Zimbabwean Grocery Stores, Butchers and African Shops in the UK: A Regional Directory

Finding authentic Zimbabwean and Southern African food in the UK has become significantly easier over the past decade, with dedicated online retailers, African supermarkets, and specialist cash-and-carry warehouses now serving communities across the country. Whether you are looking for Mazoe Orange Crush, Lobels biscuits, Cerevita, dried mopane worms, or fresh boerewors, there are reliable options available both online and in physical stores. ## Online Retailers Delivering Across the UK **Zimfoods (zimfoods.co.uk)** is a Birmingham-based online store specialising in Zimbabwean and Southern African products. Their range covers traditional foods, snacks, cereals, teas, spices, and beverages. Popular lines include Lobels biscuits (Custard Creams, Lemon Creams, Bermuda Creams, Vanilla Creams), Charhons biscuits, Cerevita, Rajah curry powder, Knorrox stock cubes, Black Cat peanut butter, Family peanut butter (dovi), and Five Roses chai tea. They also stock South African staples like All Gold tomato sauce, Nola mayonnaise, and Moirs custard powder. Wholesale options are available, including Cerevita Banana by the case of 24 units. Delivery is to your doorstep, making it a practical option if you are not near a physical African store. **Zimtuckshop (zimtuckshop.co.uk)** describes itself as bringing customers closer to home and stocks a broad range including beverages, snacks, traditional foods, traditional herbs, African print fabric products, traditional household utensils, gifts and souvenirs, and books. Their range includes Maputi (roasted maize), Madora (mopane worms), and Mazoe. They also carry a bulk-buy section for larger orders. **ZimGroceries (zimgroceries.co.uk)** operates differently — it is a service designed for diaspora members to send groceries directly to family members in Zimbabwe rather than receiving deliveries in the UK. Customers in the UK, Canada, USA, Australia and elsewhere browse and pay online, and ZimGroceries delivers fresh groceries to the recipient's door in Zimbabwe. Delivery zones are priced from $8 for addresses within 10km of Harare CBD, with free delivery on orders over $100 within that zone. Orders over $200 qualify for free delivery more broadly. The minimum order is $20. This is a useful option for supporting family back home without the complications of international parcel shipping. ## London London has the largest concentration of African food shops in the UK. Areas including Peckham, Brixton, Dalston, Tottenham, and Woolwich all have well-established African supermarkets that stock Southern African products alongside West African goods. Peckham in particular has long been a hub for the Zimbabwean and broader Southern African community. Wanis, a large wholesale cash-and-carry based in London, is one of the major suppliers of African food products to smaller retailers across the country. Buying from Wanis directly can offer significant savings on bulk items. ## Birmingham and the Midlands Birmingham has some of the oldest and most respected African food traders in the UK. Zimfoods operates from the Birmingham area and serves both local and national customers. Samis is a well-known Birmingham-based cash-and-carry operation that stocks African dry goods, frozen meats including hard chicken and goat portions, and imported beverages. The city's diverse market scene makes it one of the stronger locations outside London for finding Zimbabwean-specific products. ## Manchester and Salford The North West has seen considerable growth in African food retail. Cheetham Hill and inner Salford are particularly well-served. **Kalisha Foods Store** (07413 904700) is a Manchester-based African and European food store offering both in-store shopping and delivery. They cater to individual and wholesale needs and accept debit and credit cards. Global African Ltd operates a large warehouse in Manchester supplying bulk dry goods, frozen meats, and beverages. Manchester stores tend to have larger floor spaces than London equivalents, often with wholesale sections where 20kg bags of maize meal or rice can be purchased at a discount — useful for community events or large families. ## What to Look For When Sourcing Ingredients **Maize meal** for sadza is widely available from African stores and online. Brands including Iwisa (South African), Roller Meal, and others are commonly stocked. Iwisa is a pre-cooked product that reduces cooking time considerably. Maize meal is also available through Amazon. **Boerewors** can be sourced from African butchers across the UK, many of whom offer postal delivery. When ordering online, the classic flavour is the safest starting point, though garlic and chilli variants are available. If no specialist butcher is accessible, beef sausages from mainstream supermarkets can substitute in recipes. **Mopane worms (madora)** are stocked by specialist Zimbabwean online retailers including Zimtuckshop. Dried mopane worms require soaking in water for three to four hours before cooking. They are high in protein and can be cooked with tomatoes, onion, garlic, ginger, turmeric, and fresh chilli, then served with sadza. **Mazoe, Cerevita, Lobels products, Charhons biscuits, Maputi, Kapenta** and other distinctly Zimbabwean staples are best sourced from dedicated Zimbabwean online retailers rather than general African stores, as availability of specifically Zimbabwean brands in physical shops varies considerably by city. ## Practical Tips - Follow Zimbabwean diaspora Facebook groups for your city — members regularly share when new stock arrives at local stores or when online retailers run sales. - Zimfoods and Zimtuckshop periodically run clearance sales with significant discounts, sometimes 50% off listed prices. - For bulk purchasing ahead of events such as funerals, weddings, or church gatherings, contact stores directly to arrange wholesale pricing. - Delivery times and stock availability vary, so ordering with some lead time is advisable, particularly around Christmas and Easter when demand is high.