The Search for Halal Meat in London
The Journey to find Halal Meat in London
As a Kuwaiti in London, I want to eat good quality halal food. So I set out to see some restaurants that serve halal meat. I searched about halal food in London and suddenly I saw Kuwaiti restaurants that serve good quality Kuwaiti halal food.
Most Kuwaiti dishes include meat, so I was careful about where the restaurants gets their meat from and is it halal or not.
There are four Kuwaiti restaurants in London -Bye Bye London, Fereej Suwaileh, Burj AlArab, Ayesh o Daqous. They all serve the same food with the same quality. Mr. Khaled, the owner of Burj AlArab restaurant, told me about the restaurant's rich history and where he gets his meat. He also talked about the popularity of Kuwaiti food in London.
"I learned Kuwaiti food when I was living in Kuwait and I taught the chefs. I guarantee to all our guests that our food is fresh and we get halal meat from halal butcher in Edgware Road."
Burj AlArab restaurant owner, Khaled Abaez
Burj AlArab restaurant owner, Khaled Abaez
The Butcher
Halal butcher Ahmed says “I worked as a butcher for a very long time and I am used to many restaurants owners they have a contract with us to deliver the meat daily. Moreover we receive meat from Holland and it is under the Muslim Committee in Holland. Also we have a certificate that insure that our meat is halal. "
He adds that there is a huge difference between halal meat and other. The halal meat looks fresh and not too red and not bloody, but the non halal meat is bloody and a dark piece of meat because of the way they slaughter the animals. Lately not only Muslims buy halal meat even other religions buy it because of the quality and colour and even the smell of the meat is different.
the head Imam of London Central mosque
the head Imam of London Central mosque
The Operations Director of Halal Monitoring Committee Nadeem Adam says, “HMC certified nine slaughterhouses on August, 2019. All HMC approved stores will carry an A3 sized certificate. In addition, we can only comment on the sites that are approved by HMC as we supervise and inspect the entire supply chain from start to finish."
Based on The Halal Meat Market survey, 72% of Muslims in the UK buy meat at least once a week and they spend between £10 and £30 on meat. Another survey produced by The Halal Meat Market reports that 80% of respondents buy meat fresh with little incidence of frozen.
Technology makes everything easier as compared to the past. Many mobile phone applications such as; Zabihah, Halal Dining Club, Crave Halal, Halal Navi, and Halal Advisor are available for smartphones. These useful tools provide guides to good, reputable halal restaurants.
