Zimbabwean and African Grocery Shops in the UK: Where to Find Food from Home

Finding familiar Zimbabwean groceries in the UK takes some knowing. From Lobels biscuits and Cerevita to Mazoe, maputi, and Family peanut butter, the products that define Zimbabwean cooking and snacking are available — but rarely on supermarket shelves. Instead, the community relies on a mix of dedicated Zimbabwean online retailers, broader African and Caribbean food stores, and South African-focused shops that stock southern African brands. ## Dedicated Zimbabwean Online Retailers The most reliable source of specifically Zimbabwean products is online. Several UK-based retailers have built their offering around the diaspora's nostalgia and practical needs. **Zimfoods (zimfoods.co.uk)** is one of the most established dedicated Zimbabwean food shops in the UK, based in Birmingham. Their range covers the full spread of Zimbabwean pantry life: Lobels biscuits (custard creams, lemon creams, vanilla creams, Bermuda creams), Charhons biscuits, Cerevita in banana and chocolate malt flavours, Rajah curry powder, Knorrox stock cubes, Black Cat and Family peanut butter, Joko tea, Moringa tea leaves, and All Gold tomato sauce. Wholesale box orders are available for Cerevita and other staples. Prices on sale items tend to run between £1.50 and £6.00 for individual products. **The Savanna (thesavanna.co.uk)** is a South African grocery retailer that stocks a meaningful selection of Zimbabwean products including Mazoe Cream Soda (2L at £10.49), Maputi salted snacks (50g at £1.29), Sun Jam, Happy Hippo white maize kernels (1kg at £5.49), Willards Korn Kurls, and Zambezi Lager. The Savanna also has a physical presence at Paddington Station (R01, Eastbourne Terrace, London W2 1HB), making it convenient for London-based Zimbabweans. Stock availability fluctuates — the website notes several items as out of stock at any given time, so checking before ordering is worthwhile. ## African and Caribbean Food Stores by City For fresh produce, West and East African staples, and general African cooking ingredients, the UK's African and Caribbean food shop network provides good coverage. Many of these carry products useful for Zimbabwean cooking even when they are not specifically Zimbabwean in focus. **London** has the densest concentration of African food retailers across all boroughs, particularly in areas such as Peckham, Brixton, Dalston, and Woolwich. The Savanna's Paddington Station outlet also serves London shoppers directly. **Birmingham** is home to Sami's Wholesale Cash & Carry (Cecil Street, Birmingham B19 3SU), a large African and Caribbean superstore known for its broad range of West African food items and wholesale purchasing options. **Leeds** has several options including Maranatha Africa Market (contact: +44 7977 723319), Kennores Trading (kennorestrading.co.uk), which operates both a physical store in Leeds and an online delivery service offering garri, palm oil, basmati rice, smoked fish, African spices, and Milo. Nima Market on Dewsbury Road (285 Dewsbury Rd, Leeds LS11 5HZ) is also noted as currently open. **Manchester** has Kalisha Foods Store (Oldham Road, Manchester M40 2FE; tel: 07413 904700), stocking plantain fufu, cocoyam fufu, palm nut cream, shea butter, palm oil, and other African groceries. Afroshop on Tartan Street (32 Tartan St, Manchester M11 4EG) is another option in the city. **Glasgow** had Fine Shop African on Balmore Road, though listings suggest it may be closed — worth verifying locally before travelling. It is worth noting that many African food stores across the UK open and close with some frequency. Always confirm current trading status before making a special trip. ## Sending Groceries to Family in Zimbabwe For diaspora members wanting to send groceries to family back home rather than buying for themselves in the UK, two services stand out. **ZimGroceries (zimgroceries.co.uk)** allows UK-based customers to order hampers and individual products for delivery directly to addresses across Zimbabwe. Delivery pricing is zone-based from Harare CBD: within 10km costs $8 (free over $100), 10–30km costs $10, and 30–70km costs $13 with a $50 minimum order. Pre-built hampers are available alongside a build-your-own option. **Zim MegaStore (zimmegastore.com)** is another delivery service covering Harare, Bulawayo, Mutare, Gweru, and rural areas, with same-day or next-day delivery depending on order time. They stock fresh vegetables including covo, rape, and butternuts alongside general groceries. ## Practical Tips For those new to sourcing Zimbabwean food in the UK, online retailers are generally the most consistent option for specifically Zimbabwean brands. African and Caribbean food stores are better for fresh produce, plantain, palm oil, dried fish, and West African staples that overlap with Zimbabwean cooking. South African retailers like The Savanna bridge the gap for southern African brands. WhatsApp community groups for Zimbabweans in specific UK cities are often the best real-time source of information on which local shops have restocked popular items.