Christmas in the Philippines for British expats
From Quality Street and Christmas cake to rich puddings and biscuit tins, this guide shows how British expats can enjoy proper UK Christmas treats in the Philippine climate — with PHP 100 nationwide delivery and safe Cash-on-Delivery.
For many British expats, Christmas in the Philippines feels wonderfully warm and cheerful — but also very different from home. No frost on the windows, no early sunset, no last-minute rush for mince pies or a tin of Quality Street. Yet it’s still one of the longest, happiest and most festive celebrations in the world.
At UK Food Store Philippines, our mission is simple: bring a little of the classic British Christmas experience to your table here in the Philippines. Whether you’re craving a proper fruit cake or the familiar rustle of a biscuit tin, we make sure those festive essentials arrive fresh, in-date and at fair prices.
🎄 Browse the British Christmas Collection at UK Food Store »
British supermarket favourites in the Philippines. Many of the products we stock at UK Food Store Philippines originally come from the big UK supermarkets that expats know well – the same shelves you’d browse back home before heading to the tills.
Where our British groceries typically come from: Tesco, Sainsbury’s, ASDA, Morrisons, Iceland, Waitrose, Co-op and Marks & Spencer, as well as Aldi and Lidl for great-value everyday lines. You’ll often find the same brands you’d see in those UK stores – Cadbury, Galaxy, Nestlé, Rowntree’s, McVitie’s, Walkers, Bisto, Branston, Heinz, HP Sauce, Twinings, PG Tips, Yorkshire Tea, Mr Kipling, Fray Bentos and more.
Why this matters for British expats in the Philippines: if you’re used to buying your biscuits, chocolate, tea, sauces or Christmas treats at Tesco, Sainsbury’s, ASDA, Iceland, Aldi, Lidl or Marks & Spencer in the UK, our goal is to make it easy to find similar favourites here in the Philippines. We focus on genuine UK-spec products and clearly labelled best-before dates, with simple PHP 100 nationwide delivery so you can stock up on the tastes of home without hunting from shop to shop.
For a broader view of how UK supermarkets translate to life here, you can also read our UK Supermarkets in the Philippines guide.
Why British expats notice the difference
Christmas in Britain is shaped by cold weather, cosy evenings, family traditions, shop displays and familiar seasonal foods. Here in the Philippines, the celebrations begin early — often in September — and continue with music, lights and gatherings long before the Christmas season starts back home.
Yet British expats often find themselves missing certain things: the chilled air, the classic family treats, or even something as simple as a steaming Christmas pudding on the table. That’s exactly where we step in — helping you combine Filipino warmth with distinctly British festive flavours.
Planning ahead: why your Christmas favourites arrive early
Getting authentic British Christmas items into the Philippines isn’t as easy as placing an order in December. Many seasonal products have relatively short expiry dates, and standard sea freight takes around six weeks. By the time some items arrive, they would be too close to expiry — and that’s not something we will ever compromise on.
Instead, we do things the careful way:
- Sourcing starts as early as August to secure proper stock with long dates.
- Only genuine UK-stock items with reliable expiries make the cut.
- Every product is checked and stored correctly the moment it arrives.
This approach means our Christmas range is curated, sensible and trustworthy — not rushed, overpriced or questionable on expiry.
🎄 All Christmas stock for 2025 is arriving between 5–7 December. Items are unloaded, checked and made available for ordering as soon as they clear inspection and storage.
What’s available for Christmas 2025?
Some festive favourites travel better than others, and we’ve selected only those with the longest and safest dates. Here are the most popular Christmas items British expats look for:
McVitie’s Family Circle |
Christmas Fruit Cake |
Christmas Pudding |
Quality Street |
Many customers also add chocolate & sweets, biscuits & cakes and a good stash of British tea so there’s always something festive to offer guests.
Why we don’t stock mince pies (yet)
We are often asked why mince pies are not available. The honest answer: shelf life. Most mince pies have a short best-before window. With standard sea freight timings, there’s a high risk they would arrive too close to expiry — something we simply won’t allow.
We would rather offer a smaller but safe and reliable Christmas range than compromise on freshness or quality. If you’re building a longer-term festive stash, our British Food Cupboard guide is a helpful checklist of other year-round essentials that sit nicely alongside Christmas tins and cakes.
Reliability, honesty and proper standards
Every product we offer has been carefully selected based on flavour, expiry, travel performance and customer demand. We handle all shipments ourselves, keep stock in proper storage, and never sell near-dated items without full transparency.
Chilled and fragile items are stored in our chillers and packed with UK-style care before dispatch. For a detailed look behind the scenes, you can read How We Store & Deliver British Food in the Philippine Climate.
Across Metro Manila, Cebu, Davao and provincial areas, delivery is fast and straightforward — with Cash-on-Delivery available and Free Delivery on ₱2,000+ orders.
A British Christmas, wherever you are
It may be 28°C outside and palm trees instead of pine, but Christmas here can be just as meaningful. A slice of fruit cake after noche buena, a tub of Quality Street on the table, a proper cup of British tea — these are the small traditions that make Christmas feel like home.
Many expats also combine Christmas orders with everyday comforts like tinned meals, Fray Bentos pies and jams & spreads so there’s always something British in the cupboard long after the tree comes down.
At UK Food Store Philippines, we’re proud to help you recreate that feeling — mixing British tradition with Filipino warmth, one festive season at a time.
Explore more British favourites for the festive season
If you’re planning a full British-style Christmas and New Year cupboard, these guides and categories are a great place to explore:
View the full British Christmas Collection at UK Food Store »