Matta’s International Foods at 51 Bold Street is one of Liverpool’s most enduring independent family businesses. Run by brothers Dalip and Deepak Matta, the grocery store provides specialist cooking ingredients, whole spices, grains and plant-based groceries that mainstream supermarkets do not stock.
What Matta’s does
The shop functions as a specialist neighbourhood grocer and culinary treasure trove. Wooden shelving towers from floor to ceiling along tight parallel aisles, arranged by cuisine and culinary category. Customers range from home cooks hunting for specific regional ingredients to students, professional chefs, and long-standing regular shoppers stocking their weekly store cupboards with pulses, oils and fresh produce.
The spice wall, grains and cooking staples
The shop's signature feature is its extensive spice wall. Shelves are lined with hundreds of transparent bags and glass jars containing whole seeds, dried pods and ground powders. Selection includes black mustard seeds, fenugreek, green and black cardamom, star anise, sumac, za'atar, dried Scotch bonnet chillies and house curry blends, available in cost-effective bulk quantities.
Beside the spices sits a comprehensive selection of grains, pulses and flours:
- Dals and Pulses: Split red lentils, chana dal, toor dal, urad dal, dried chickpeas, black beans and heirloom beans.
- Rices: Aged basmati, jasmine, sushi rice, black rice and red cargo rices in sizes ranging from 1kg to 10kg sacks.
- Flours: Chapati atta, gram (chickpea) flour, polenta, cassava flour, fufu flour, and gluten-free baking blends.
- Sauces and Pastes: Authentic Caribbean pepper sauces, West African palm oils, Middle Eastern tahini, pomegranate molasses, ghee and cold-pressed coconut oils.
Pioneering plant-based and whole foods
Decades before veganism became a mainstream supermarket trend, Matta’s established itself as Liverpool's primary destination for vegetarian and ethical eating. Chilled and frozen display cabinets near the rear of the shop carry refrigerated blocks of fresh tofu, marinated tempeh, seitan, plant-based roasts, dairy-free cheeses and frozen vegan samosas.
Shelves across the centre of the store are dedicated to nutritional yeast, organic nut butters, gluten-free pastas, organic oats, seeds and dried fruits. The store also maintains a dedicated section for loose herbal teas, Ayurvedic supplements, natural soaps, essential oils and incense.
The story behind 51 Bold Street
The origins of Matta’s date to 1954, when founder Kirpal Matta arrived in Liverpool at the age of 14 after his family was displaced during the Partition of India and Pakistan. After years of working in direct sales and operating mobile vans, Kirpal and his wife Kanta opened a grocery shop on Mill Street in Toxteth, before establishing a permanent base on Granby Street in 1965 to supply Liverpool’s diverse multicultural community with foods from home.
In 1984, the family relocated the business to 51 Bold Street, foreseeing the street's emergence as an independent retail corridor. In 2024, the business celebrated 40 continuous years of trading on Bold Street. The shop has earned widespread civic recognition, including being named Merseyside Independent Business of the Year.
Prices and shopping tips
Prices are renowned locally for being fair and economical, particularly when buying dried goods and whole spices in bulk compared to branded supermarket jars (checked September 2026):
- Whole and ground spice bags (100g to 400g): £1.20 to £3.50
- Specialist pulses and lentils (1kg bags): £1.80 to £3.20
- Bulk basmati and jasmine rice (2kg to 5kg): £4.50 to £11.00
- Blocks of fresh and organic tofu / tempeh: £2.20 to £3.80
- Artisan hot sauces and pastes: £2.50 to £4.50
Payments can be made by cash, contactless card or chip-and-pin. The counter staff possess encyclopaedic knowledge of their stock; if you are cooking an unfamiliar recipe and cannot find a particular herb, root or paste, ask at the till and staff will direct you straight to the correct shelf.
Around central Bold Street
Matta's occupies a prime position on the pedestrianised section of Bold Street, directly opposite Newington. It sits alongside independent dining spots and coffee shops, steps away from Bold Street Coffee and Utility.
To learn more about the surrounding area, explore our Ropewalks area guide and our guide to where to eat in Liverpool by area.
