Noman Khawaja, the co-founder of the London-based premium halal food brand Haloodies talks to The National about the potential for growth in the UK halal food market and why negative perceptions of halal are holding the market back.
The latest State of the Economy report from Reuters and the Dubai Goverment states that the global halal food industry is growing immensely. In your opinion, what is driving halal food demand in the UK?
The demand in the UK is being driven by similar trends to what we see globally, emphasised in the report. Around 50 per cent of the UK Muslim population is under 24 years old and Muslims are growing in number. These millennial Muslims are also making buying decisions based on faith and religion more than ever, and demand to see similar options to non-halal consumers made available to them. They are also more educated now with well-paid jobs and are willing to spend their money on quality halal food options.
Mainstream supermarkets are continuing to grow their halal offering, by increasing stores with halal ranges and adding new and innovative products and brands. Similarly, more restaurants are meeting the needs from halal consumers for mid-level independents, chain restaurants and high-end restaurants. There is more that can be done both at a local and governmental level, which demonstrates the halal food market will only continue to grow and is cause for great optimism.
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What are the biggest opportunities for halal food entrepreneurs in the UK?
There are several excellent opportunities for halal food entrepreneurs in the UK. Although there is growth already, there are still many gaps. New apps are being developed to help halal consumers seek out halal food options. These will gain more importance over time because millennial Muslims are tech-minded – everything else is at their fingertips, so they expect halal food to be there, too. Online halal stores are also underdeveloped and there is opportunity for entrepreneurs to develop this area. Many Muslim bloggers and YouTubers can grow their following and utilise these platforms to showcase halal and provide revenue streams for themselves.
There are opportunities in fine dining. Some fine dining restaurants have halal options on the menu, but there is no dedicated halal Michelin starred restaurant as yet.
What roadblocks are there to achieving success as a UK halal food brand?
There has been a struggle to convince the mainstream supermarkets that halal must have more shelf space. They are gradually responding and increasing their store numbers and choice to the consumer. The press frequently paints the picture of halal being barbaric and this presents a challenge to a brand of showing off the beautiful qualities of halal and Tayyib [good, pure and wholesome] products. There is also a lack of funding to assist food brands to grow and achieve success. The market is flooded with halal from questionable sources and at low prices; this blocks brands with more trusted supply sources to enter the market in certain sales channels.
What are your long-term predictions for the global halal food industry?
The global halal food industry will continue to grow. In 2015, global Muslim consumer spending on food and beverage was 17 per cent of global expenditure, 3.4 per cent up on the previous year. Muslims are youngest of all religions in the world. By 2030, 29 per cent of the global young population is projected to be Muslim. They will be educated and have money to spend. This will further drive growth in halal food as they demand more. As long as education continues, more and more people will understand halal and this will grow the market as it becomes more acceptable.
Over time, halal regulation will also grow in value as more products and services will require halal accreditation.
What has been the biggest challenge in growing Haloodies?
There have been many challenges in growing Haloodies, but if I were to pick one, it would be investment to grow the brand. We knew we had a winning idea and would succeed but we needed an investor to believe in us and take a long-term view.
Napoleon
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West Asia Premiership
Dubai Hurricanes 58-10 Dubai Knights Eagles
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Three tips from La Perle's performers
1 The kind of water athletes drink is important. Gwilym Hooson, a 28-year-old British performer who is currently recovering from knee surgery, found that out when the company was still in Studio City, training for 12 hours a day. “The physio team was like: ‘Why is everyone getting cramps?’ And then they realised we had to add salt and sugar to the water,” he says.
2 A little chocolate is a good thing. “It’s emergency energy,” says Craig Paul Smith, La Perle’s head coach and former Cirque du Soleil performer, gesturing to an almost-empty open box of mini chocolate bars on his desk backstage.
3 Take chances, says Young, who has worked all over the world, including most recently at Dragone’s show in China. “Every time we go out of our comfort zone, we learn a lot about ourselves,” she says.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
RECORD%20BREAKER
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Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
Visit Abu Dhabi culinary team's top Emirati restaurants in Abu Dhabi
Yadoo’s House Restaurant & Cafe
For the karak and Yoodo's house platter with includes eggs, balaleet, khamir and chebab bread.
Golden Dallah
For the cappuccino, luqaimat and aseeda.
Al Mrzab Restaurant
For the shrimp murabian and Kuwaiti options including Kuwaiti machboos with kebab and spicy sauce.
Al Derwaza
For the fish hubul, regag bread, biryani and special seafood soup.
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2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, (Leon banned).
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.