UK: Why Does the Supply of Halal Meat Exceed Demand?

Halal meat comes from animals slaughtered according to Halal principles. They must be alive and healthy at the time of slaughter, manually slaughtered, with all blood drained from the carcass. More than 80% of animals killed for Halal meat are stunned before slaughter, although this is not legally required in the UK. The RSPCA, the British Veterinary Association, the Farm Animal Welfare Council and animal rights groups say that without prior stunning, slaughter may cause unnecessary suffering to the animals.

Lewis Pies has been striving to obtain certification from Halal regulatory bodies and to source Halal ingredients, while winning the confidence of Muslim consumers by inviting them to visit the factory's separate Halal production line.

The Halal journey began with a proposal from a prison service contractor asking whether the company could create a Halal product for Muslim prisoners. At that stage, Halal products accounted for less than 5% of the company's business. But within a few years it had removed all pork products from its production line. 'It was a difficult decision. To some extent, it limited your market—no more pork pies or pork sausage rolls.' Lewis said, 'We had suppliers asking for chicken, ham and leek pies, and we had to say no—but we can make a great chicken and leek pie.'

The company also had to deal with strong dissatisfaction from Islamophobes and animal activists. 'I once spent two hours drafting a very careful reply to someone, explaining these issues and the background,' Lewis added. 'I sent it out and then got a completely inappropriate response. So we don't build friendly relationships with people who don't want to have a rational discussion.'

Now, Halal is the company's main growth area, accounting for more than 35% of its business, sold to wholesalers, retailers and the own-brand product market. The biggest demand is for traditional British staples. 'There is a prejudice about Halal products that you need to 'currify' everything, but what people really want is beef sausages and meat pies,' Lewis said. Two football clubs have now expressed interest in Halal pies eaten on the terraces and contacted the company.

Muslims' desire for traditional British food led 30-year-old entrepreneur Shazia Saleem to launch a range of Halal ready meals under her brand ieat. 'I had wanted shepherd's pie since I was seven, but no one made it Halal, so I made it myself,' she said at a recent Muslim lifestyle symposium.

'Since 2013, the number of Muslims looking for Halal products in the frozen food aisle has increased sixfold,' she said. Her products are stocked in several large supermarket chains.

Demand for Halal food has also led restaurants to evaluate and try new projects, such as Halal supper clubs and the Small Town Halal Girl football blog.