I've been here twice so far with my friend, and we both love this store! Anything british that you can think of, they heave it: tea, chocolate, chips (or crisps you want to be true to the British way), cookies, frozen foods, all sorts of toys, tea sets, and other little mementos. Are you into the Beatles? They've got something for you. Are you a Whovian? They've got something for you. Are your kids (or you) into Thomas the train or Paddington Bear? They're got something for you. The only British pop culture thing that we couldn't find in the store is anything related to the show Sherlock. But everything else is fair game. As far as the food goes, there's a lot of different snacks to try. They have the biggest selection of Cadbury stuff that I'd ever seen, and they have all sorts of weird (and delicious!) flavors of chips (Roasted chicken chips = surprisingly yummy!). They also have frozen foods in the back, but we haven't had the chance to actually try them yet. We probably will in the future. Overall, great store! They have a wide selection of awesome things, and every time you go there, you will find something new. I highly recommend this store, especially if you're near the Rice College area (PS They purposely stock owl themed things for the Rice students *wink*) read more

I reviewed this lovely shop on Google+ already, but I love it so, I had to add my words to Yelp as well. How I have managed to remain ignorant of your existence for 20-something years, I'll never understand. Today, this injustice was remedied. British Isles is my oasis in the sea of typical Texas culture. Thank you! Thank you so much! My favourite teas, my favourite shortbreads, excellent service. The husband and I have decided to make this our weekly Saturday destination. There was so much more I wanted. British Isles, I love you. read more

Outstanding! Dropped in on the way home from Houston to Austin. Spent a small fortune. Best selection of British groceries I have seen in the US, by far! Biscuits, chocolates, sweets - they have it all. I also purchased some of their frozen sausage rolls which were absolutely fab! Nice, friendly staff too! Now I have another reason to go to Houston more frequently. Brilliant! read more

Proper bacon, black pudding and tayto crisps. yay! Excellent service and hard to find food. Next time I'll actually shop the rest of the store. The gifts and teas look so tempting. read more

This place brings me life! I'm originally British and I cherish the days that get to come to Houston solely so I can stalk up on British good from this heavenly place! read more

British Isles is an amazing store and is a one stop place for all things British. My absolute favourite is their extensive collection of British Pottery, specifically Burleigh ware, as well as all the other essentials for a proper cuppa! The owner is very helpful and dedicated to his shop, as are all the employees. They have a vast assortment of products ranging from quality teas, cakes, ceramics, clothing, books, cards, frozen bangers/shepherds pies and many, many other goods. Take a trip abroad to the other side of the pond at British Isles, without ever leaving Houston. If you weren't an Anglophile prior to visiting, you certainly will be following this experience! "But indeed I would rather have nothing but tea." - Jane Austen, Mansfield Park read more

If you're into the British Royal Wedding, then this place is for you! I like it because I found some Thomas the Train and Peppa Pig toys for my kids that were reasonably priced than you would find online. read more

Lovely establishment! The staff was very helpful! Such a cozy store, it definitely won my boyfriend over who's a UK native.

I can thank British Isles for enabling my addiction to Digestives, for enlightening me as to the subtle qualities of a true Earl Grey, and for broadening my perspective where British culinary fare is concerned. Furthermore, the broad assortment of unique items is conducive to extended browsing (not to mention impulse purchasing!). The dry good humour of the owner and the warmth of his staff make this a delightful departure from the beaten path of specialty shops in Houston. Having said this, I am reminded that it's been too long since my last visit! As to the negative aspersions of a previous reviewer, it should be remembered that this is a small business, faced with the inevitable constraints of the available facilities. I'm sure that the reviewer can find a nearby Taco Bell that will be more to his liking. And he won't likely be faced with the task of trying to understand the personalities of the employees there. read more

I've been here several times. Always fun to shop here. Small store with huge selection of British novelties, groceries & chocolates. Fine china ware. Try the cherry scones! You'll be back time after time. Great friendly staff. read more

I'm from the UK I lived there most of my life and this store represents those memories. Peter Rabit, English brands of tea, Cadburys and small model cottages are among the British items for sale here. Well worth a visit. read more

Date of Visit: 04/16/11 The British Isles is still a wonderful place to visit and shop if you're looking for that British must have! This visit was a follow-up to my visit to London in January. I decided that I didn't need too much to come back with me as I had bought quite a few books to read from my trip. But this time going to BI, I picked up a London baseball hat and an actual Doctor Who Mug! LOL I remember mentioning last time to the owner, "How can you be a store selling actual British merchandise and not have one single thing related to Dr. Who - Britain's longest-running sci-fi show?" He must have taken that to heart, because now there is at least a mug to buy! A few action figures might be nice, too :) Anyways, with the Wedding happening in two weeks from our visit, the store was a abuzz with their plans - early morning TVs, breakfasts and having local news visiting the store. It was all exciting and fun! A store I'd like to visit now when I visit Houston! read more

This is my favorite store in Rice Village. I don't make it there as often as I'd like, but I know that I will always find the great British treats I want. They have a great selection of Cadbury (the good kind - not the American made kind) and different teas, as well as various household items and a huge assortment of food items. read more

This store holds me captive every time I walk in. If you are an Anglophile, this is the store about which you dream. There are hundreds of teas, chocolates, hard candies, jams, proper biscuits, and a freezer section with sausages; and that's just in the grocery section of the store. There is a section for body lotions, perfumes, and soaps used by the royalty themselves! Tea cozys, tea towels, tea pots, and fine bone china mugs to serve the 10 different teas I bought from there. And if you forgot souvenirs during your last trip to England or Ireland, pick them up here: magnets, union jack EVERYTHING, and plenty of Keep Calm and Carry On stuff to hand out to my friends. It's such an authentic store, and it's much cheaper than flying to the UK. And now, I must go buy more Cadbury's. read more

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Ordered online tea supply. One container expired last month and the other two will expire next month. Any real tea drinker knows that freshness makes a difference. I have ordered from other sites and never had this issue, their tea expiration dates at least a year away. Will not order again. read more

I just went in here with my husband, and the woman behind the counter wouldn't even look at us when we asked her if she carried Stones tee shirts. She just said she didn't like The Rolling Stones. She just had an attitude about her, and there was no one else in the store! Makes me never want to go back there read more

Lovely and quaint little shoppe tucked in Rice Village. I had always wanted to visit this shoppe and finally made the time to do so. Upon entering, you will notice many gifts and novelties of all sorts. As a big tea drinker, I absolutely enjoyed the selection of tea's offered at British Isles. I also adored the many colorful teapots scattered around the shoppe. All sorts of mugs and canisters were lined against the shelves as well. As far as the snacks and treats go.. there are many here. There are various biscuits, jams, syrups and fruit curds. I picked up a package of custard biscuits, Lyle's golden syrup, and cadbury hot chocolate mix. As someone who bakes often, I know that i'll be putting Lyle's golden syrup into good use. There is even a section of frozen items in a little freezer in the corner. Although the store isn't massively large, but somehow they were able to truly create the British essence here with quality products. I could spend hours in here curiously exploring through all of the products. Its a nice spot to get a thoughtful gift for a loved one, or just for yourself! read more

British Isles - Gift Shops Near Me - Houston, Texas

I would not do any online business with the company. I purchased some items via online, the package was horribly packed, and ALL of the items were damaged. The woman I have spoken to about this has stated that it is all UPSs fault, even though: 1: it was in a recycled box that was so old it did not have any rigidity left in it. 2: There was no packaging around the sides and bottom of the box. 3: There were a few packing peanuts strewn on the top of the package. 4: The mug I ordered was wrapped in a single piece of paper. I'm so outraged that I have filed a claim with UPS with the hopes of having the package inspected, I have even voluteered to drive it down to their customer center, but to no avail. If you are online customer, do yourself a favour, and keep moving on. read more

Great service! Ordered an array of chocolates and easter eggs on Friday and they arrived Monday morning in amazing shape! All bubble wrapped and packaged so nothing arrived broken or damaged! My new go to store for all British candies! read more

I have always loved this shop, but then again, I'm a huge Anglophile. This shop has beautiful china, stoneware, hand thrown pottery, crystal, little gifty items, plushies, food, drink, all from the lovely British Isles. What's not to like. Their selection of Portmeirion is the best in town IMHO. The crystal is magnificent. But, what I really like is the TEA. I could spend hours looking at, smelling, and thinking about the tea selection. If you love tea or know someone who does, this is a must-stop when shopping. Along the way, you'll also find some amazing jams and preserves and some really fun crisps. Who knows what else you may find? I love this store. read more

When I don't care about eating healthy food, this is where I go. Well, that's only partially accurate. I normally go across the street from British Isles to get a piece of cake, then come over here to buy cookies, scone mixes, and most importantly, candy. You see, I grew up with some of the candy selection here, and it's really hard to find in Houston. Sure, you can get a lot of the chocolates at other places, but it's different. For example, let's discuss Malteasers. These are the British version (and perhaps original) of what we Americans call "Whoppers". However, these are distinct from Whoppers in that Malteasers have much better chocolate, unlike that pukey bile tasting Hershey's chocolate. Also, the malted center of it tastes better, as if it were sweetened with honey instead of HFCS. That being said, Malteasers are superior to Whoppers in flavor. I can find Malteasers at several grocery stores, but usually they have the ones that come from the Middle East rather than the U.K. I'm not sure what the difference is, but it does taste a little off to me. British Isles, fortunately, carries the original U.K. variety and I've never had any chocolates from there that taste bad. That being said, I always walk out of here with a good selection of chocolates, especially a tin of Cadbury Roses. The other really cool thing about this place is if you come around Christmas time. They have loads of traditional Christmas things, especially foods. Again, I load up on sweets here around Christmas time, and get a yummy disposable advent calendar here every year. As to the down side of this store, there are a few minor inconveniences. Firstly, they close too early for my taste, making it impossible for me to go there on a weekday unless I rush over at lunch. Secondly, I am a big oaf. As a result, I am always a bit paranoid here, since I have to walk past all the breakable knickknacks on my way to buy what I'm really looking for. Additionally, their prices are not cheap. While I can't really give them a good comparison on the prices of their imports, they do carry some things available in other grocery stores that seem more expensive here. Granted, they don't have the same haggling power as the big chains do, but you should keep this in mind as you shop here. Overall, this place is a place that I try to avoid, but love visiting whenever I go. The owners and staff are very friendly, helpful, and make it easy for you to die of diabetes as you gorge yourself on yummy imported things. Perhaps one day I'll buy myself a new shillelagh from here, or my first tea set and update this review, but for now I'm just sticking with the candy and cookies. Yum yum. read more

Absolutely love this place when I'm able to travel downtown, just really wish not everything good was that far away ( Please open a shop South of Houston, and you will have regular customers has there are apparently a couple of thousand English people this side of town.) This store has alot, and I mean alot of English foods / goodies. The staff are really friendly and helpful and always like to chat. If there's something you want but they don't stock it, if it's possible they get it for you. Just suggest it on the book they have on the register counter. The reason for my 5 stars is because of all the above. The one thing people will be fussed about is the price, but if you are a Brit shopping here you will understand the amount of tax you have to pay to get food, or any package really shipped to the states, but this will not put you off going, there is alot of choice. Thanks for the great store, again, just please open one South of Houston (we have been waiting to long.) read more

Really great variety, and high quality stuff. Very thoughtful staff - included a hand-written gift note on a package I had ordered online from them. read more

The best part of this store is the grocery section. If you have visited or ever lived in the UK this store is perfect for your British fix. They have a large selection of everything from teas to British candies and crisps! British perfumes, clothing, porcelain and everything your little Anglophile heart could desire and all in Houston read more

I go to the store often, but the gentle at the register seems very rude. I said this was my last time there.

I really wish things were not quite so expensive; HOWEVER, I still come back for specialty items like teas, chocolate, and porcelain. VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE and helpful staff ... very personable, even amid hectic holiday shopping. read more

This is the only place in Texas that carries the Floris of London line of gentlemen toiletries. Nice people, lots of stuff.. will be back again. read more

Holy cow! This place is incredible! I went to England when I was a kid and I've often told my fiance about how much better foods taste over there. So, when I found out about this store, I told him we had to go find some British foods for ourselves. There were some products I remembered and some I did not, so I went for the unfamiliar ones. We got Walker's Nonsuch Toffee (banana split flavor), Koegh's Potato Crisps (made in Ireland), Cadbury chocolates, and some DELICIOUS white chocolate dots that came in a pouch, but I can't remember the brand. Everything was SO GOOD! We tried the Koegh's Crisps and they were so good, we went back about an hour later to buy more! Yes, the products are a bit pricey, but they're imported, so that makes sense. If you ask me, they're well worth the price. In addition to foods, they sell cute souvenirs and other housewares like plates, cups, tea kettles, etc. We will be back very soon in the future. read more

I love this place. If you are feeling homesick or just love English sweets and crisps this is the place for you. Everything from iron Bru to imported marmalades and jams. Real bacon, and haggis. Yum! I come here at least once a month to stock up on my favorites. read more

My wife and I love this place! They have an amazing assortment of teas, jams, cookies, scone mixes, short breads, and other British edibles. They also have all sorts of non-edible goods but I can't say much about that because we don't really go there for anything but food :P. Still looks cool though!!! read more

I don't come here as often as I'd like. The place's only real downside is that it's in the Village, which is a traffic and parking nightmare. Anyway, they have some nice china, glassware, and souvenirs, but I don't care about that. I come for the food. I don't know of anywhere else in town now that sells bangers and sausage rolls. They have a good assortment of chocolate, pies, candy, biscuits, canned goods...more tea than you could ever want. Some of this stuff is available at grocery stores, but a lot of it isn't. Probably, if British Isles doesn't have it, no one does. There were a couple things I would have bought on my last visit, but they didn't seem to be there--a chocolate orange (they only had it as a bar, that I could see) and orange chocolate digestives, but not every store in the UK carries those. read more

Typical Snob Brit- I convinced my boss to leave the store on our lunch break and not buy anything when the owner told me I had to run across the street to Ruggles to pee. Be nicer to your customers. Apart for that it's just a typical nick nack store. read more

This is where you go when you want britishy stuff. I only go here to buy certain british chocolates. I dont usually need anything else they sell here. read more

Awesome little english shop great selection of unique items

One thing I really like about the store is their selection of teas and snacks. It's really nice and small. They also have quite a selection of travel guides to England and Ireland, which is quite nice. read more

Loved the grocery selection. I stocked up on my favorite brands of tea and chocolate digestives. The highlight was buying Easter Eggs for the kids. Cannot get chocolate like this in Austin. A gem of a store! read more

Bought some blades here based on a friends comment about having great blades for my razor. Interesting place... Great owners and definitely reminds me of England. read more

I have been going to British Isles for years. Guy has expanded the shop and added so much more. I love to see what is available and find things that are only available in the British Isles. It is easy to feel like I'm back in England. read more

If you've relocated to Houston from England then this store will be essential in your survival. American chocolate just doesn't taste the same, it's great to know you can buy the good stuff still. It's even better at Christmas with the Roses and Quality Street tins. A large selection of squash too, don't be afraid of the Mi Wadi, it's just like Robinson's! read more

The cutest little shop in Houston! I have worked here for over 2 years and have loved every minute of it. Wonderful people and such a lovely place to work. read more