During his visit to California, Rishi Sunak indulged in some of his favourite treats from his time living and working in the US. He stocked up on Vons chocolate chip cookie muffins and bottles of Mexican Coca-Cola made with cane sugar, which he has described as the best version of the popular soft drink.
While living in America in the 2000s and attending Stanford University, Sunak developed a love for Vons' freshly-baked muffins, which he revealed in comments reported by Politico.
According to reports, Sunak savoured a Vons muffin before his bilateral meeting with US President Joe Biden during his participation in the Aukus defense summit, where Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was also present.
But though Sunak has expressed his love for Mexican Coke, he was seen holding a can of Sprite, another product made by the Coca-Cola Company, in photos from his visit.
Reports indicate that prior to his return flight to Britain, Sunak packed a considerable amount of muffins and Mexican Coke cans into his luggage, which he referred to as his "stash". He also mentioned that he had stocked up his hotel room with the popular beverage.
Sunak has previously expressed his love for Coca-Cola, particularly in a 2019 interview with two schoolchildren during a visit to Richmond School, located in his constituency of Yorkshire.
“I’m a Coca-Cola addict, I have seven fillings to show for it,” he said. “But I have one a week now. I’m only allowed one a week. So, I’m an enormous Coca-Cola fan. I won’t drink Diet Coke, no Coke Zero, never any Pepsi.”
He added, “Actually, my favourite drink is called Mexican Coke. Because you get it and it’s special Coke. It’s the only place in the world where it is made with cane sugar rather than high-fructose corn syrup, for the people who are really interested in this kind of thing.”
After Sunak declared himself a "total Coke addict" in the 2019 interview with two schoolchildren, the footage quickly gained viral attention. However, he promptly clarified that he was referring to his addiction to Coca-Cola, saying "Coca-Cola addict, just for the record. Just to be totally clear."
During the leadership election last summer, Sunak's team showed a sense of humour by distributing boxes containing cans of Coca-Cola to reporters covering the campaign trail.
Last month, during a visit to a Coca-Cola bottling plant in County Antrim, Sunak joked that he was "very much in [his] happy place,". He even said, “I might treat myself to one on the way out.”
Bob Blackman MP speaks during the event