Founded on a feeling. Built together with you.
It started with a craving
Zambahola was born from a feeling every Egyptian living abroad knows well — that sudden longing for a taste of home. The aroma of freshly baked feteer, the crunch of dukkah on warm bread, the sweetness of basbousa shared with family. These are more than foods; they are memories, comfort, and connection.
Dr Hany Salem, an Egyptian-British doctor living in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, felt that craving one too many times. After years of searching supermarket shelves for authentic Egyptian ingredients — and coming up short — he decided to do something about it. Zambahola was created to bring the real taste of Egypt to doorsteps across the United Kingdom.
We are building this together
Zambahola is not just a shop — it is a community project. We are at the very beginning of our journey, and we want you to be part of it from day one. Every product we add, every category we launch, every improvement we make is shaped by the people who shop with us.
We believe the best businesses are built hand-in-hand with their customers. That is why your voice matters to us more than anything. Whether you have a suggestion for a product we should stock, feedback on your order, or even a concern — we genuinely want to hear it. You can reach us anytime, and we promise to listen, discuss, and do our very best to act on what you tell us. This is your Egyptian pantry as much as it is ours.
What we do
We source authentic Egyptian products — from everyday pantry staples like rice, pasta, oils, herbs, and spices to specialty items like Egyptian cheeses, pastrami, sausages, and frozen kanafeh. Our cold chain range is dispatched with local hand-delivery in an insulated box with frozen gel ice packss to ensure everything arrives fresh and safe.
Our team works directly with trusted suppliers to bring you products that pass one simple test: would this feel at home on an Egyptian table? If the answer is yes, we will do everything we can to get it to you. We are constantly expanding our range, so if there is something you are looking for that we do not carry yet, let us know — it might just be next on our list.
Quality you can afford
We know that prices have been rising everywhere, and we feel it too. That is exactly why we are committed to keeping our products as affordable as possible without compromising on quality. We work hard to negotiate fair prices with our suppliers so that we can pass those savings on to you. Authentic Egyptian food should not be a luxury — it should be accessible to everyone who wants to enjoy it.
Everyone is welcome
Zambahola is for every Egyptian in the UK who misses the tastes they grew up with. It is for the families keeping traditions alive thousands of miles from home. But it is also for anyone — of any background — who has ever tasted Egyptian food and fallen in love with it, or who is curious to try something new and magnificent. Egyptian cuisine is one of the oldest and richest in the world, and we believe everyone deserves to experience it.
Whether you are stocking up on staples, exploring new flavours, or putting together a feast for friends, you are welcome here.
Where we are
We are based in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, and we deliver across the United Kingdom. We are a small team with big ambitions, growing step by step and learning as we go — always with the goal of making authentic Egyptian food easy to find and enjoy, wherever you are in the UK.
Our promise
We promise to keep sourcing the best Egyptian products we can find. We promise to keep our prices fair. We promise to listen to you and treat every piece of feedback as a gift. And we promise to keep building Zambahola into the Egyptian food destination that our community deserves.
Welcome to Zambahola — your Egyptian pantry in the UK.