'Phenomenal' Participation Prompts Organizer to Consider 3-Day Halal Fest. in UK
Thousands of people attended Europe's largest halal food festival for the second consecutive year in Manchester, where they had the opportunity to savor halal cuisine from various countries.
The event, held at Bowler's Exhibition Centre in Trafford on Saturday, drew approximately 15,000 visitors who came together to celebrate halal food and lifestyle.
Bilal Khan, the organizer and director of The Halal Food Festival, expressed his enthusiasm for the event's success, stating, “It’s been a phenomenal response for us to come back … We launched last year and clearly there are a lot more people interested in it now. There’s a lot more different cultures getting interested into it now.”
The substantial turnout was heartening for the organizers, who are contemplating the possibility of extending the festival to three days next year. Bilal Khan commented on this prospect, saying, “It’s so exciting, we just need to figure out next year if we should do three days!”
“Coming to Manchester has been so welcoming, it seems like the community is really together and they were ready to try new things. People wanna learn a little more about halal food and it’s amazing,” he told the Manchester Evening News.
He said the event aims to bring it to the mainstream level and invite individuals from all backgrounds to come and partake, dispelling common stereotypes associated with halal food and the Muslim community. “We just want to socialize and show how we have fun, and that’s by eating food.”
Within the Exhibition Centre, an indoor section showcased a variety of Halal lifestyle brands. The remainder of the venue hosted an 'Artisan Market,' organized by the 'Muslim Instashop Expo,' featuring fine delicacies, home decor, arts and crafts, fashion, and beauty products.
The primary attraction, however, was the outdoor section, where visitors had the chance to sample a range of halal cuisines, including Vietnamese, Japanese fusion, Palestinian, Pakistani, and Caribbean food.
Traditionally, the concept of halal, which means "permissible" in Arabic, has been applied to food. Muslims adhere to specific guidelines, such as consuming meat from livestock that has been slaughtered with specific conditions.
The festival in Manchester is not the only one of its kind; similar events are hosted around the world. The London Halal Food Festival (LHFF), for instance, typically occurs in September each year and also attracts a large number of food enthusiasts.
Source: Agencies
