Darshita Goyal is a lifestyle and culture writer who specialises in stories featuring Gen Z. She’s been published in 

, Mashable, and Refinery29, among other global publications.

In today’s hyper-connected globe, the meaning of national identity is no longer rigid, and we’re seeing a dissolution of cultural borders as we travel through our devices. This shift in mentality is happening against a turbulent geopolitical backdrop as countries prioritise regional allies.

Border Reorder

Back in 2021, Alec’s restaurant in Brentwood introduced Thanksgiving menus and dinners. This was prompted by American diners in town who complained about having nowhere to celebrate. Now, four years later, founder Ajak Barak tells the BBC that hordes of Britons join in to mark the holiday with themed food. 

 Similarly, Sherri Singleton, owner of The Mistley Thorn restaurant in Essex, has witnessed her annual Thanksgiving festivity grow from a handful of neighbouring American students to a full house with 100 diners, including UK nationals. 

 In London, the restaurant CUT at 45 Park Lane reports that bookings for Thanksgiving have doubled year on year to go beyond American guests. 

The Guardian

, a 2025 thread sharing a home-made ‘Thanksgiving dinner as a Brit’ has over 10,000 upvotes and close to 800 comments.

Clearly, the holiday that was once synonymous with American culture has now crossed the Atlantic. Part of this jump can be credited to the growing expat culture in the UK – a record number of 8,790 Americans applied for UK citizenship in 2025 as American President Donald Trump entered his second term in office – a 42% increase when compared to 2024. 

Bloomberg

 Even beyond expat influence, the young Britons setting new holiday traditions were raised on American pop culture, where Thanksgiving plays a major role. 

Friends, Gilmore Girls, New Girl, Brooklyn Nine-Nine

 and countless other shows have built episodes around the holiday. “BookTok has surged interest in American coming-of-age novels where Thanksgiving features heavily, even lifestyle content from US creators is saturated with autumnal Americana,” explains PR manager Georgia O’Brien-Perry. “This cultural drip-feed creates familiarity with a tradition many Britons have never experienced, making them feel nostalgic for the feel-good vibe of their favourite TV shows.” 

Interview with Georgia O’Brien-Perry conducted by the author

Younger generations are also more open to exploring foreign differences. Around half (49%) of Gen Z Britons visit local supermarkets while travelling to seek out the food they can’t get at home. 

Skyscanner

 Thanksgiving celebrations in the UK allow people to experience new traditions from the comfort of their homes. “Not to forget that Thanksgiving is secular and it falls at a separate time from Christmas, allowing Britons to celebrate the holiday without foregoing tradition,” says editorial consultant Rhys Thomas. 

Interview with Rhys Thomas conducted by the author

 The American holiday’s popularity can also be linked to its focus on gratitude and shared memories over gift-giving and materialism. Today, 47% of Britons find Christmas stressful. 

Association for Project Management

 With geopolitical shifts, a desire for more social and less commercial holidays and a yearning for world comfort cuisine, Thanksgiving is becoming a more common fixture in UK calendars.

Political migration and the expat influence

When Donald Trump returned to office as the President of the US in January 2025, it created a highly polarised political atmosphere in the country. Over half (51%) of Americans disapproved of his performance just one month into his second term, holding him responsible for growing tension around immigration, LGBTQ+ rights, cost of living and free speech. 

Pew Research Center

 Incidentally, the number of Americans seeking UK citizenship hit a record high in 2025. 

 As more Americans arrived in the country, they created a demand for authentic Thanksgiving products and experiences that would allow them to access tradition away from home. Online searches for ‘Thanksgiving’ have jumped 440% year on year in the UK, while ‘pumpkin spice’ is up more than 550%. 

Ocado Retail

 British retailers and restaurants are responding to the desire. Last year, London pubs, including The Hound, The Cadogan Arms and George, served special Thanksgiving menus with a new Cherry Cola Manhattan cocktail to add more Southside spice, while Oblix at the Shard hosted a holiday dinner with salmon carpaccio and caviar cream. 

Londonist

What started with expat influence has quickly brought local Britons into the fold. “There ‘s an appetite for quintessential, soft American traditions,” says O’Brien-Perry. “Britons are increasingly emulating the warm ‘fall’ aesthetic with pumpkin patches, corn mazes, ‘friendsgivings’ and matching family pyjamas, because it offers an emotional fantasy that the British calendar lacks.” 

 Also, social media has collapsed cultural distance for young Britons. Traditions, holidays and food that were once tethered to geography and nationality now appear closer than ever on their FYPs. See the Chinamaxxing trend that dominated TikTok in early 2026. Creators drank hot water, wore home slippers, followed traditional Chinese medicine hacks and celebrated the Year of the Horse irrespective of their heritage. 

 Similarly, in 2025, the British Museum hosted its first 

, a UK equivalent of the Met Gala, and the theme celebrated Diwali, the Indian festival of lights.

The curiosity and exploration of different cultures extends beyond holidays. In music, US hip hop dominates international tastes in the UK at 40%, followed by K-pop at 21%. 

British Council

 In fact, 72% of UK Gen Zers say experiencing global culture helps them learn from other countries, and 67% believe it makes UK culture more exciting. 

 This cultural hybridity and openness create a place for Thanksgiving to find popularity in the UK. “The American holiday travels especially well; it has no religious gate or national myth that a non-American has to perform,” says Nico Jacquart, the CEO and co-founder of Secret Food Tours. “You just sit down, eat, say one thing you're grateful for, that's the whole holiday. Christmas asks more of you culturally, Thanksgiving asks for a turkey and a guest list.” 

Interview with Nico Jacquart conducted by the author

Britons’ growing appetite for American comfort food

Monica Geller’s extensive home-cooked holiday meals from 

 remain so famous that, two decades later, they still 

. The series itself was the second-most-streamed TV show in the UK in February 2025, demonstrating broad engagement with nostalgic American pop culture. 

YouGov

 Even outside Thanksgiving, American comfort food often shows up in popular films and series. “If you’ve ever watched 

 as a British person, you have thought about cherry pie a lot. In 

, Billy Ray Cyrus enjoys his cornbread,” says Thomas. “There’s nostalgia related to American foods.” 

 At a time when the present day carries such uncertainty, Britons are craving childhood intrigue, and American foods bring a sense of familiarity despite being foreign. It’s not surprising, then, that one in five British adults visited an American-style restaurant between 2024 and 2025, rising to nearly one in three among younger cohorts. 

Outside comfort, TikTok virality also adds a layer of clout to American experiences. Think of the famous Trader Joe’s tote bag. Even though the supermarket chain has not entered the UK, British shoppers are reportedly ready to pay inflated prices for the bag on eBay or ask American friends to carry the grocery store tote across the pond. Estelle Keeber, a social media trends expert, told The Independent this rise is “part of the wider trend of Brits wanting a piece of American culture.” 

The Independent

 This also comes through in the raging popularity of certain American-style diners in the UK, such as New York pizza place Alley Cats, which has opened 

 in London in three years owing to the hour-long queues. “In the UK, people under 40 are comfortable with American food in a way they weren't a decade ago. On the London tour we host, we see customers asking for pecan pie, sweet potato and fried chicken in slots that used to be sausage rolls and pies five years ago,” says Jacquart. 

Leveraging this growing interest in American flavours, Whole Foods Market is set to double its presence in the UK in 2026, going from six to twelve stores. 

Grocery Dive

 By blending American staples with British values, retailers are enabling Thanksgiving to transition from an American exclusive ritual to an accessible culinary event for the wider UK population. On TikTok, too, experimental Thanksgiving recipes remind viewers that the festival isn’t tied to religious or cultural rigidity. “The deep-fried turkeys, marshmallows piled onto sweet potato casserole, and cheese melted onto things carry a FOMO-adjacent intrigue. It keeps British audiences clicking, judging, debating and ultimately, trying it themselves,” explains O’Brien-Perry. 

Interview with Georgia O'Brien-Perry conducted by the author

Commercially fatigued Britons seek meaningful social events

Today, the cost-of-living crisis in the UK shapes every aspect of modern living. Young people are worried that the unequal impact of the financial risk will create rifts in their friendships. 

Stylist

Elsewhere, cash-strapped singles discuss being priced out of romance as the expense of drinks and food at bars continues to rise. 

The growing cost of living remains the top concern for 44% of Gen Zers and 52% of Gen Yers in the UK, with many living paycheque to paycheque with little to no savings. 

Deloitte

Adding to this, more young Britons are living with their parents today than people their age a decade ago, revealing curtailed freedom. 

University College London

Simultaneously, a large chunk of Gen Zers struggle with social isolation. 

Oxfam

If the stats are proof, people in the UK are facing two major challenges that are both bleeding into the other: financial issues and social problems. As a result, young Britons crave experiences that are meaningful. While holidays once played the role, today many find Christmas stressful, with 41% citing overspending as the worst part of the season. 

Entertainment Now

Younger generations are seeking less materialistic ways to express affection. For them, the value of a holiday lies in fostering shared memories rather than the exchange of gifts. In response, Thanksgiving presents as an untouched salve. “It's the only major Western holiday that hasn't been taken over by retail. Christmas became about what you bought. Easter is a chocolate brand stunt. Halloween is costume sales. Thanksgiving is about who is at the table and what they're eating,” says Jacquart. “Younger Britons and expat Londoners want a food-and-people holiday without the retail anxiety and Thanksgiving is the only one on the calendar that still delivers that.” 

 Approximately 42% of Gen Zers and Yers say that they’ve attended a Thanksgiving meal in the UK, and one in six are planning to host or attend their own Thanksgiving meal. 

The growing number of supper clubs also show how food serves as an easy social mediator, helping young people meet others and develop deeper connections. 

Roadbook

This also aligns with changing attitudes towards friendship. For a long time, romantic partners and blood families were prioritised above all, but a recent cultural shift makes space for platonic relationships. In May 2026, 

 published a story titled, ‘There is nothing more romantic than friendship’, while TikToker and writer 

 about aspiring to have a friendship so deep that it sparks dating allegations. 

Dazed

Roughly 45% Britons marked Friendsmas in 2025, while 11% prefer it over traditional family celebrations, showing how this shift plays out during the holiday season. 

The Star

 “Similarly, the approach to Thanksgiving in the country tends to be gratitude-based together with friends, regardless of where we were born or what religion we come from,” explains Thomas. 

Over four in ten (44%) of Britons planned to buy their friends and family experiences rather than physical gifts for Christmas in 2025. 

The Harris Poll UK

 With growing weariness around gift giving, brands should focus on contributing to people’s social calendars. Presently, Thanksgiving is free from the social baggage of obligations; it’s important to protect this focus on meaningful relationships. “Gifting has lost some of its emotional currency because of inflation and because younger consumers value memories over more clutter,” says O’Brien-Perry. “REI hosts an annual 

 campaign where it famously closes its stores on Black Friday and tells consumers to spend the day outdoors instead.” 

 This shows how brands can win loyalty by making the experience the brand asset, not the product. Tapping into the social aspect of Thanksgiving, in 2025 Knorr launched Friendsgiving Do-Over kits in the US, featuring kitchen tools, playing cards and simple recipes that invite guests to cook together. 

Brand Innovators

 As Thanksgiving grows in popularity in the UK, it’s integral for brands to create similar communal moments that build emotional equity through potlucks or turkey-carving workshops that create memories that outlast the holiday season.

American food is no longer niche in the UK – sales for classic products such as Newman’s Own Ranch Dressing are up 202% while Herr’s Buffalo Blue Cheese Curls are up 410%. 

 Clearly, Britons no longer need to wait for Thanksgiving or an American holiday to enjoy their comfort cuisine. Fusion also holds promise, mixing American novelty and British familiar flavours to capture both expats and locals. “The trick is finding a way to blend the two cultures together cohesively, rather than slapping stars and stripes on something British and calling it fusion,” says O’Brien-Perry. “Aldi has been particularly good at this with its limited-run 

 ranges, including hot dog onion crisps and Philly cheesesteak-style wraps, creating conversation pieces that do more than just import the same US products.” 

 Over the years, Kraft Heinz, an American heritage company, has leaned heavily into British humour and everyday rituals such as baked beans and fry-ups to appeal to a multicultural audience in the UK. 

Marketing Beat

 Food can be a vehicle to share cultures and customs, and create blends that pique intrigue.

Over three-quarters (77%) of Britons planned to spend on food-related experiences in 2025. 

Mastercard UK

As Thanksgiving is a young holiday in the UK, it doubles as a blank slate, offering an opportunity to try something different. Its religion-agnostic roots allow people to make the celebration all about food exploration, where the meal itself becomes the main attraction. Brands should double down on the fun and novelty of the occasion by curating Thanksgiving-only special menus and add-ons. Last year, London’s Bar 45 also offered themed holiday bites all week, from turkey croquettes to pecan pie and bacon-wrapped dates, extending the celebration. 

Fox News

 Similarly, Whole Foods offers Thanksgiving meal kits, but brands can go further to own the experiential side of the holiday. “In the UK, 

 hosts a four-day Thanksgiving celebration across its 30-plus locations, with NFL screenings, themed cocktails including the Snow White, and bottled Hickory's Eggnog to take home, which turns the holiday into a full-blown destination rather than just a meal,” says O’Brien-Perry. “British brands can also build Thanksgiving-themed foraging experiences for ingredients or autumn supper clubs in the outdoors.” 

 of Gen Z and Gen Y Britons say that they’ve attended a Thanksgiving meal in the UK, and 

 are planning to host or attend their own Thanksgiving meal

 Americans applied for UK citizenship in 2025, revealing a 

 of Britons find Christmas stressful, with 

With more expats moving to the UK and the continuing influence of American pop culture, there’s a growing demand for authentic Thanksgiving experiences

Once a novelty, American comfort foods are more widely accepted by culturally curious Britons, who see them as an opportunity for flavour adventure and fusion

Fatigued by the cost-of-living crisis and the commercialisation of other holidays, young people are thrilled by Thanksgiving’s focus on connection over materialism

Rhys Thomas is a journalist and editorial consultant. He has written for publications including 

. He has also worked with brands including Mr Porter, New Balance, Virgin O2, Hæckles, Selfridges, TFL, NatWest, O2, Booking.com, Airbnb, Samsung, and British Fashion Council, and has consulted for leading creative agencies including LOVE, Ragged Edge, and Mother Design. His writing focuses on lifestyle, culture, and masculinity.

Georgia O'Brien-Perry is a digital PR manager at Bulldog Digital Media. She studies spending behaviours and has been quoted in The Drum, 

Nico Jacquart is the co-founder and CEO of Secret Food Tours, overseeing culinary tours in over 45 cities worldwide. His aim is to bring authentic local experiences and cultural immersion to guests.

United Kingdom

Eating and Drinking

Community and grassroots

Thanksgiving is gaining popularity in the UK. With geopolitical shifts and a growing desire for cultural exploration and fusion, the holiday resonates with curious, young Britons. How can brands lean into the celebration’s emotional currency and prioritise experiences over social obligations?

Analysis

Darshita Goyal

Rhys Thomas

Georgia O'Brien-Perry

Nico Jacquart

Related Macro Behaviours

Border Reorder