UK: World’s largest Halal Food Festival launches in London

The first ever to be held in the UK and the world’s largest, the Halal Food Festival is a three day consumer food show dedicated to foodies who eat halal, or haloodies as they have been coined by the festival founder.

Aiming to celebrate the range and diversity of halal foods from around the world, the ticketed event is being held at London Excel from Friday 27 to Sunday 29 September 2013 and will offer visitors a first time glimpse into the very best that halal has to offer.

100 exhibitors, cooking school, demonstration kitchen

Visitors can look forward to over 100 exhibitors from across the globe showcasing the most innovative and delicious halal food and drink products, restaurants and street-food stalls.

In addition, there is a cooking school and live demonstration kitchen featuring top chefs such as Shelina Permalloo (winner of Masterchef UK 2012), Cyrus Todiwala OBE (Patron Chef of Cafe Spice Namaste) and Jean Christophe Novelli (5 out of 5 AA Rosette and Michelin award winning chef) to name a few.

World’s largest Halal Food Festival launches in LondonDaring and inventive dishes

Guests can tuck in to daring and inventive dishes such as green spiced chicken fenugreek or Bengali mutton by Joho Soho. Meaning ‘whatever happens’, the new Indian street food stall is being launched at the Halal Food Festival by acclaimed  chef Vivek Singh (Executive Chef at Cinnamon Kitchen, Cinnamon Soho and Cinnamon Club) and Abdul Yaseen (Head Chef  at Cinnamon Kitchen).

Alternatively, they can try their taste buds on sweeter options such as fine Palestinian medjool dates, stuffed with organic fairtrade nuts and topped with rosebuds by The Datelatiers. The thirsty will find a range of halal drinks on offer including an area dedicated to the making of mocktails in which guests can throw together exotic ingredients, fruit juices and flavours to create their own expertly made drink under the guidance of a professional mixologist and a range of stands for little haloodies to enjoy too.

Accompanying these gustatory pleasures will be live music on the Human Appeal stage with performances including that of one of the biggest stars of nasheed and Islamic music, Mesut Kurtis. His latest album ‘Beloved’ has been a ground-­?breaking phenomenon in this genre of music across the Muslim world.

World’s largest Halal Food Festival launches in LondonHalal

Halal is an Arabic word meaning lawful or permissible. It not only covers food and drink but also all matters of daily life. Followers of Islam (Muslims) must follow a dietary requirement that does not permit pork or pork products, alcohol and only allows meat slaughtered in accordance to strict guidelines in the Qur’an. Halal food is not a cuisine or a style of cooking in its own right. Therefore any cuisine or style can become halal provided it is cooked using halal ingredients and prepared in a halal manner.

Growing and important market

With a growing UK Muslim population currently standing at 2.7million (Census 2011) with a £20.5 billion a year spending power (Mintel 2002) and expected to rise to 5.5million people by 2030 (Pew Report, The Future of the Global Muslim Population 2011) access to delicious halal food in the UK is becoming increasingly important.

Improving the range, availability and quality of halal foods and restaurants drives the Halal Food Festival’s founder Imran Kausar, who comments:

“The growing British Muslim middle classes have greater needs and demands from food producers, retailers and restaurateurs, and command significant spending power.

“The Halal Food Festival will bring together consumers and businesses in a festival format that can be used to showcase new brands and to raise the range and quality of halal offerings to the consumer.”

Noman Khawaja, Events Director adds:

“The Halal Food Festival sets a new standard in food shows aimed at Muslims in the UK. The range of chefs, features, exhibitors and production quality will leave haloodies eager for the show each year.”

The Halal Food Festival

Friday 27 to Sunday 29 September 2013

Event Times: Friday & Saturday – 10am-8pm/Sunday 10am-6pm

London Excel, 1 Western Gateway, Royal Victoria Dock, London, E16 1XL

For tickets click here

For our website  click here

World’s largest Halal Food Festival launches in London