Where to Buy Zimbabwean Groceries, Spices and Meat in the UK: A City-by-City Guide

For many Zimbabweans in the UK, finding the ingredients that make home cooking possible is both a priority and a persistent challenge. Covo (rapoko or millet-based mealie meal), derere (dried okra), nyimo (round nuts), madora (mopane worms), matemba (dried kapenta fish), and fresh goat or game meat are not staples in mainstream British supermarkets — but they are available, if you know where to look. **London** London has the largest and most developed African food retail network in the UK. Peckham in South London is the undisputed heartland. Rye Lane and the surrounding streets are home to dozens of African and Caribbean grocers, several of which stock Zimbabwean and broader southern African products. Look for shops trading under names like African Food Market, Nour Cash and Carry, and various unnamed stalls within Peckham's indoor markets. Matemba, dried covo leaves, nyimo beans, and peanut butter in bulk are commonly found here. Dalston and Hackney in East London have a strong West African focus but several shops stock dried kapenta, groundnuts, and dried vegetables that overlap with Zimbabwean cooking. Brixton Market (Electric Avenue and the Brixton Village arcade) has African grocers who rotate stock and occasionally carry madora during peak demand periods such as festive seasons. For meat, African and halal butchers in Lewisham, Barking, and Woolwich often carry goat, ox tripe (mala), and occasionally ox tail or cow heel — staples in Zimbabwean cooking. Purpose-run Zimbabwean or southern African butchers are rare in London but informal networks via WhatsApp community groups often connect buyers with individuals who import or prepare biltong, boerewors, and dried meats privately. **Birmingham** Birmingham's Lozells, Handsworth, and Winson Green areas have a dense concentration of African and South Asian food shops. Several Zimbabwean families source nyimo, matemba, and groundnut flour from shops along Soho Road and the Lozells Road corridor. African-run butchers in Handsworth stock goat, offal cuts, and whole chickens at competitive prices. The Sunday market culture in these areas also surfaces vendors selling home-dried or imported Zimbabwean provisions informally. **Manchester** Moss Side and Hulme have established African grocery shops, and Rusholme's international food strip carries dried goods including various legumes and fish products. The Zimbabwean community in Manchester is active on social media, and Facebook groups such as Zimbabweans in Manchester are reliable places to find referrals to community sellers of madora, matemba, and biltong. **Leeds and Sheffield** Both cities have smaller but growing African diaspora communities. Chapeltown in Leeds has African food shops that stock basics including dried kapenta and groundnut products. Sheffield's Burngreave area has similar provisions. For more specific Zimbabwean items, many residents in these cities order online or travel to Birmingham or London periodically for bulk buying. **Bristol and Coventry** Bristol's Easton and St Pauls areas have Caribbean and African shops with rotating stock. Coventry has a significant Zimbabwean population and several informal community sellers operate through church networks and WhatsApp groups, supplying dried meats, matemba, and nyimo sourced from visits back home or via courier parcels. **Online Ordering** For those unable to reach a major city, several UK-based online retailers have filled the gap. Websites such as My African Market, Afrika Foods Online, and various Etsy sellers ship dried Zimbabwean and southern African groceries including nyimo, dried covo, matemba, madora, and peanut butter. Delivery typically takes two to five working days. **Tips for Finding Stock** Stock of specialist items like madora and derere is often seasonal or irregular. Calling ahead before travelling is strongly advised. Joining local Zimbabwean WhatsApp or Facebook community groups is consistently the most reliable method for finding both shops and private sellers. Many community members bulk-import items in their luggage and sell through these networks at reasonable prices. Church fellowships — particularly Zimbabwean-led Pentecostal and apostolic congregations — are also informal hubs for food trading and referrals.