From Burberry to Cadburys- The Top 5 Quintessentially British Brands

All hail Britannia! As London Fashion Week so stylishly highlighted, the UK is where it’s at. Whether it’s our quintessential look (we’re quirky and individual, lovers of tweed, trench coats and punk and still manage to look great despite our regular downpours of rain) or our fantastic brands, the Brits merge tradition with quality and are damn good at it!

And with Cadbury’s British future hanging in the balance amid fears of a Kraft takeover,  we thought it was about time we celebrated those British names we most love and cherish…Here we list our top 5 in the ultimate of British brands- enjoy!

1. Marmite: Love it or hate it, it’s great on toast, biscuits and makes a boring cheese sandwich delicious. If it’s good enough for Paddington Bear, it’s good enough for us…

2. Cadburys: The largest confectionary manufacturer in the world and by far the best. Hershey’s?  A far inferior version of the most delicious chocolate found in every corner shop across the UK. Cadbury’s also make Creme Eggs, Green & Blacks, Bassett’s, Trebor and Trident, so ensure those with a sweet tooth are well catered for!

3. Pimm’s: Now owned by Diageo, Pimm’s N.1 makes a picnic perfect. Soak up those summer rays with the drink first created by a farmer’s son in Kent. Cold, wet and dark, what could sum up Britain more succinctly? Mix in a jug with mint leaves, lemonade, cucumber and fruit, throw in some ‘tally-ho!’s and you’re sorted. ‘Anyone for Pimm’s?’ Yes please!

4. Burberry: The apple of London Fashion Weeks’ eye, a stellar cast of celebrity and fashion royalty attended this year’s show to great applause. The Burberry brand is back, and big time: this collection was designed by Christopher Bailey, the Yorkshireman credited with returning Burberry to its luxury brand status.  The traditional trench coat, worn since World War 1, has been reworked once more, and is set to be a sure favourite for season to come. Also worth a mention are Harris Tweed, Pringle and Jaeger, all great representatives of impeccable British style also!

5. Innocent Drinks: Here comes that renowned British steel and eccentricity, as the three founders of Innocent Drinks (Cambridge graduates no less) decided to sell a few of their drinks on a stall at a music festival, with people asked to put their empty bottles in a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ bin depending on whether they thought the three should quit their jobs to make smoothies. At the end of the festival the ‘YES’ bin was full, with only three cups in the ‘NO’ bin, so they went to their work the next day and resigned. Great start-out story, and a great legacy, with the company going from strength to strength and donates 10% of its profits to charity

Special Mention goes to M&S, the largest clothing retailer in the UK, as well as being an upmarket food retailer; it’s come a long way from the Penny Bazaar it harks from. 125 years old and still going strong, it’s famed for many of its products- from bra’s to Percy Pigs, M&S deserves a mention all its own!

Let’s hope Cadburys, Marks and Spencers et al stay the way they should- truly British, so to pave the way for more brands to stay that way. We’ve lost the Aston Martin and Mr Kipling- an American James Bond or a German Mr Bean might just prove too much.