- HALAL MARKET : Halal is worth up to £2bn in the UK, but most meat is imported and sold via ethnic retailers

United Kingdom:
"The growth of halal in western mainstream society has come about through the cross-border migration of Muslims and the dynamic growth of Asian and Middle Eastern food in mainstream society,"

he huge halal meat sector may be on the verge of further development. Up to four million Muslims, representing 3% of the UK population consume an estimated 27% of lamb and 40% of poultry produced (according to supplier Janan Meat). Given this and the fact that the European halal food market is worth approximately 15bn (£12.5bn) ...
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"The halal market is growing tremendously. There needs to be something to bring groups together; they need to operate in a more acceptable framework to function properly." That framework, he says, might be a mixture of industry and consumer groups working closely together. "It's very much an evolution and it will be interesting to see how it plays out. There is great potential."...
...Mainstream supermarket groups are working with halal specialists to expand their halal offering.

Tesco has been working with the National Halal Food Group (NHFG) to develop the sector in some of its stores NHFG sells produce through retailers and wholesalers. Tesco's Birmingham Hodge Hill store, which opened in December and created 250 new jobs, stocks a range of halal products. It also has a dedicated halal meat counter, which is an NHFG concession, the second halal meat counter that the Birmingham-based NHFG has opened for Tesco in the region. Chief executive Muhammed Yaqoob, says the counters "allow customers to readily obtain a range of high-quality halal meats".

The store group has also launched a dedicated halal barbecue range this summer. Tesco ethnic food buying manager Steve Ewels claims: "Until now there has never been a dedicated halal barbecue range. We know, from our own sales data, that there is a high growing demand for halal food, so for us it is a natural move to offer a barbecue range." Tesco currently offers 100 different fresh halal products, with volume sales growing at 82% year-on-year.

Other supermarket groups are developing specific halal meat offerings. Asda currently has 16 halal counters across the UK, run by external companies, among them Hounslow-based halal meat retailer Haji Baba in London. Two more concessions will open this year, with more planned in 2011. Recognising the growing significance of ethnic food sales in the UK, Asda opened what it termed the 'World Food Store' in west London last year, serving six different nationalities covering hundreds of ethnic lines, including a halal butchery.

In 2009, Asda saw a 42% year-on-year rise in sales of ethnic products across its stores, off the back of an 83% increase in 2008. The London store concept will be rolled out in other places if it proves a success.

Read + Feature: Halal here we come - MeatInfo