Zimbabwean Grocery and Food Shops in the UK: Where to Buy Sadza, Matemba, Mauyu and Other Zimbabwean Products

Finding the ingredients for a proper sadza, a bowl of maheu, or a packet of maputi in the UK has become significantly easier over the past decade. A growing network of online retailers and physical shops now caters specifically to the Zimbabwean and broader Southern African diaspora, stocking everything from mealie meal and Mazoe to Lobels biscuits, Colcom products, and traditional herbs. ## Key Online Retailers **Zimfoods (zimfoods.co.uk)** — Based in Birmingham, Zimfoods is one of the most dedicated Zimbabwean food retailers in the UK. Their range includes Lobels biscuits (Lemon Creams, Custard Creams, Vanilla Creams, Bermuda Creams), Cerevita breakfast cereal (available in banana and chocolate malt flavours, including wholesale boxes of 24), Colcom French Polony, Royco Usavi Mix (chicken and beef), Family Peanut Butter (dovi), Moringa Tea, and fresh mauyu (baobab fruit). They also stock Charhons biscuits and Rambawaraira Proton Cookies. Delivery is available across the UK, and customer reviews note reliable tracking and faster-than-expected delivery times. **GazMart (gazmart.co.uk)** — Established in 2018, GazMart positions itself as a supplier of Zimbabwean home foods with a focus on affordable pricing. Their strapline — "from home to your door" — reflects their mission to make Zimbabwean staples accessible without the premium pricing that often accompanies imported goods. Their range includes Mazoe, Lobels biscuits, and a variety of everyday Zimbabwean pantry items. **Zimtuckshop (zimtuckshop.co.uk)** — This retailer stocks Zimbabwean Unrefined Mealie Meal (Mugaiwa) at £7.99, as well as traditional cooking utensils such as the mugoti, musika, and mugwati (wooden cooking spoons). They also carry Zimbabwean cultural items including jiras (traditional cloths) and handcrafted copper bangles, making it a good source for both food and cultural goods. They stock Shemark traditional herbs including Ndorani (intolwane) and Chifumuro (fever bush). **Kalahari Moon (kalaharimoon.co.uk)** — Based in Bristol (phone: +44 117 929 9879), Kalahari Moon stocks a solid range of Zimbabwean-branded products. Their inventory includes Dairiboard Udiwo Maheu and Pfuko Maheu Buttermilk (500ml, around £1.95), Schweppes Mazoe in orange, raspberry, and cream soda flavours (2L, around £8.50), Maputi maize snacks (50g, around £0.95), Willards Korn Kurls, Willards Jupiters, Willards Chicken Flings, Yugo Nyimo Beans (500g), Charhons biscuits, and Royco Usavi Mix. They carry three pages of Zimbabwean-branded stock. **Hungwe Tuckshop (hungwetuckshop.co.uk)** — This London-based retailer offers collection from Woolwich Arsenal in addition to nationwide delivery. Beyond food, they stock African fabrics and traditional items. Their food range includes madora (mopane worms), Cerevita, mauyu (baobab), nzungu/groundnuts, Iwisa Super Maize Meal, Freezits, and Southern African ciders including Savanna Dry and Hunters Gold. They also offer a city-to-city tour service — contact them on 07472350503 to find out when they may be in your area. **Mwanaka Fresh Farm Foods and Butchery (mwanakafarmshop.com)** — Located at 744 Hertford Road, Enfield, London EN3 6PR (phone: 01992 765 668), Mwanaka offers something most online retailers cannot: fresh meat and butchery products. They stock boerewors (original and garlic flavours), pork trotters, mixed cuts, and beef products including chuck and blade steak. They also carry Mwanaka-branded mealie meal (refined, roller, and pearl millet/mhunga), organic sorghum, and finger millet (zviyo) in 5kg bags. Orders placed before 12pm receive next-day delivery; orders after 12pm Thursday arrive the following Tuesday. **The South African Spaza Shop (southafricanshop.uk)** — While South African in focus, this Swindon-based retailer stocks products shared across Southern African cuisines, including Iwisa Super Maize Meal suitable for sadza. They deliver across England, Scotland, and Wales, and serve customers from Ireland. The shop was founded by Steven East, who moved from Durban to Swindon and began importing familiar staples for the community. ## What You Can Find in the UK Across these retailers, the following Zimbabwean staples are generally available: - **Mealie meal**: Refined, roller, mugaiwa (unrefined), and mhunga (pearl millet) — essential for sadza - **Mazoe**: Orange, raspberry, and cream soda flavours (Schweppes-branded) - **Maheu**: Dairiboard Udiwo and Pfuko varieties - **Lobels and Charhons biscuits**: Wide range of cream-filled varieties - **Cerevita**: Banana and chocolate malt flavours - **Royco Usavi Mix**: Beef and chicken flavours for relish seasoning - **Colcom products**: Including French Polony - **Mauyu (baobab fruit)**: Fresh and dried - **Madora (mopane worms)**: Available by the tea cup measure - **Maputi and Korn Kurls**: Zimbabwean maize snacks - **Nyimo beans**: Traditional round nuts - **Traditional herbs**: Ndorani, chifumuro, and others - **Nzungu/groundnuts**: For dovi (peanut butter stew) - **Wooden cooking utensils**: Mugoti and musika ## A Note on Availability Stock levels fluctuate, and some items — particularly Mazoe flavours and Royco Usavi Mix — are periodically listed as sold out. It is worth checking multiple retailers if a specific product is unavailable on your preferred site. Prices for imported Zimbabwean goods are naturally higher than in Zimbabwe itself, reflecting shipping, import duties, and UK retail margins. For those in cities with larger Zimbabwean communities — London, Birmingham, Bristol, Coventry, Leeds — it is also worth checking local African and Caribbean grocery shops, as some stock Southern African brands alongside West and East African products. Woolwich, Peckham, and Handsworth in Birmingham in particular have markets and shops where matemba (dried kapenta/small fish) and other traditional ingredients can sometimes be found.