Zimbabwean Street Food and Home Cooking in the UK: Where to Buy Sadza, Matemba, Covo, and Other Staples

For Zimbabweans in the UK, recreating the tastes of home is no longer the struggle it once was. A growing network of specialist online retailers and physical shops now stocks everything from mealie-meal and matemba to Mazoe, Royco usavi mix, and even mauyu fruit pulp. Knowing where to look — and what to expect to pay — makes all the difference. **The Essentials: Sadza and Mealie-Meal** Sadza starts with the right flour. The most widely available options in the UK are roller maize meal and super maize meal, with brands like Iwisa well stocked across several platforms. Iwisa Super Maize Meal is available in 2.5 kg bags through 4way Foods (4wayfoods.com), a multi-ethnic supermarket with UK-wide delivery that carries both sadza-specific and general African groceries. Mwanaka Fresh Farm Foods and Butchery (mwanakafarmshop.com), based at 744 Hertford Road, Enfield, London EN3 6PR, stocks Iwisa in 10 kg bags alongside its own-brand Mwanaka Refined Maize Meal and Mwanaka Roller Maize Meal in 5 kg packs. They also stock pearl millet (mhunga), organic sorghum, and finger millet (zviyo) — grains that are harder to source elsewhere and important for families who prepare traditional porridges beyond sadza. Orders placed by noon qualify for next-day delivery. For those who want everything Zimbabwean under one roof, Mars International Food and Drinks (marsfoods.co.uk) and Zimfoods (zimfoods.co.uk) are two dedicated online retailers catering specifically to the diaspora. **Matemba, Kapenta, and Dried Fish** Matemba — the small dried fish also known as kapenta — is one of the most searched-for items among Zimbabwean shoppers in the UK. Zimtuckshop (zimtuckshop.co.uk) stocks Shemark Matemba/Kapenta at £4.50 for a 200 g pack (reduced from £7.45). Mars Foods also carries dried kapenta, with customer reviews confirming it arrives in good condition. These are typically fried and salted as a relish alongside sadza, or cooked into a stew with tomatoes and onions. **Covo, Derere, and Leafy Greens** Fresh covo (rape or collard greens) can sometimes be found at African and Caribbean markets in larger UK cities — Birmingham's Bullring area, Brixton Market in London, and Peckham's Rye Lane all have vendors who occasionally stock it. However, fresh availability is inconsistent. A practical alternative is powdered derere (okra), available from Zimtuckshop under the Shemark brand at £4.50, which can be used to thicken stews in the traditional way. Zimfoods also stocks items in the traditional category including groundnut butter (dovi), Royco Usavi Mix in both chicken and beef varieties (£1.50 each on sale), and Family Peanut Butter specifically labelled for dovi use. **Drinks and Breakfast Staples** Mazoe Orange Crush — arguably the most iconic Zimbabwean drink — is stocked by Mars Foods in 2-litre bottles at £8.00, alongside Mazoe Raspberry. Cerevita, the fortified cereal widely used as a children's breakfast and a comfort food for adults, is available at Mars Foods in all flavours for £8.00. Mahewu (fermented maize drink) appears at Zimtuckshop in the form of Mushe Mahewu Overnight at £2.99. **Spices, Seasonings, and Condiments** Aromat seasoning, the all-purpose flavour enhancer found in almost every Zimbabwean kitchen, is available at Mars Foods for £2.00 for a 75 g tin — one of the most affordable items on the platform. Knorrox stock cubes in chicken and beef (24-packs) are stocked at Zimfoods at £5.00 on sale. Rajah curry powder, used heavily in Zimbabwean-style stews, comes in 50 g packs at around £1.50–£1.75. **Baked Goods and Snacks** Zimfoods carries Lobels biscuits alongside Topper Biscuits in mint chocolate, chocolate, and custard flavours. Charhons loose biscuits in 500 g packs are available for £3.00, a staple recognisable to anyone who grew up near a tuck shop. Baobab fruit pulp (mauyu/umkhomo) is stocked at Zimtuckshop under the Shemark brand at £5.99. **Eating Out: Zimbabwean Restaurants in the UK** For those who want a plate of sadza without cooking, Rhodees Restaurant and Lounge (rhodeesrestaurantandlounge.co.uk) serves sadza with highfiridzi (assorted meats fried and stewed with peppers) for £15.00, and a meat platter for four with sadza and greens at £45.00. A side of greens alone is available for £3.00. Zimbabwean and Southern African food is also increasingly found at pop-up events and community gatherings, particularly in London, Birmingham, and Manchester. **Shopping for Family Back Home** ZimGroceries (zimgroceries.co.uk) operates a different model — rather than delivering to diaspora households in the UK, it allows diaspora members to shop online and have groceries delivered directly to family in Harare and surrounding areas, with free delivery on orders over $100 and delivery in three to five business days. This is particularly useful for supporting elderly relatives or children who remain in Zimbabwe.