London To Host 1st Hallal Food Fest.

LONDON: Award-winning chef Norman Musa, owner of Ning restaurants in Manchester and York, will take part in the first Halal Food Festival here on Friday.
 The three-day event at ExCel London will showcase innovative halal food and beverage products, restaurants and hold cooking demonstrations. "Food is the way we Malaysians come together and I am proud and excited to take part in the first Halal Food Festival.
 I look forward to promoting Malaysian cuisine at the show," said Norman, who has been promoting Malaysian food and food products to the British to bring such products into their homes. Founder of the Malaysian Pancake Company, Mohd Shahreil Mohd Isa, said he was delighted to take part in the event. His apam balik had received great feedback at events, including Malaysian Cultural Week and the Eid Festival at Trafalgar Square.
 Founders of the event, Imran Kausar and Noman Khawaja, said the festival was timely because of the growing Muslim population. It will also create awareness for British industries about the burgeoning halal food industry. A 2011 survey revealed there were more than 2.7 million Muslims living in the UK. Kausar said:
"I am astonished there are no halal food events like this anywhere in the world. There are only community events but nothing of quality or calibre, despite the large Muslim community around the world." With a halal food market worth US$4 billion (RM12.7 billion) in the United Kingdom, organisers are targeting emerging middle-class Muslims and second- and third-generations immigrants who want to try food beyond their cultural norm, such as halal Japanese, Korean and Italian food.
 Festival-goers can enjoy chocolates and ice cream without doubt that it is halal. "The growing British Muslim middle-class has greater demand from food producers, retailers and restaurateurs. They command significant spending power. "The Halal Food Festival will bring together consumers and businesses to showcase new brands and raise the range and quality of halal offerings to the consumer," said Khawaja.
 He said that street food, such as Bhangra Burgers, Big Apple Hot Dog and Maki Sushi, would be served at the festival. With organisers expecting a 20,000-strong crowd, events such as cooking schools and demonstrations by some of the biggest names in the industry, including MasterChef UK winner Shelina Permaloo, Cinnamon Kitchen Head chef Abdul Yaseen and celebrity chef Rachel Allen, are on the schedule. Also in the line-up is Amina Elshafei, another MasterChef contestant, who will show off her skills in Middle-Eastern and Korean cooking, while nasyid singer Mesut Kurtis will perform at the event.