If you’re an expat living abroad or you just fancy participating in a holiday from North America that’s all about gratitude, we’ll dive into how and where to celebrate Thanksgiving 2024 in the UK. Of course, you don’t need to go to a sit-down restaurant or cook a full gourmet meal to get into the right headspace. Even one of our cheeky little cheese hampers with a picnic blanket in the park with someone you’re grateful for is hitting the mark for the spirit of this holiday. However, we do have some suggestions for things to do and places to go to have a fabulous Thanksgiving 2024.
Do they celebrate Thanksgiving in London and the UK?
Not nationally. However, the British colonists originated the holiday in the Americas and it’s based on ancient harvest-style festivals across Europe. Thanksgiving as you’ve seen it on television and film is celebrated mainly in the USA and Canada. Meals that accompany this celebration usually include roasted turkey, ham, stuffing, mashed potatoes with gravy, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, autumnal veg and pumpkin pie. Regional variations up and down North America will have additions to this. This might include fried chicken, okra, salmon, wild game, pecan pie, mac and cheese, collard greens, poutine and many many more dishes. Then there are the parades, parties, football games and other traditions that go on top of the traditional meal to consider as well.
How to celebrate Thanksgiving in the UK
If you wanted to celebrate Thanksgiving in London and the UK with your family and friends; you have options. You might plan a mini-break at a cabin with all your loved ones. This, combined with a covered dish meal and loads of festive films, board games and snuggly cups of hot cider? Perfect. Or you could go out for one of the famous Thanksgiving set menus offered across the country. You could also look online across websites like DesignMyNight, Meetup and Eventbrite. There are often listings for local celebrations or group meetings of expats and Thanksgiving foodies. Organised events like that usually have planned programs that tick all the boxes for what to eat and where to celebrate Thanksgiving 2024 in the UK.
Where to get Thanksgiving food in London?
If you’re in the capital and want to cook at home, here’s a hidden gem… Partridges has everything you need for a perfect Thanksgiving dinner. If that’s too much of a trek, many Tesco Extra stores have an American section. These will stock a number of the essentials. Barring that, you could enjoy a Thanksgiving spread at the Big Easy, Blues Kitchen Camden or The Pem. Their seasonal meals are popular and some like the Big Easy have a unique American style all their own. Lastly, in true Pilgrims’ Feast style, you might do a potluck where everyone brings their own home-cooked dish. (Bonus points if it’s a recipe from your culture and ticks the box of comfort food.)
If there aren’t any true themed Thanksgiving set meals near you, a pub Sunday roast is a pretty close second. Many pubs offer a turkey option in the fall and winter months. So, while you might not get pumpkin pie, you can have a lot of the popular fixings for a reasonable price.
