German sausages and other meats, and the German Baker has a good variety of authentic German Breads .
Hi Maggie, I did mention the German Deli in my post but just noticed that the link didn’t work anymore; have corrected it now (PS I had to approve your comment as you posted a link and Disqus wants the blog author to agree with the link before it gets posted)
Thanks 🙂
Sadly, I have to say that at first I had good service. Recently, however, I heard from others who had problems with their orders and I, too, am now owed money from them. At the moment I would not recommend anybody orders from them – such a shame!
I think I miss fleischsalat the most, the polish deli have it occasionally but not often enough.
I’m not too keen on Fleischsalat, so I never look out for it, but I thought I’d seen it in LIDl’s (maybe only at certain times?).
Any Idea where I can get Hanuta? My brother lives in Germany and brings them over when he visits but sadly the supply he leaves with me doesn’t last long…..
I’m afraid I don’t. If I did, i’d be the first in line to buy it!
A few months ago I bought something similar in LIDL’s but haven’t seen it since 🙁
Interestingly enough neither Aldi nor Lidl sell German mustard. Finally got some, at great expense, via Amazon. Time to see more of a mustard choice in the UK. In the meantime may try out the local Polish deli, they seem to have Romanian mustard which i haven’t tried yet.
Yes i still use English mustard and Dijon mustard. Horses for courses.
That is strange. I just checked LIDL’s leaflet for this Thursday, as it’s ‘German week’, but no luck there either 🙁
The Polish deli may be a good alternative …
Harrods used to sell REAL German mustard. Not any more. Perhaps Angelika Davey could persuade the,
I don’t think my power of persuasion is THAT great ☺
Morrisons sells Polish mustard with no preservatives, just like in Germany.
Ocado sell Kühne Senf in the glass!
Brilliant!
I’ve never used Ocado, but some of my readers might.
Try finding Jagersobe or Senf in a Lidl in North London – good luck. They never have any
The German Deli has them and they have shops in London: https://germandeli.co.uk/stores
Might be worth a visit for you, Sue?
Hi Does anyone know where to buy Zabler Pasta in the UK
I’m afraid not, but I just googled and found a German company who delivers to the UK. I don’t know anything about them and you would have to order quite a bit if you don’t want to pay for the delivery, but it might be worth a look: https://www.allyouneed.com/
If you do order from them, could you let me know how it went?
Hallo Mädels,
I must say I am astounded that people seem to be looking for ‘MAGGI Hackbraten FIX’ and ‘Goulash Fix’ stuff !
Much better to make it yourself
Recipes can be had by the hundreds on the internet – or in my case from my mother in Düsseldorf.
My local Morrisons does an own brand ‘english’ mustard that is a s close as dammit to Düsseldorfer Löwensenf!
Also the real Maggi Würze in small bottles for a pound each
Aldi does ‘German Bratwurst’ – but it really is more like a Weisswurst – not bad however.
I regularly make Sauerbraten, Schweinebraten, Frikadellen, Linsensuppe (my favourite) and so on – soups and veg like Rotkohl in large quantities and then freeze the rest in portions. Chinese takeaway tubs are very useful for that!
Regards
Günter
Rochester, Kent
I
Thanks for stopping by, Günter, and for your detailed comment.
I agree with you and I know i should cook more from scratch …
One day I will 🙂
Hi Angelika
You don’t seem to know about the German Bakery of windor http://www.thegermanbakery.co.uk
that not only sells the best of German breads but also all German produce that are being mentioned here in your blog. It would be a good idea if you visit their website as their quality is superior than German deli as an example: teewurst or pretzels to name a couple.
It would be good for locals to taste the best of Germany that can possibly be found in the UK wouldnt you agree with me ?
Hi Sisi, it was mentioned in a comment but I forgot to then add it to my blog post. I will edit the post now and add their site as their breads and rolls look mouthwatering
Hi Angelica, just wondering if you can tell me the best sausage for Currywurst, when I lived in wolfenbuttel it was a long sausage with a red skin. Also I spoke to Aldi and they only sell Senf at Christmas, which is a shame, both Lidl and Aldi have stopped selling so much of the german food they had.
Hi Kevin, I don’t know about those sausages with red skin, but for Currywurst I always use LIDL’s Bratwurst (like the picture above). I noticed that ALDI sell fewer and fewer German items. LIDL so far still have what I want, but I guess if there’s no demand for certain items, they wouldn’t want to stock them. I also noticed that the Polish section in larger supermarkets are getting bigger (at least where I am). It’s always worth checking them!
hi,
i am married to a german & lived in germany for 30 years. now & again i run out of products that i need for cooking or baking & have always used german deli london although i do find them quite expensive.
i have just found a website called german grocery uk, and they seem to be a lot cheaper & on orders over £65 free delivery.
Hi Gina,
I just checked the site and the owner is the same person who owned Yummy Market, so I’m afraid I would not buy from them, sorry.
Heh. Being on the lookout for German comestibles led me to this site, scrolling down led me to the comment above re. german grocery uk, a new one on me, I must admit. Not deterred by your (understandable) disapprobation, one highlight/search later led me to the very place, only to read that:
“German-Grocery will be closed from 16/07/2017 forever”.
That is TOMORROW!!
Sagt man – so ein Zufall!
oder
So eine Scheiße!
I would say “Glück gehabt!” At least you won’t be owed any money!
I don’t know where you can buy German food. I recommend ChefOnline if you want to buy Indian, English, Chainese, Japanese food online.
Nice try 🙂
I would be interested in ChefOnline if you delivered in Wiltshire and, even more so, if you had restaurants that offered German food. Now THAT would be brilliant!
I was happy to discover yesterday that you can get Ritter Sport on Amazon 😀 My favourites are coffee and strawberry!
I’ve never thought about buying food on Amazon, so I just had a look. Ooooh, all that chocolate, I want it all – it’s so unfair!!! ☺
Hallo, problem with Schnaps-Sorted:D! You can buy that in every czech-slovak shops or in good polish shops . Called that:
“slivovice /slivovica / or slivka ” are plums schnaps.
“tresnonice/ tresna/ visna ” – are cherry chnaps.
“hruska / hrusnovice” – are pears schnaps.
For exemple you could buy on https://www.halusky.co.uk/czech-slovak-foods/shop/drinks/spirits-liqueurs.html?p=2
And just i have note about also Quark, Kohlrabi and Sauerkraut 😉 are possible buy on sameplaces as schnaps 😉
Quark – tvaroh/ tvarog
Kohlrabi – kedllubna/ kalarepa
Sauerkraut – zeli/ kapusta/
Tchus 😉
Wow, thank you Stanislav!
I hadn’t heard of Czech-Slovak shops in the UK, but I do like going into our local Polish shop to see which things I recognize from Germany.
Thanks for the translations, too, very helpful, danke!
Where can I buy Cinnamon Oblaten in UK. I have looked on the internet, but postage is extortionate (£40 +)
I’m afraid I have no idea. My best bet would be Amazon or the German Deli. They both sell Oblaten, but I have never heard of Cinnamon Oblaten.
I WOULD LIKE TO BUY WEISSWURST
Sorry, I haven’t seen it yet in the UK. If the German Deli doesn’t sell it, you may be lucky when LIDL do a Bavarian week. They might sell it then.
A favourite of ex-BAOR personal in the UK is germandeli.co.uk.
A large range and excellent service.
Do you know of anywhere in the UK where I can get Handkäs? Most other things I’ve either found or found out how to make, but I do miss my HandkÄs bit Musik :o)
I’m afraid I don’t. I’ve never heard of it until you mentioned it. The only suggestion I can make is that you contact a large company, like the German Deli, and see if they can help. Good luck!
Does anyone know any German restaurants in the Dorset or Hampshire area? I am looking to take my German mother somewhere for her birthday. Thanks.
I’m afraid I don’t. You might have more luck asking on Twitter or Facebook.
With Christmas soon upon us, Here are a couple of websites worth checking out. [1] http://www.worldofsweets.de – Huge selection of German and international sweets / cakes / ginger breads etc. Much cheaper than ebay or amazon. Subscribe to newsletter and get a 10% discount off first order. The only downside is postage €18 for up to 28kg but if a group of family and friends club together for a large order and share the postage, it would be worthwhile. [2] http://www.lambertz-shop.de – They have a nice selection of ginger bread / cake products in fancy tins. You could then sell the empty tin on ebay and get some of your money back. The Americans love them. Warning, be careful with the weights some tins can weigh over 2kg check the postage.
Yes, the postage is always the problem, but both sites look very nice.
Update. I can vouch for worldofsweets. I have placed 2 orders with them. The first order arrived in 4 days, the second in 5 days. Both orders arrived in good condition except for a few broken Spekulatius which is understandable considering how thin they are. Worldofsweets is currently offering 30% discount off Christmas products. Lambertz was OK except I had to keep changing the order to keep the postage down. Perhaps I will visit the Aachen Christmas market one year and buy direct from the Lambertz and Lindt factory shops:-)
Brilliant! Thanks for coming back here and telling us about it!
Wally’s deli in Cardiff
Ooh, Wally’s Kaffeehaus looks interesting, although it is Austrian (and technically not in England either ☺). If I ever get to Cardiff I’ll check it out!
I can’t seem to find a good source for Bavarian Weisswurst anywhere unless it’s £20+, can anyone help?
I’m not too sure but I think LIDL and ALDI sell it during their Bavarian week (whenever they do that)
I’ve just discovered this site. The Sausage Man. https://sausageman.co.uk/product-category/hot-dogs-sausages
I haven’t bought anything from them yet, so I’m afraid I can’t vouch for them.
From their site.
WEISSWURST MUNICH STYLE 12CM
80g | Pack of 6 | Best Before Date: 26/06/2021
Oh, that looks interesting! Thanks for finding that!
dont bother I bought their sausages and they were far from award winning.
The currywurst were wrapped with a film containing a smoke liuid which was false and tasted dreadful.
The best bratwurst were Alpenmark Deli but Aldi fased them out and for me it was a disaster.
I would go so far as to say the Alpenmark Deli Bratwurst were the best in the world.
I would pay whatever it cost to buy the Aldi Bratwurst if they brought these back.
I have written to them many times but with no success.
can anyone tell me where to buy these outstanding sausages I would be very grateful for any help in tracking down what I consider the only! genuine bratwurst.
kind regards Peter.
Thanks for the feedback. I’ve found Aldi to be a huge disappointment lately. No more Bratwurst, Schnitzels, Fleischwurst etc. I’m so disappointed I left a bad review on trustpilot. At least Lidl have regional offers from time to time. I’m looking forward to their next Greek week so I can stocknup on Gyros again.
Bought Bienenstich delicious
Anyone know of any online German groceries? I live in Manchester and don’t know of any shops other than Polish which do stock German products but sometimes I like Bio Tofu and other products you can get at Penny, Wasgau, etc. danke
The German Deli has been mentioned in the post and in comments. Apart from that I do not know, sorry.
Unicorn grocery in chorlton sell organic tofu.
Leberwurst?
I used to be able to get it on Amazon, but no longer available😔
Perhaps difficult with brexit laws I don’t know..
Would love to know wher to get it now..
Lois
Hi Lois, I’m afraid I’m not really a Leberwurst fan and don’t look out for it. I guess, if you can’t get it from Amazon and don’t see it in LIDL or ALDI, the only other place where it might be worth asking is a Polish shop. The German Deli sells some online, but once you’ve added postage it’s quite expensive (unless you spend £120, then postage is free).
Brexit has certainly made things more difficult. Whether it will be easier again in a while to buy things abroad, who knows …
Tiroler Stuberl and Sausage Importer
https://tirolerstuberl.co.uk/
Oh, that looks like a nice place! I’d love to go there for a coffee and cake but sadly it’s too far for me. Thanks for sharing, I’m sure others will live a lot closer.
Hi all
Came across this site. Is it still active? looking for Knoedels and a few other things.
I haven’t seen Knödel in the UK yet, that’s one of the few items I still bring back from Germany.
Was lucky and got some dumplings from Lidl Oktoberfest. Freezes well. The Sausage Man sells red cabbage and Bienenstich cake but the postage is high if not ordering a certain quantity. Asked if they would stock Knoedels , but they not increasing their stock. Bratwurst and Schnitzel o.k. but very expensive and found hardly any difference buying from Lidl
Maybe we all could send Lidl a message with our requirements. Would love to have Fleischsalad again.
Oh, I haven’t seen dumplings at LIDL, will look out next time they do a German or Bavarian week.