Zimbabwean Food in the UK: Where to Buy Sadza, Matemba, Mazoe, and Other Zimbabwean Groceries

For Zimbabweans in the UK, finding the foods that taste like home is both a practical necessity and an emotional comfort. The good news is that the market for authentic Zimbabwean groceries in Britain has grown considerably, with dedicated online retailers shipping across the country and a handful of African food shops stocking key staples in major cities. **Dedicated Zimbabwean Online Retailers** Several UK-based online shops specialise specifically in Zimbabwean and Southern African products, offering nationwide delivery. **Zimfoods (zimfoods.co.uk)** is based in Birmingham and carries an extensive range including Lobels biscuits (Lemon Creams, Custard Creams, Vanilla Creams, Bermuda Creams), Charhon's biscuits, Royco Usavi Mix in both chicken and beef, Colcom French Polony, Cerevita porridge, Family peanut butter (dovi), mauyu (baobab fruit), and various South African pantry staples that are common in Zimbabwean households such as All Gold tomato sauce, Knorrox stock cubes, and Black Cat peanut butter. Wholesale box options are available for items like Cerevita, priced at £170–£180 per box of 24. Prices on individual items are regularly discounted from listed retail prices. **GazMart (gazmart.co.uk)** has been operating since 2018 and positions itself around the idea of getting food "from home to your door" at fair prices. Their stock includes Mazoe cordials, Lobels biscuits, and a range of Zimbabwean pantry goods. The site is built around accessibility and affordability, making it a good option for regular top-up orders. **Hungwe Tuckshop (hungwetuckshop.co.uk)** serves the London area and offers a broader Southern African selection including madora (mopane worms), maputi, freezits, Savanna Dry Cider, Hunters Gold Cider, and various African snacks and fabrics. Orders can be collected from Woolwich Arsenal in London, or delivery can be arranged. They also run city-to-city tours — contact them on 07472 350503 to check when they may be in your area. Hours are Monday to Saturday, 9am to 9pm. **Kalahari Moon (kalaharimoon.co.uk)**, based in Bristol (tel: +44 117 929 9879), stocks a well-curated range of Zimbabwean products including Dairiboard Udiwo Maheu (500ml, around £1.95), Dairiboard Pfuko Buttermilk, Schweppes Mazoe in Orange, Cream Soda, and Raspberry flavours (2L bottles around £8.50), Willards Korn Kurls, Willards Jupiters, Willards Chicken Flings, Charhons biscuits, Yugo nyimo beans, Maputi maize snacks (50g for around £0.95), and Royco Usavi Mix. They carry three pages of Zimbabwean products, making it one of the more comprehensive specialist selections available online. **ZimGroceries (zimgroceries.co.uk)** operates differently — rather than delivering to you in the UK, this service allows diaspora members to shop online for family back in Zimbabwe. They source products directly from Zimbabwe, offer hamper building, gift packaging, and deliver within Harare and surrounding areas in three to five business days, with free delivery on orders over $100. This is particularly useful for those wanting to support relatives at home without the complications of arranging local delivery in Zimbabwe. **Broader African Food Stores with Zimbabwean Stock** Several pan-African grocery retailers carry Zimbabwean-specific products alongside broader West and East African ranges. **4way Foods (4wayfoods.com)** stocks Iwisa Super Maize Meal in 5kg bags (around £8.70), which is widely used for making sadza. The site offers UK-wide delivery and caters to African and Caribbean households generally. **Ogbongeh (ogbongeh.com)** is primarily an African food store with Nigerian roots but stocks Royco Usavi Beef (around £2.10), making it a useful backup source for this Zimbabwean cooking essential. **What You Can Realistically Find in the UK** Across these platforms, the following Zimbabwean staples are regularly available: - **Sadza ingredients**: White maize meal (Iwisa, and similar brands) in 5kg bags - **Maheu**: Dairiboard Udiwo Maheu and Pfuko Buttermilk - **Mazoe**: Orange, Cream Soda, and Raspberry cordials (2L) - **Maputi**: Maize/corn puff snacks - **Madora**: Mopane worms (dried) - **Matemba**: Dried kapenta fish — check African food shops and ask specifically; availability varies - **Nyimo beans**: Available at Kalahari Moon - **Biscuits**: Lobels and Charhons ranges widely stocked - **Cerevita**: Breakfast porridge available online - **Royco Usavi Mix**: Beef and chicken versions available at multiple retailers - **Colcom products**: French Polony available at Zimfoods - **Willards crisps**: Korn Kurls, Jupiters, Chicken Flings - **Mauyu**: Fresh and dried baobab fruit at Zimfoods **Chibuku** Chibuku (traditional opaque beer) is subject to import and licensing restrictions and is not widely available through standard online retailers in the UK. Your best bet is to ask at dedicated African food shops in areas with large Zimbabwean communities such as Wolverhampton, Leicester, Luton, Birmingham, and parts of London. Stock can be inconsistent. **Tips for UK-Based Buyers** Ordering in bulk where possible — particularly for maize meal, Cerevita, and biscuits — reduces per-unit cost and delivery fees. Several retailers offer wholesale pricing for box quantities. Joining local Zimbabwean community WhatsApp groups and Facebook groups (by city) often surfaces information about pop-up sellers, bulk buying clubs, and new local shops that may not have a strong online presence yet. Prices and stock levels fluctuate, so checking multiple sites before ordering is worthwhile.