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Whether you’ve craving a Blizzard, some French fries or just some plain soft serve, one of the first questions that you may have asked yourself when planning a visit to London or the UK is, “Is there a Dairy Queen in the UK?” or “Is there a Dairy Queen in London?”
Dairy Queen was a huge part of my childhood in America, and you really can’t beat its iconic signs, flavors and offerings.
In addition to regular Dairy Queens, there are also Dairy Queen Chill and Grills serving up more food AS WELL as smaller Dairy Queens in malls.
I remember going with my grandparents when I was younger after school and I can still taste the melted chocolate and salty hot dogs to those day.
But do the Brits get to have the same ice cream experience?
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“Is there a Dairy Queen in the UK or London?”
The answer is: no, there’s no Dairy Queen in the UK or London but there are Dairy Queen alternatives in the UK.
Instead of jumping right into where to find the best ice cream in the UK, I want to take a second to let you know about some resources I’ve put together for anyone who might be planning a trip to London or the UK or maybe thinking about starting an expat life here.
Firstly, no matter your reason for being here, you need the best book on living in the UK for Americans ever written – the book is called “Girl Gone London: An American’s Guide to Surviving Life in the UK” and you should click here and check it out.
I also may have written it, so I’m biased.
But truly, if you’re coming to the UK as an expat, a study abroad student, or even a visitor, my guide to life in the UK contains both personal anecdotes and maybe too-honest experiences, as well as resources and advice on topics ranging from homesickness in the UK (or how not to rage book a flight to America like I did), driving in the UK, being a student in the UK, and more practical advice about bank accounts, buying houses, and more.
It’s truly a one stop shop for all of the weirdness and wonderfulness (is that a word?) that comes along with life in the UK, and also there is plenty of opportunity to laugh at me as I share all of my expat fails so there’s that.
In addition to the very important question of where to find good ice cream, it’s important to learn things like how to know the difference between different coins, whether you should drive in the UK as an American (spoiler alert: save yourself and don’t do it!) and how to recognize and get over culture shock.
I’ve linked to some of these resources below, but please don’t hesitate to get in touch with me if you have additional questions as I’m always happy to answer them.
Coming to the UK as an American is a great opportunity to get to know another culture while still speaking the same language (mostly) and expanding your world view to more than just the 50 States.
- Culture Shock: The Things We Don’t Talk About
- An American Girl’s Guide to Surviving the London Underground
- Understanding UK Money: Pence, Not Cents!
- Driving in England as an American: An Apology to UK Drivers
Right, so on to the topic at hand – Dairy Queen in the UK.
The history of Dairy Queen in America runs deep – almost 75 years deep.
The reason it’s so important to us Americans is that you can find it in almost 7,000 locations across the country.
That’s a lot of Dairy Queen and a lot of ice cream to uncover.
There are some American stores that have tried to open in the UK and then eventually shut down (like Steak n Shake in the UK), but Dairy Queen is one that has just never made its way over at all.
In fact, I hear Brits talk about how they enjoy going to Dairy Queen when they’re in the States because it’s so unique to the US.
Dairy Queen Alternatives in the UK
If you’re in the UK as an American and desparate for some Dairy Queen, there are a couple of places you can try to enjoy great ice cream.
Keep in mind that London and the UK don’t really do the same style of ice cream parlor that we do – in addition to these options below, there are more family-run ice cream parlors that are specific to the town that they’re in.
You can also satisfy your sweet tooth in the UK by shopping with Thorntons. Using Thorntons voucher codes you can get luxury chocolate at a bargain price
Ben’s Cookies
Ben’s Cookies don’t just sell the best cookies in the UK – they also sell ice cream.
They specialize in ice cream milkshakes with blended cookies mixed in, which is a great way to cool off in the summer months or walk down Oxford Street with a treat in hand.
You can also get plain ice cream if you’re really craving it.
Mr. Whippy Vans
One of the most popular ways of getting soft serve ice cream happens in the warmer months when ice cream vans pop up at very festival and event you might run into.
They’re colloquially known as Mr. Whippy vans, and you can get vanilla soft serve in a cone or cup along with some other ice cream treats and popsicles.
Read more in my full guide comparing UK and US stores and restaurants.
Coming to London Soon?
Hey!
Since you’re here I’m assuming you’re intent on visiting this amazing city soon!
Getting the lowdown on the hottest spots in town can be time consuming so I took the liberty of picking out some great ones below. Hope you enjoy!
Open Top Bus London Tour: Double Decker buses are not only a way of transportation in London, but a definitive pastime of the city dwellers.
This tour lets you see London by night and experience a true right of passage that every Londoner must complete. A two for one YAY!
Kew Gardens: If you want to explore some of the calmer areas of the city, I highly recommend exploring the botanicals at Kew Gardens.
London’s largest World Heritage site boasts acres of gardens in a royal glass palace because, yes, everything here gets the royal treatment.
Afternoon Tea Cruise on River Thames: Oh so you’ve come to London looking for tea?
Lucky for you theres literally MILLIONS of options to choose from… it can actually get overwhelming. So I made it easy for you and found one of the best teas in town, complete with the best setting as well!
Want to know more about US stores in the UK? Check this list out!
- Is there a Costco in London or the UK?
- Is there a Target in London or the UK?
- Is there a Shoe Carnival in London or the UK?
- Is there a Duane Reade in London or the UK?
- Is there a Books-a-Million in London or the UK?
- Is there a Giant in London or the UK?
- Is there a Justice store in London or in the UK?
- Is there a PacSun in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Barnes and Noble in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Pottery Barn in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Chase Bank in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Banana Republic in London or in the UK?
- Is there an Arby’s in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Children’s Place in London or in the UK?
- Is there a 7 Eleven in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Hot Topic in London or in the UK?
- Is there an Applebee’s in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Disney World in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Bath and Body Works in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Bank of America in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Panda Express in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Boston Market in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Sam’s Club in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Wawa in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Trader Joe’s in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Safeway in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Sears in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Wegman’s in London or in the UK?
- Is there a TJMaxx in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Kroger in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Little Ceasars in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Dick’s Sporting Good in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Panera Bread in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Cheesecake Factory in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Johnny Rocket’s in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Wells Fargo in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Chuck E Cheese in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Sonic in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Waffle House in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Red Lobster in London or in the UK?
- Is there an IHOP in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Chili’s in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Goodwill in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Popeyes in London or in the UK?
- Is there an Old Navy in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Dillards in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Walgreens in London or in the UK?
- Is there a CVS in London or in the UK?
- Is there an Ulta in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Best Buy in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Kmart in London or in the UK?
- Is there a JCPenney in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Publix in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Marshalls in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Nordstrom in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Lowes in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Bed Bath and Beyond in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Taco Bell in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Steak n Shake in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Hobby Lobby in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Sephora in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Macys in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Ross in London or in the UK?
- Is there an American Eagle in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Petsmart in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Michaels in London or in the UK?
- Is there an Olive Garden in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Chick Fil A in London or in the UK?
- Is there an Outback Steakhouse in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Chipotle in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Kohls in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Starbucks in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Home Depot in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Wendy’s in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Walmart in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Dollar Store in London or in the UK?
- Is there an In-N-Out Burger in London or in the UK?
Must admit… as a 30 year old who’s lived in the England my whole life, I’ve never heard someone call them a “mr whippet van”. Everyone just calls them an ice cream van.