Welcome to this guide to the best green groceries in Nairobi; for your fresh vegetables and fruits among other necessities, with some shopping tips as a bonus on the end. This list is a compilation of some common greengrocers, each of them discussed to find the best one for you depending on what you shop, most of them offer home deliveries.
Well, well, well. Nairobi is not your typical upcountry home where; ugali is wholegrain, vegetables are in your backyard, milk is straight from the cow’s udders, and eggs freshly warm from a chicken’s butt. You have to buy everything here, of course with money
I have always been an advocate of just being simple and getting your green groceries from Mama Mboga or mathee. The reason is, you are supporting ordinary Kenyans and not the big establishments. Also, you get everything relatively fresher.
But to be realistic, you can’t always get everything from mama mboga especially if you cook weird cuisines or fancy meals that utilize ingredients not locally available.
Say you are trying out some Italian recipe that calls for fresh basil, you can’t get that from mama mboga; or you need fresh parsley, rosemary, thyme, dill, etc.; you will need to check in the big greengrocers.
The other instance where you will skip on mama mboga is when you want online delivery to your doorstep, because you are a lazy potato. Or if you are just buying in bulk and buying a variety of green groceries to stock your fridge.
1. Soko Kijiji
This name translates to ‘Village Market’, wow I just realized that now upon translating individual words.
This is by far my most used service. Fruits are perfect, vegetables are green and crisp; never gotten a single item that is mushy or stale for over a year. That is some good quality consistency. It gets even better when they occasionally throw in some freebies if you bulk purchase and they’re in a good mood
Quality aside, communication is good at every stage, like confirming your payment, your order being processed, your order has been shipped, and so on.
Variety is great and so is availability. I have never missed anything I ordered or got substitution; which is so impressive compared to similar services I won’t mention.
That is the online experience. I don’t think they have a physical store because it says 100% online
You can order from Soko Kijiji via; Glovo, Uber Eats, or via their website
2. Zucchini Green Grocers
Zucchini is probably the biggest greengrocer, with the widest range in Nairobi, with over 6 physical locations and a website you can order from. You can also order from them through third-party delivery apps like Glovo
I would be slightly infuriated if they didn’t sell zucchini at Zucchini Green Grocers, I mean it is in the name! Luckily for them, they do.
Don’t let the name fool you, they don’t sell only green veggies and fruits but also spices, cheeses, eggs, bakery, frozen foods, and beverages… you name it.
However, I find Zucchini too premium for average Kenyans, I’m something of an average Kenyan myself. If you are middle class, pffft, don’t sweat it, this is your place! I use them for something I can’t find elsewhere.
Zucchini Green Grocers Locations 📍 ● ABC Place, ● The Village Market ● Valley Arcade ● Kilimani ● Langata Rd
🌐 Website
3. Chandarana Supermarket
Unlike dedicated greengrocers, supermarkets don’t have the widest variety. I however im impressed by how big Chandarana’s variety is, they are the best in these. Not stopping at fresh food and veggies, but seafood too
Sure, their online ordering website might have gone MIA, just do it in-store or order via WhatsApp.
4. Quickmart Supermarket
Quickmart has a supposedly greengrocery section, but here’s the catch: you can’t order online like a civilized person. Nope, you have to dust off your old phone skills and call them up, just like it’s the ’90s and you’re ordering a pizza. Or email the online sales address.
Maybe according to them, there’s just something special about roaming the aisles, soaking in the sights, and smells, and maybe even getting lost a few times.
“Who needs the convenience of online shopping anyway?”– Quickmart, probably.
To be honest their in-store greengrocery sections are beautiful and breathtaking with wood and greenery aesthetics, the most pleasing in-store experience in my opinion.
5. Naivas Supermarket
Naivas provides the ultimate convenience at their large branches featuring the Food Market logo, the average branches don’t offer much in terms of green groceries, just the basics.
You can easily order groceries through their user-friendly eCommerce website, complete with payment and checkout functionalities. Additionally, Naivas caters to your needs by allowing you to order through third-party delivery services like Glovo.
6. Carrefour Supermarket
Carrefour seems to prioritize the basics, you know, the usual suspects like potatoes, tomatoes, and onions. But when it comes to those crisp, vibrant green veggies and herbs, they’ve got you covered too.
However, when it comes to tomatoes and potatoes, well, let’s just say they can be hit or miss. Sometimes they’re disappointingly mediocre and downright mushy, but most of the time everything is acceptable and perfect
They have the most sophisticated and advanced eCommerce, with advanced features such as scheduling orders and deliveries and offering the best deals and discounts, prices are the best.
Carrefour is probably the cheapest place you can buy green groceries as they have sales and promos going on continually
Also Read: Why Carrefour is the Cheapest Supermarket in Kenya.
7. Greenspoon
This is the newest addition to this post via an update
Greenspoon just like Soko Kijiji is a purely online greengrocer. While I haven’t personally used them, reviews and recommendations are good for the most part, and I feel confident recommending them too.
The persistent mentions are their professional delivery drivers who actually deliver to the door which I highly regard.
The produce quality is commendable, and they have probably the biggest variety of items, not just green groceries; but entire groceries you would need in your kitchen. From frozen foods, dairy, meat, snacks, spreads, spices, dried pulses, simply your entire pantry.
They also have an impressive variety and inventory for special diets like dairy-free, gluten-free, and vegetarian items. They just have almost all the substitutes you would need.
However, if you are a budget shopper, Greenspoon won’t be your best option since they are slightly more expensive than Carrefour for the same.
The price difference is not that wide, but if you bulk purchase, there will be a significant price difference.
🌐 Check out Greenspoon’s Website
Green Grocery Shopping Tips
a). Shopping
- Go in-store shopping to select the absolute best, for online ordering someone picks whatever you ordered; they don’t care about you as a random person, so it’s not like they choose the best for you. Also, you might snag some in-store deals not available online.
- Buy local produce whenever possible, it is easier to identify as most outlets indicate the origin of the produce. Locally sourced groceries are fresher generally and require less transportation reducing carbon footprints. Importantly, you support the local economy. I might not be the most patriotic person but Buy Kenya, Build Kenya phrase makes me nod.
- Check ripeness; this applies to avocados, bananas, tomatoes, and most of the fruits. Always purchase slightly ripe to allow them to ripen at home gradually, you won’t end up with rotten groceries two days later this way
- Buy organic options whenever possible, yes they are overpriced but if you can fit the budget, get them, they don’t pack artificial preservatives or pesticides. The catch is they go bad quickly
- For avocados, get them green and unripe, not only do you get them for cheap(almost half of the ripe price), but also you will ripen them at your pace so that you have a continuous supply; and not all 37 avocados ripe at the same time. You can ripen them by storing them at different temperatures. My hack is to wrap them in a brown bag and store them behind my fridge, the exhaust hot air does the magic in like 3 days. This way I always have an avocado each day to make my irresistible comfort Avocado Toast
- Buy herbs in a pot so that you have a fresh supply always, instead of pruned packed ones which will be withered by the following day
b). Storage & Organization
Remember, it’s essential to wash all fruits and vegetables before consuming them to remove any potential dirt, bacteria, or pesticide residue.
Washing should be done with running water, please don’t use detergent to wash your produce. I did that in the pandemic era because I thought we all gonna die.
- Store fruits and vegetables separately in the fridge, fruits produce ethylene gas while ripening, this will make your green leafy veggies turn yellow
- Store vegetables in your refrigerator vegetable box, as moisture is controlled there and this reduces wilting, some fruits will do just fine on the countertop like bananas. However, for some like apples, I prefer them refrigerated as they taste more crispy, crunchy, and juicier
- Store your produce at ideal temperatures, onions and potatoes should be stored in dark areas at room temperature, no refrigeration is required. The reason for storing them in dark places is to prevent them from growing or germinating shoots
Verdict
I find dedicated greengrocers better than supermarkets as they specialize in one category and maintain a better variety and quality, also freshness; in contrast to supermarkets being jacks of all trades with 10s of product categories. To be fair it is hard to excel in one area with those spreads.
For the best quality and freshness maybe consider independent greengrocers generally, but if you fancy the convenience of getting all household things from one place, then supermarkets do it just averagely fine.
While online shopping for groceries is convenient, sometimes you pay the price for the laziness of not going in-store shopping. I have bought lettuce with roaches inside the leaf layers, and potatoes rotten on the inside…they just don’t quality check, or if they do, they are not good at it.
I find open markets have the freshest green groceries and the lowest prices and bargains imaginable. So to kill two birds with a stone and consider getting your produce from the market, each vendor specializes in a certain produce so you get the best also competition amongst them makes you get the best deals and savings
Cheers.
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