London Halal Food Festival, 2022. Photographed for Hyphen by Saima Khalid
Thousands of people visited the London Halal Food Festival, held in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park from 24-25 September. More than 100 businesses — including caterers fashion brands and lifestyle companies — showcased a range of products, from fast food to perfumes and clothing. With the global halal economy projected to double from £2.15 trillion to nearly £4.7 trillion by 2030, we present some of the weekend’s highlights.
The crew from Fruit & Ice Mocktails showcased a range of alcohol-free drinks including appletinis and pina coladas, at their illuminated bar.Mr Tee kept young visitors entertained with a range of ice creams and cakes. Lifestyle products included lip balm and eyelash serums from the London-based company FitLounge Skincare.Staff at Mama Hayam cooked a wide range of Egyptian dishes, including koshari and falafel. Bradford-based Mumtaz is upscaling kitchen staples such as chapatti flour and ghee with modern packaging.Beauty and self care were prominent themes at the show. Lifestyle products included aftershaves, scents, essential oils and halal make-up.Sidr honey from Yemen, which can retail for up to £120 for 500g, was also on sale.Camel milk, widely available in parts of the Middle East, is increasingly popular at halal food festivals, as flavoured drinks and ice creams.Chefs from Uramaki in east London sold sushi flavoured with chilli and herbs.This four-tier cake, from Grand Wedding Cakes in Ilford, costs around £1,200 and takes a day to assemble on site.
