\n
\nLONDON: The Halal Food Festival returned to the UK capital this year for its sixth edition with 25 cuisines on offer at more than 150 stalls.<\/p>\n
\nAt least 18,000 people attended the two-day event, which ran from Sept. 24-25 at London Stadium in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.<\/p>\n
\nThe scale and scope of the festival mean London now hosts one of the largest specifically halal food gatherings in the world, according to organizers.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\nKevin Jackson, director of Algebra Festivals, launched the festival with his partner Waleed Jahangia seven years ago.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n\u201cWe created an event that would put food at the heart of the community. There\u2019s no better way of sharing culture than through food,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\nAfter two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, organizers have invested heavily in infrastructure, transforming the festival into an experience that goes beyond food.<\/p>\n
\nThe event featured a VIP lounge, shopping stalls, live entertainment, cookery theater, picnic area, kids play area, mechanical bull and fun competitions.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\nOne of the highlights was a live demonstration by NHS doctor and former \u201cMasterChef\u201d winner Dr. Saliha Mahmood Ahmed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\nUsing bread dough to teach women how to examine themselves for early signs of breast cancer, Ahmed aimed to overcome cultural taboos that contribute to low cancer awareness among the Muslim community in the UK.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\nThe new additions reflect the growing view that halal is more than just about food but is a lifestyle, too.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\nJackson recalled that when he and Jahangia launched the festival, most Muslim events in London were held in community centers or school halls.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\nBut the London Stadium event shows the Muslim community now has access to some of the most renowned venues in the capital.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\nThe festival has also evolved into a cultural melting pot, with both its cuisine and its foodies coming from around the globe.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n\u201cWe\u2019ve got people from Manchester, Birmingham, people who came on a day trip from Paris yesterday. We\u2019ve got people from Spain. We\u2019ve got people from Scotland. This is such a big event for the Muslim community that they travel for miles to come to it,\u201d\u00a0 Jackson said.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\nChef Fatima El-Rify of Mama Hayam reported positive feedback from visitors tasting her Egyptian cuisine.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n\u201cThey didn\u2019t know what it was completely. They knew a little about kosheri, but now they have a really strong idea. They\u2019re coming back for more. They\u2019re bringing their friends. They really love kosheri and mahshi, so that\u2019s really good.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\nShe added: \u201cI think there is nowhere else in London that you can try all these different cuisines and just have this ease of it all being halal.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\nThe festival also features the timeless and the contemporary, from Jordan\u2019s traditional Anabtawi Sweets to London\u2019s Lola\u2019s Cupcakes.<\/p>\n
\nApart from catering to Muslim visitors, it aims to provide an international platform for the halal economy, while helping to nurture halal small and medium enterprises.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n\u201cWe\u2019re building business relationships. The traders all trade with one another. The suppliers, our partners here, Tariq Halal, are providing products for our exhibitors,\u201d Jackson said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\nFounder Shahin Bharwani of Mocktail Company, which sells non-alcoholic beverages,\u00a0 said that she was fortunate to have been able to exhibit at the Halal Food Festival in 2016 within months of launching her business.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n\u201cIt was brilliant in terms of being a startup to get the brand exposure needed at this type of event.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\nFestival vendors reflected on the halal industry\u2019s growth in the past decade.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\nBharwani said: \u201cThere\u2019s so many variations of businesses here, particularly the food. Years ago you could never imagine halal tacos hell or gourmet burgers, that type of thing, so to have those kinds of halal options now is amazing.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\nCo-partner Abid Haider of Proper Burgers said that the event \u201cjust keeps getting bigger and bigger.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\nWith the industry now worth billions, the London festival is part of a growing movement placing halal on high street.<\/p>\n
\n\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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