26 Black-Owned Grocery Businesses for Stocking Your Pantry
In the past few years, intentionally shopping with Black-owned brands became a more mainstream practice as racial unrest left many looking for ways to support a long-oppressed community. I’m one of the many people who have gone out of their way to buy Black for years, so I was excited, not only to see more shoppers following suit, but also to learn more about brands I’d never heard of before.
Read more: 50 Black-Owned Brands You Need in Your Kitchen
Finding and supporting Black brands is even more exciting with a special occasion in mind, which is one reason why I co-founded Bold Xchange, an employee gifting platform powered by Black-owned brands. I love discovering new products and potential brand partners on store shelves — especially when I’m grocery shopping. All of the following Black-owned grocery products can be found either in person or online. Any one of them would be a great addition to your pantry. Check them out (literally and figuratively).
1. Partake Foods
When a brand claims to sell cookies that are totally allergen-free — no dairy, soy, nuts, gluten, or eggs — it’s natural to wonder what’s inside. In the case of Partake Foods’ line of crunchy cookies (and breakfast mixes and newly launched graham crackers), the answer is oat and cassava flour, natural sugars, and whole foods like apples, ginger, and pumpkin. You can find them at Target, Trader Joe’s, Walmart, or a Whole Foods near you.
Buy: Partake Lemon Soft Cookies, $4.39 for 5.5 ounces at Target
2. Junita’s Jar Cookies
Love at first bite is real. Grab a bag of Junita’s Jar and you’ll believe in it, too. These mini cookies are crunchy and buttery, with a delicate, crumbly outer layer that makes them taste homemade. The classic chocolate chip is an unsurprising winner, but the other two signature flavors measure up with ease. Oatmeal peanut butter chocolate chip and brown sugar oatmeal are reminiscent of cookies my mom used to make to welcome new neighbors or brighten a gloomy day.
Buy: Junitas Jar Mini Cookie Snack Pack Chocolate Chip, 4.99 each at Target
3. Moonshot Crackers
Climate-friendly snack crackers might not be at the top of your weekly shopping list, but they should be. Moonshot is deeply climate-conscious, as demonstrated by the crackers’ main ingredient: regeneratively grown wheat from a farm in Washington state. Add to that 100% recycled packaging and a tight operational footprint, and Moonshot Crackers drives home its mission to reduce our impact on Earth. The crackers themselves are plant-based, non-GMO, carbon-neutral, and absolutely delicious. The eco-friendly cartons suggest topping them with nut butters and fruit spreads, and they’re perfectly tasty on their own, too.
Buy: Moonshot Organic Crackers Sourdough Sea Salt, $4.99 for 4 oz box at Target
4. Ajoje Snacks
Triple A sells three varieties of Chin Chin, a West African snack consisting of baked or fried wheat-flour dough. Although they taste great solo, Triple A recommends using the Chin Chin as croutons or crunchy ice cream toppings, or alongside a strong cup of coffee.
Buy:Ajoje Snacks Chin Chin, $24.99 for 3 (14-ounce) packs at Amazon
5. Capital City Mambo Sauce
If you know anyone from DC, chances are you have heard of mambo sauce — a red, tangy condiment (almost like a ketchup alternative) that’s most famously considered a must-have accompaniment to chicken wings and fries. The sauce used to be one of those enigmatic regional foods, found only at local Chinese carryout restaurants. So when DC natives Arsha Jones and her husband, Charles, moved to Maryland, they started toying with a recipe, and Capital City Mambo Sauce was born.
Buy: Capital City Mambo Sauce, $16.99 for 2 (12-ounce) bottles at Amazon
6. Pitmaster LT
While there may be some debate about this brand’s claims that Kansas City is the “Barbecue Capital of the World,” the quality of Pitmaster LT sauce is not up for discussion. The Kansas City-style sauces come in Original or Spicy, and are free from allergens and preservatives. They also sell dry rub blends, if you want to expand beyond the sauce. Find them in a range of stores across the U.S. and Canada.
Buy: Pitmaster LT’s Barbeque Sauce Combo (3-Pack), $28.95 for 3 (18-ounce) bottles at Pitmaster LT’s
7. Essie Spice
From a nutty dry rub to a tangy tamarind marinade, Essie Spice’s products are anything but ordinary. The flavor blends were created by the founder Essie Bartels, who grew up in Ghana loving spices and exotic foods. Shop her products in Whole Foods or another location near you.
More info: Essie Spice Mekko Dry Rub, $12 for 6.5 ounces at Amazon
8. A Dozen Cousins
For many cultures, beans are comfort food — a taste of home. That’s true for Ibraheem Basir, the founder of A Dozen Cousins, a brand creating microwavable pouches of various bean blends. The Caribbean, Latin, and Creole cuisines he grew up with are reflected in his brand’s bean varieties, which include Refried Pinto Beans, Cuban Black Beans, and Trini Chickpea Curry, as well as more recent launches, like its line of microwaveable rice and seasoning sauces.
Buy: A Dozen Cousins Seasoned Beans Variety Pack, $22.22 for 6 (10-ounce) pouches at Amazon
9. Yolélé
“Let the good times roll” is the closest translation of Yolélé, a term used in West and Central Africa to express the sentiment. Yolélé the food brand makes products using fonio, an ancient grain that is otherwise not so easy to find in the U.S. Look for the pilaf blends and fonio chips at Whole Foods and Fresh Market locations.
Buy: Yolélé Fonio, $4.79 for 10 ounces at Thrive Market
10. Glory Foods
Even if you’re not familiar with Glory Foods, you’ve likely passed its products on the grocery shelves. The company sells a range of canned foods, including fruits and beans and vegetable medleys. Unlike many other canned products on the shelf, some Glory varieties come pre-seasoned. The canned collard greens and black-eyed peas are a major cheat code for anyone adhering to the American Southern tradition of eating both with cornbread on New Year’s Day for good luck.
Buy: Glory Foods Canned Seasoned Collard Greens, 1.98 for 27 ounces at Walmart
11. Iya Foods
Good products and positive impact are the top priorities at Iya Foods, which creates seasoning blends, baking mixes, and allergy-friendly flours like cassava, fonio, and tapioca. The company aims for environmental sustainability by working with local growers and engaging in energy-efficient production practices. Browse its entire slate of packaged foods here.
Buy: Iya Foods Piri-Piri Seasoning, $9.50 for 5 ounces at Amazon
12. BLK & Bold Coffee
Single-origin, decaf, light roast and dark — BLK & Bold Coffee sells a range of coffee blends, plus a handful of loose-leaf teas. It’s not just about the beverages, though: Founders Pernell Cezar and Rod Johnson started the brand to “make purpose popular.” The company pledges 5% of its profits to organizations and programs focused on ending youth homelessness and improving workforce development.
Buy: BLK & Bold Coffee, $25.98 for 2 (12-ounce) bags at Amazon
13. Red Bay Coffee
This San Francisco Bay Area brand eagerly claims a seat at the forefront of the coffee industry’s fourth wave: a push for quality coffee that is not only sustainably produced, but also accounts for diversity and equity in every way. Founded by food entrepreneur and artist Keba Konte in 2014, the Red Bay blends reflect an intimate understanding of the coffee-making process, as well as a deep appreciation for community and culture. They can be found at Amazon, Target, and at Whole Foods and other shops in California.
Buy: Red Bay Coffee Carver’s Dream, $18.99 for 12 ounces at Amazon
14. Kahawa 1893
Fans of Shark Tank will recognize this one. Founder Margaret Nyamumbo was featured on the show earlier this year and made a deal with non-coffee-drinker Emma Grede. Even for folks who don’t start their day with a freshly brewed cup, Kahawa’s approach is compelling. Nyamumbo is a third-generation coffee farmer from Kenya, where women are 90% of the coffee labor force, but only own 1% of the land. Nyamumbo and Kahawa 1893 source coffee directly from women farmers in Kenya, Rwanda, and Congo. On the back of each bag, there’s a QR code to tip those farmers as you’re enjoying the beans they harvested.
Buy: Kahawa 1893 Safari Medium Roast Coffee, $12.99 for 12 oz bag at Target
15. Chicago French Press
Perhaps the most enticing thing about Chicago French Press’s coffee lineup are the flavors themselves. Varieties like Maple Pecan, Vanilla Bean Blossom, Chocolate Blueberry, and Coconut Creme make the mouth water. And these are just a handful of the options currently available. CFP specializes in seasonal and decaf coffee, allowing you to get the taste of a fancy local café in your own kitchen.
Buy: Chicago French Press Maple Pecan Medium Roast Coffee, $12.99 for 12 oz bag at Target
16. Golde
Golde Founder Trinity Mouzon started mixing the brand’s flagship turmeric latte blends when she experienced skin issues after moving to New York City. The company has since expanded the lineup, adding superfood face masks and, most recently, a line of dietary supplements.
Buy: Golde Original Turmeric Superfood Latte Blend, $19.99 for 4.2 ounces at Target
17. Vegan Smart
For vegans and vegetarians who are looking to get more protein, the answer is simple: Vegan Smart’s line of protein powders and shakes. These shakes come in seven flavors and varieties, each with a protein blend that contains all the essential amino acids, plus prebiotics, vitamins, and minerals — all without allergens and artificial sweeteners.
Buy: Vegan Smart Plant Based Vegan Protein Powder, $33.67 for 22 ounces at Amazon
18. Mama’s Biscuits
Whenever the desire strikes, pick up a pack of Mama’s Biscuits baked, ready-to-eat biscuits. They’re handmade with butter, and they come in sweet, savory, and vegan varieties (no butter in the vegan ones, of course), and, coming soon to a freezer case near you, in breakfast sandwich form.
Buy: Mama’s Biscuits Buttermilk Biscuits, $4.99 for 6 biscuits at Target
19. Trade St. Jam Co
What is a biscuit without jam? Trade Street jams have very little added sugar and no preservatives, making them about as close to homestyle as you can get on the grocery shelves. Find them at Crate&Barrel, Amazon, or a specialty shop near you.
Buy: Trade Street Signature Jam Trio Gift Set, $45 for 3 (9-ounce) jars at Crate&Barrel
20. Vicky Cakes
Vicky Cakes’ CEO Christian Sargent took her mom’s 40-year-old recipe and turned it into a huge pancake mix business. The original recipe is vegan, which means it doesn’t use milk powders or animal products. Instead, it calls for the addition of milk or buttermilk when you mix it, allowing you to choose whether you want dairy or plant-based milk. The company also uses whole blueberries and whole pecans in its specialty mixes.
Buy: Vicky Cakes Blueberry Pancakes & Waffle Mix, $5.99 for 8 ounces at Vicky Cakes
21. Michele Foods
When you reach for the syrup, that can be Black-owned, too. Michele’s Foods has been around for 36 years, but exploded in popularity in recent years, after backlash against a well-known syrup brand with a racially charged face and name. Michele’s goes beyond basic syrup with flavors like Butter Pecan and Honey Creme.
Buy: Michele Foods Gourmet Butter Pecan Syrup, $4.89 for 13 ounces at Target
22. Ivyees Honey
When founder Ivy Lawson — a non-honey-lover — tried Jamaican honey for the first time, she was forever changed. So much so that she left a 20-year corporate engineering career and moved with her sons to Jamaica to become a bee farmer. Thus, Ivyees was born. The company sells a lot of honey products, leaning on the sticky substance’s natural healing and antibacterial properties. The edible honey blends are best-sellers, with special infusions like Hibiscus & Sorrel and Creamed Floral Ginger.
Buy: Ivyees Creamed Floral & Ginger and Hibiscus & Sorrel Raw Honey Bundle, $32.98 for 2 (9-ounce) jars at Ivyees
23. Zach and Zoë Sweet Bee Farm
Another honey option! Zach and Zoë Sweet Bee Farm was born out of necessity when the founders’ youngest son, Zach, developed bad seasonal allergies. They were buying lots of local honey and seeing great results. Eventually, the couple took the plunge to become full-time beekeepers.
Buy: Zach & Zoe Sweet Bee Farm Raw Wildflower Honey, $19.99 for 16 ounces at Amazon
24. Misha’s Kind Foods
Misha’s Kind Foods sells a slate of non-dairy cheeses in decadent varieties. Black Truffle, Smoked Cheddar, Ricotta, and a Sari flavor made with sun-dried tomatoes, roasted garlic, and fresh cilantro are just begging to be smeared on a flatbread or falafel-stuffed pitas. While all the cheeses are vegan, they clearly state all ingredients and other potential allergens to make sure it’s safe for everyone who takes a bite. Shop online or in stores along the West Coast.
Buy: Misha’s Kind Foods Black Truffle Non-Dairy Cheese, $8.99 for 8 ounces at Misha’s Kind Foods
25. McBride Sisters
The next time you find yourself in the wine aisle at your local grocer, be sure to look for McBride Sisters. Created by two long-lost sisters who bonded over a common love of wine, the McBride Sisters’ lineup includes a signature collection, Black Girl Magic California wines, and She Can canned wines that offer a mix of wines and spritzers, including rosé, fresh white, island citrus, and coastal berries. These cans typically sell out fast, so if you spot them, grab ‘em while you can.
Buy: McBride Sisters Collection Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, $19.99 for 750 mL at Drizly
26. Avec
If cocktails are more your speed, Avec will elevate your at-home bartending game. The low-calorie, low-sugar mixers are made with a mix of juices, extracts, and botanicals in vibrant flavors like Yuzu & Lime, Hibiscus & Pomegranate, and Jalapeño & Blood Orange (margarita night, here I come!). Order the sampler or party pack, or mix and match two flavors in a custom pack of 12.
Buy: Avec Premium Carbonated Mixers The Sampler, $36 for 12 (8.5-ounce) cans at Avec
Of course, this list isn’t entirely comprehensive. Add more of your favorites to the comments below!