For what it is, this is a very cute store. I would probably give it four stars, but I rounded up because the owner was such a sweet lady and started up a fun conversation with us about our trip to London and shared about her history. This shop had been around for 39 years, and while it used to be a tea room a few doors down, they recently moved into this smaller space and no longer serve food or tea. However, they do have hard to find items like different candy bars, biscuits (cookies), teas, jams, and even refrigerated items. We ended up picking up some hard candies, biscuits, and crisps. While you may be able to find them slightly cheaper elsewhere the convenience of finding all these items in one spot is worth it. Plus the conversation with the shop owner makes it a joy to stop in. read more

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Haven't been here in ten years but the food was wonderful then. My husband is a Brit so I surprised him on his birthday and took him for Brunch. Service was fast, quiet and we got excellent food. Eggs over easy, rashers of bacon and toast w marmalade. All perfectly prepared. My only complaint was coffee was weak. My hubby said the same thing. We enjoyed ourselves anyway and shopped a bit after. Might be time to go again next April for his birthday. read more

After binging The Great British Baking Show (cheeky binges are a lifestyle at this point), I found myself craving something classic, cozy, and unapologetically British. So when I popped into Touch of Britain and spotted a box of Mr. Kipling's Mini Battenbergs, I practically did a double take. These little beauties are a dead ringer for something Paul Hollywood would raise a brow for (in the good way). I first tried these little cakes years ago when I was in England, and I could honestly polish off an entire box (or two... let's be real) in one sitting without a second thought. As Paul and Mary might say: "What we have here is a delicate almond sponge, lovely and moist, sandwiched with a bright pop of apricot jam to give it that lift. All neatly wrapped in a soft marzipan coat--beautifully uniform, and downright scrummy." Touch of Britain is a hidden gem tucked away in North Highlands, where the shelves are stacked with the stuff Anglophile dreams are made of--from proper tea and biscuits to crisps, puddings, and hard-to-find UK treats. The staff is warm and welcoming, and everything is laid out in a way that makes you want to linger. It's the kind of place you pop into for one item and leave with armfuls--and zero regrets. read more

Touch of Britain - Mr. Kipling Battenberg cakes - Specialty Food Near Me - North Highlands, California

This is such a fun, niche place to stop in every so often. It's great because they carry British Maltesers (Whoppers just can't compare). It's a small place, so I was surprised when I first went in, and was a little disappointed that they didn't have more items, but it's still a wonderful shop. The first time I took my husband here, he grabbed a few kinds of cookies/biscuits and the lady at the register told him what teas they would pair well with and even gave us some complementary tea bags to take with us! It's customer service like that that you never come across anymore! Great store, even better customer service :) read more

I've been here to buy things from their store before, but never to eat. I'm glad I finally did. Lilian, the lady who runs the place is such a sweet person. The ladies who work there are also very nice. I've heard so many good things, I knew that I had to have the fish and chips. I ordered the two pieces of fish and chips with mushy peas, and a ginger beer. Wow! The fish was breaded perfectly, wonderfully crunchy, flaky and tender in the middle, and not soggy or greasy at all. The chips were steak fries! Crunchy on the outside, and tender on the inside, with a real British malt vinegar. I finally got to try mushy peas, and they were wonderful! They taste so much better than regular peas. The ginger beer was also a British ginger beer, and it had a bit of a spicy kick to it, as it has real ginger in it. This ain't no Canada dry Ginger ale... Even though it says "beer", it was non-alcoholic, but it definitely got my attention. I loved everything about the meal. Next time, I would only get one piece of fish instead of two, as it was so delicious, but it was a lot of food. The price was very reasonable. Before I left, I shopped in their store again. They have British frozen and regular goods, sauces, jams, and a good selection of candies. Prices in the store *are* a bit expensive, but everything is imported I got a white chocolate milky bar. And some smarties, which are much better than M&Ms. You cannot get either in the USA. I also got some *REAL* Cadbury chocolate. The stuff that they call Cadbury that is made in the USA, is actually made by Hershey's. There is absolutely no comparison. I will definitely be back. Thank you! read more

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Never again. I would definitely give this store zero stars if I could. I went in there to buy a few things and realized that everything I was getting was expired. When I spoke to the woman who I think is the owner about the fact the mince pies I wanted to get were a month past the best by date she stated "oh that's the sell by date It's fine." I'd rather not eat expired pork sausages or Mr Kipling pies that expired a year ago either read more

Touch of Britain - An expiration date of almost a year ago - Specialty Food Near Me - North Highlands, California

These guys stock many hard to find British items. I.e, Bacon, bangers, mince pies. I've been going there for years. They just moved ( in the same shopping center - Next to the Cuban restaurant now. read more

Honestly the best fish n chips I've had outside of the UK. I'm a huge fish n chips fan and was skeptical but now I'm a believer. The owner is the sweetest little British lady and she cooked it herself and said she's "very particular about the way she cooks her fish n chips" when I took the cashier "I'm very particular about my fish n chips. Highly recommended! read more

Touch of Britain - 2 piece fish n chips with mushy peas - Specialty Food Near Me - North Highlands, California

After years of driving past here, we finally stopped by. They just moved to a smaller location and don't offer their food menu anymore. They had a nice variety of British items that we have never seen anywhere else. We got a few random items and haven't tried them all yet. We'll definitely be back. read more

Took a spontaneous trip out to North Highlands to try this little, British restaurant. It t also runs as a grocery store of various, British, imported goods. Let's start from the beginning... The parking for Touch of Britian is fairly easy to access and there was plenty of parking on a Saturday at lunch time (11:30 am) Upon entering, there's the grocery part. I really love the selection. There was plenty of products I hadn't seen since I lived in Newton Aycliffe. It was nice to reminisce. There was digestives, teas, weetabix, crisps, candies & chocolates, frozen meat pies and bangers. Everything is very expensive though. I wanted an iron Bru but it was about $7 or $8 for one. The restaurant itself is clean, cute and quaint tea time vibes. We ordered the fish n chips with mushy peas and bread and butter. The fish had the best crispy batter I've ever had here in in the u.s. You could do asmr with that batter! Crispy and crunchy. There was steak fries, so not quite like the chips back in England but still good with all the condiments ; salt & vinegar. The mushy peas was delicious. Service was attentive, the waitresses were friendly, and we enjoyed our experience overall. We left with a bag of frozen roasties,& yorkshire pudding after a browse in their shop, I can't wait to make a Sunday roast! read more

Touch of Britain - Fish n chips combo meal with mushy peas - Specialty Food Near Me - North Highlands, California

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Great! Loved coming here and the service was amazing! I need to come back asap!!!! :)

I absolutely love this store! It's so great that they have both Irn Bru and Aero bars (my favorites), among many other British products which are hard to come by elsewhere. They have a restaurant too, which I haven't tried yet but will soon. Highly recommended read more

They are great and have everything I'm looking for, when I'm looking for something from Britain

A charming little market and eatery. Good British food and lovely atmosphere, very homey feel. I ordered the fish and chips meal with the baked beans as a side, which also came with some buttered bread. Filled me up and was very satisfying! Highly recommend for lunch if you are in the North Highlands area. read more

Touch of Britain - 2 piece fish and chips with baked beans and a side of buttered bread. - Specialty Food Near Me - North Highlands, California

I would give this place zero stars if I could. Here is why- I came in to the shoppe ready to buy some food from the British Isles and what I got was insulting , demeaning talk from the store clerk ( I don't know maybe the owner). She thought it was oh so funny to tell me that I was bullying my husband and I must always want things my way. Mind you we have never met before. All this because I said " I'm ready when you are" . Totally uncalled for, and unkind. Why would anyone expect return business when you treat people this way? So once we gather our tinned goods and a few biscuits the total for 9 items is $95. I took about two weeks to wait to write this review in the event I was overly sensitive. No, she was just rude. I will not be eating or shopping there again. The restaurant was completely empty and I wasn't sticking around for more "fun" There are better prices on the internet, Whole Foods and cost plus world market. I can get friendly service at several pubs near my home. read more

I went today for the first time & the customer service was amazing!! Extremely pleasant & nice people who work there! They have the best selections from the old country! I'll definitely be back! read more

These people were very very kind and friendly. More than that, I had the BEST fish & chips I've ever had in Northern California. I'm so thankful there is a REAL tea shop near me. It's just like the ones in the UK. Very authentic in decor. They also know the best way to pose you with the Queen who resides there . read more

Touch of Britain - The Queen and I. - Specialty Food Near Me - North Highlands, California

The food was tasty, if a bit overpriced. It was a little disappointing to discover none of it was made in house, but rather was the same imported stuff you could buy on the shelves in the store, just warmed up. But at least it was genuinely British! The stocks on the shelves, too, seemed rather diminished: mostly biscuits and tinned foods. But the staff were lovely, and where else in this state can you get beans on toast?! Check this place out while you still can. read more

The food was hot and delicious. The tea was authentic. I enjoyed my meal and had the best, buttery crumpet of my life! The space was very pink, and looked outdated. They also had a grocery area from which I happily bought Cadbury chocolate. I would go back for the food. read more

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We learned more about British cuisine than our 3 trips to London on this hidden gem. It's not cheap but you come here for the experience. The pastie is the best one we've tasted. The fish and chips was better than what we had in London. read more

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A quaint little British-themed restaurant/shop near McClellan base. A blast-from-the-past kind of interior with its pink and white decor (haven't been to the UK yet but I reckon that most restaurants there don't look like this one).....but I guess I'm not the target customer though as most of the people who were eating here were elders lol. Staff consisted of two older ladies; one of them had trouble hearing (had some difficulty hearing my menu order) and the lady who served the food definitely didn't hide the fact that she didn't like her job (after waiting for about 10 min at the counter to pay for my food with no one available, I asked this lady from the officespace (the door was open) if I can pay and based on her stern response and glare I felt like as if I had been annoying her throughout her whole lifetime lol). Service was a bit slow. Anyway, about the food. Had the fish & chips w/ mushy peas. Dish is larger than what the photos here show! Loved the crunchy coating of the fish. The fish itself was a little bit dry though. Loved the crispiness of the chips (or what we call fries here in NA) as well. Never had mushy peas until now; has the texture of mashed potatoes.....the taste of the peas is mellowed out so give it a try even if you're not the biggest fan of peas. Thought the idea of British food being bland was just a whole meme, but it kinda applied to this whole dish lol I didn't mind it too much though. The place is also a shop that has some UK imports, mainly snacks/chocolate/canned goods. Eh, overall I'd still say that this place is worth checking out as I'd say it's a pretty unique place in the area. read more

Very nice staff and delicious crumpets & scones. I also picked up some British snacks. I would recommend giving this place a try. read more

Touch of Britain - Tea pot - Specialty Food Near Me - North Highlands, California

Finally made it to this store. It's over an hours drive from my home. As an Ex-pat living in California I long for the occasional proper chocolate bar or other treat from home. Talk about sticker shock....now I understand there are costs involved in import and shipping and taxes etc, $2.25 for an almost 2 month out of date Crunchie (yes I know....I should have checked the dates but come on) is a bit much! We bought a few small items but overall bitterly disappointed in the whole experience. I'll go back to ordering my treats from home or just keep checking my local small grocery store. Won't be back. CHECK EXPIRY DATES CAREFULLY!!! read more

A quaint little spot. Like another reviewer I, too, had a bit of sticker shock. It was fun perusing. Friends bought some ginger cookies. We did not eat at the restaurant but it looked quite proper. The owner was very friendly and took the time to chat. A nice stop at a Unique shop. read more

I'm so glad I finally checked out Touch of Britain after reading John H's review. I've heard about this place several years ago on Yelp, however reading the reviews I was a bit skeptical about coming here. First thing , I would like to address is that some reviewers claim is this place sells expired goods untrue. What you have to understand and remember is that the U.K. and several other countries write they're dates different from the U.S. therefore you may think products are expired they're not! Now to my review... I came here looking to pick up a bottle of HP Sauce and Cadbury Dairy milk. This is a cute little store that carries so many great U.K. foods, beverages, household cleaners, Beers and Trinkets. They offer a great selection as well as they have a cute little restaurant inside that's served breakfast and Lunch. I heard they make a mean Fish N Chips and Bangers and Mash. I'll have to stop by for lunch next time. The woman who owns the business is so friendly when you look up the word Customer Service in the dictionary you'll see here face. I mean she is extremely helpful and recommend a few things o should try out the next time I stop by. This is why I love supporting small business. If you haven't been to Touch of Britain you better get your life and check then out for real! I'm giving 4 stars for now until I try out there restaurant. It smelled so delicious inside. read more

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Mexican restaurants line nearly every block in most Northern California cities, but restaurants serving authentic British cuisine are hard to come by, as there just aren't many of them in NorCal. Yes, there a few of British-style pubs, but British restaurants are few and far between. If you're in the greater Sacramento area, and you're in the mood for authentic British cuisine, look no further than A Touch of Britain in North Highlands. As you walk in the front door, it looks more like a store than a restaurant. That's no surprise, as the retail store occupies about two-thirds of the entire building; the restaurant is to the left. The store features the best selection of imported British food, and even features a freezer stocked with British meat pies, scones, pasties, pudding, bangers and more. I'm not a big fan of tea, but since I was dining at Touch of Britain, and enjoying authentic cuisine, tea seemed appropriate. After delivering a pot of tea to my table, the amazingly friendly owner of the restaurant, Lilian, brought a plate of buttered bread to my table with a smile. Lilian asked me if I'd heard the story of why she only has one "L" in her name, as the common spelling of the name has two "L's." Naturally, I had no idea. She told me, "it's because I grew up poor in England, and my folks didn't have enough money for two Ls..." No, I'm not making this up! Of course this lovely lady speaks with a very charming British accent. Since today was my first visit to the restaurant with my camera, I just HAD to go with fish and chips, although steak and kidney pie tugged at my heartstrings, and at my stomach. After placing my order, it was ready in less than 15 minutes, and delivered to my table, with a smile, by my friendly server, She and I chatted quite a bit about the restaurant, my web site, and food in general. She told me that she'd just returned from a trip to London, and the fish and chips produced by Taste of Britain are even more "British" than the fish and chips sold in London. Sounds good to me! I was hungry, so I didn't go a la carte, as I went the full route and ordered two pieces of fish, chips, and mushy peas. Am I ever glad I did! I've never had mushy peas before, but they were so good that I could have eaten four times as many. Basically mushy peas taste like thick split pea soup, without any ham or carrots. They are a staple in the British diet and are amazing delicious! My eyes bugged out when I saw the chips... Can I say steak fries? Peggy told me the fish is Icelandic cod, deep fried in their original recipe batter. It's the owner, Lilian's recipe, and she grew up in the U.K., so she knows a thing or two about British cooking. The fish was amazing, as it was juicy and tender inside, cooked perfectly, and not at all greasy. The ratio of batter-to-fish was perfect, and the delicious batter enhanced the taste of the fresh fish to make for some of the best fried fish that I've enjoyed for a long time. You don't have to travel across the pond if you want to get a "touch of Britain" in your life, as all you need to do is to head over to Touch of Britain in North Highlands for an authentic, British dining experience. Lilian and her staff will treat you like British royalty, and serve you a satisfying meal. To be honest with you, I debated between giving this fine restaurant 4 or 5 stars, but I ended up with four stars, as to me, there was just a little "something" missing, but I can't put my finger on it. Four stars is a great rating, and I definitely recommend this fine restaurant for a 'touch of" British cuisine in the greater Sacramento area. When you're in the mood for authentic British cuisine in the greater Sacramento area, head over to Touch of Britain, and, as the British say, "And Bob's your uncle!" read more

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British owned location in Sacramento. mother and Daughter. quite the selection. friendly folks

Love this place! Love the staff! Love the food! Such a great place to be for anything like a simple lunch or a celebration!

8/5/23: This place is selling food on the shelves that's been expired since 2022. I went back after the previous time they were selling expired food, thinking it would be different. Nope!!!! Still has expired food from last year available for sale and they don't think anything is wrong with it. They also don't point out to customers the way that Europe writes dates. Which is dd/mm/yy so people get co fused and buy stuff thinking it's in date when it's already expired. I am going to be filing a health code violation with the county as soon as I'm done with this review. It's disgusting they think it's okay to practice business this way. read more

I have a customer since my youth, abd not much has changed. The fish and chips are delicious. It reminds me of home.

2nd visit 2 thumbs up...the food is truly authentic and for a non pea person...the smashed peas were quite delish! Such a find! Totally enjoy the serving of British cheekiness as well ladies LOL 37 1/2 years of service amazing Thank you read more

Didn't expect to find a British import mart/lunch place out here! A cardboard cutout of the queen greets you at the front. Nice little spot. Relaxing, low-key vibe. The bangers & mash were great. Good fish and chips, too. Our friend who got the steak & liver pie really enjoyed it, too. We loved chatting with the two English ladies, who were enthusiastic about the products. There's a selection of imported groceries (frozen pies candy, jam, drink mixes, etc.) and I was really excited to find Maltesers! A lot of stuff that's hard to find in the US. read more

I absolutely love this place, the best mom and pop, fish and chips place, you can go to in Sacramento. Mind you they close at 3 o'clock basically every day, I don't exactly know their hours. Lots of English snacks in there a little gift shop area. You have to at least go there once, and you will appreciate it. read more

Such a cute place!! The owner is a delight and the food was yummy fish n chips w mushy peas. Service was great!! Look forward to going back

Next to the Planned Parenthood and Public Medical Clinic lies Touch of Britain. If it weren't for the white security bars and tinted glass enclosing this spot, it would have the more traditional atmosphere befitting a British-themed eating establishment. But, hey, we are in North Highlands, right? The place has been there since 1985. They sell food & drinks from the UK. Tending to have more candy and chocolate than anything, there is a frozen food section that has meat pies at $3.95 a piece (even Four'N Twenty from Australia!), pasties and bangers. You can also buy the mint jelly, mushed peas, etc. in the tinned section. A bit pricey if you were to compare to, say, Cost Plus, but it is definitely cheaper than going to England. They also have dusted Jelly Babies - one of my personal favorites! It is about $6 for a bag, but I haven't come across this type before. As for the dining area, you can order fish & chips, teas and scones, etc. I love devonshire teas. Here a pot of tea for two is $3.75, but alas, is not loose leaf. The scone with devonshire cream is $6.95 and it is for one scone. While it does not evoke memories of Devonshire Teas in Kangaroo Valley, New South Wales, for North Highlands, California, it's not bad. My husband went crazy over the meat pies, him being Aussie and all. He must have bought at least half a dozen. Turns out there is a place in Santa Clara that churns them out. Anyone been there? I don't know if we would go back especially to eat there. I love my pots of tea with loose leaf teas. I do know that we will probably be back to refill on the meat pies. read more

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Simple, British fare. Excellent tea. Sadly, no crumpets. Very sweet servers. Simple decor. Includes a store.

This is such a great shop, with lovely people running it! I love that I can run down the street to grab a bag of crumpets (seriously, nobody else sells them!), some digestives, and a Flake bar instead of driving to the city (or flying across the Atlantic!) During this time it's so important to support local businesses, and I'm delighted to shop at Touch of Britain. read more

This was a disappointment I took a friend from church to try it because I thought it would be fun to take another friend that is visiting soon but I will not go back. I was charged $27 for one scone each and a pot of tea for two. I had looked in their site before I went and their prices are not updated on their site and misleading. It was 9.95 each for one scone and 5.95 for a shared pot of tea⁉ I don't know what they are doing but it isn't a place I would go to again or recommend to anyone. read more

Found this little spot and we loved it! It's really cute inside. It's a whole experience, and very fun because it felt like a tea party:) read more

Touch of Britain - Crumpets and scones - Specialty Food Near Me - North Highlands, California

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Going to a touch of Britain was a really classy experience for me and my coworker. We did not come in and expect such great service and such great personalities to assist us in dining. The owner Tamara (pronounced "Tamra" and the chef Kim made the best fish and chips I've ever had and the bangers and chips was also very good. Tamara also threw in some extra fries and went above and beyond. This is definitely a new spot for me and my coworkers we will try to come by more often, it is worth the trip. I can definitely see why they have been open for the past 34 years! Ps I never write yelp reviews but I just had to do this one for Tamara and Kim! read more