Zimbabwean Grocery Shops, Butchers, and Food Suppliers in the UK: Where to Find Sadza, Covo, Madora and Other Staples

One of the most persistent challenges for Zimbabweans in the UK is finding the foods that make a house feel like home. Sadza, covo, matemba, madora, mahewu, dried fish, and road runner chicken are not luxuries — they are part of daily life for millions of Zimbabweans. The good news is that a growing network of African and Zimbabwean-run shops across Britain now makes it possible to source most staples without flying them in your suitcase. **Where to Shop: City by City** In London, the highest concentration of African food shops serving Zimbabwean communities is found in areas with large African populations: Peckham, Brixton, Lewisham, Woolwich, Harlesden, and Tottenham. Peckham in particular — sometimes called the heart of London's African community — has multiple shops on and around Rye Lane stocking mealie meal (both roller meal and fine-ground), dried vegetables, matemba (kapenta dried fish), covo seeds, pumpkin leaves, and occasionally madora (mopane worms). Shops like ADIS African and Caribbean Food Store and various unnamed market stalls rotate stock regularly, so it pays to ask specifically for Zimbabwean products. In the Midlands, Birmingham's Lozells, Handsworth, and Smethwick areas have a strong Zimbabwean and Southern African presence. Several shops along Soho Road and the Handsworth area stock Zimbabwean brands including Gloria Maize Meal and Ufu wepfu (fine white maize flour). Sheffield, Nottingham, and Leicester each have at least one or two African grocery shops that cater to Southern African tastes. In the North, Manchester's Moss Side and Hulme communities have supported African food retailers for decades. Leeds and Bradford also have shops serving African communities, though stock of specifically Zimbabwean products can be patchy and worth calling ahead to confirm. In Scotland, Glasgow's South Side — particularly around Govanhill — has a diverse food retail scene. Edinburgh has a smaller but growing Zimbabwean community, with some African grocers stocking Southern African products on request. **Key Products to Look For** *Mealie Meal / Roller Meal:* Brands like Gloria, Ufu, and National Foods products are the most familiar to Zimbabweans. Many UK shops stock these under the generic label "white maize meal" or "roller meal." Fine-ground mealie meal for a smoother sadza is sometimes sold separately from coarser grades. *Dried Vegetables:* Covo (rape leaves), pumpkin leaves, and nyemba (cowpeas) are often sold dried in African shops. Fresh covo is harder to find but some shops in London stock it seasonally or by order. *Matemba / Kapenta:* Small dried fish from Lake Kariba and Lake Tanganyika are stocked by most Southern and East African shops in the UK. They are often sold in bulk bags of 200g to 1kg. *Madora (Mopane Worms):* These are harder to find fresh or moist-dried but are occasionally available in tins or dried packets in specialist African shops, particularly in London. Online African food retailers are often the more reliable source. *Mahewu:* Pre-packaged mahewu powder is sold in some shops, though fresh mahewu is rare outside home preparation. *Dried Beans and Nyemba:* Widely available in African and Asian grocery shops across the UK. **Online Suppliers** For those outside major cities or unable to find specific products locally, several online retailers now supply Zimbabwean and Southern African foods across the UK: - **Turkeys African Foods** (online) stocks a broad range of African staples including mealie meal and dried fish - **Mama's African Store** and similar online shops carry dried vegetables and canned goods - **Amazon UK** increasingly lists African grocery items, including some Zimbabwean-branded products, through third-party sellers - **eBay UK** has listings for madora and matemba from specialist sellers Facebook Groups such as *Zimbabweans in the UK* and *Zim Community UK* are invaluable for real-time recommendations — members regularly share shop discoveries, home-based food sellers, and bulk-buy arrangements. **Home-Based and Community Sellers** Across every major UK city with a Zimbabwean population, there are community members who cook and sell traditional foods from home — roasted madora, fresh sadza and stew, matemba in chilli sauce, and home-brewed mahewu. These informal sellers operate primarily through WhatsApp groups, Facebook pages, and word of mouth. While not formal businesses, they are often the best source for authentic Zimbabwean flavours and are an important part of community life. **Butchers and Meat** Halal butchers in areas like Peckham, Handsworth, and Moss Side often stock goat, offal (tripe, liver, intestines), and occasionally oxtail at prices and cuts familiar to Zimbabwean cooking. Some African-run butchers also stock road runner (free-range) chicken imported or sourced from specialist poultry farms. For braai-style cuts and boerewors sausage, South African shops and online retailers such as **SA Goods** and **Braai.com** serve Southern African tastes broadly. Building relationships with local shop owners and joining community WhatsApp groups remains the most reliable strategy for staying ahead of stock arrivals and finding the specific Zimbabwean foods that make the diaspora experience feel closer to home.