Zamzam Oriental Food

London Road and the Preston Circus area are widely underrated for their food shopping. Zam Zam, for example, at number 14 Preston Road, is a gem of a shop.
Being tucked away at the far end of London Road has maybe led everyone to think that it’s a local shop serving just the local area, but in reality it is relatively specialist, whilst at the same time having a wide range of goods.
Outside the front is a rack of fruit and veg, with a few exceptions to the normal line-​up: Okra and Alphonso Mangoes. Just behind these, visible through the shopfront window, is an impressive array of Indian and Middle-​Eastern pastries and sweets, including some of the best baclava in town, all at about as reasonable a price as you’re likely to find them, and all pretty tasty too.
Inside, the shop is surprisingly large, and is filled with various ingredients from all over Asia. It is a good place to pick up large quantities of rice, big bags of spices, and tinned specialties unavailable elsewhere, ideal if you’re putting on a big spread for loads of people, or if you just want to buy in bulk. Also available are Middle-​Eastern yoghurt drinks, Carribean foods, and hordes of different sauces and seasonings.
Staff are friendly and will happily advise you on how to use anything you’re not familiar with. Prices are in the most part quite reasonable, but you are advised to check the labels on everything before you head to the checkout; some items, because of their rarity, have a pretty phenomenal price for what they are, although I stress that this is only a few things in a shop with a lot to offer.
Zam Zam’s is currently closed for refurbishment, also pending a possible change of premises, so watch this space…