Halal Catering Solution for West

[Zulfiqar1472]

Salam Alakum

Brothers and sisters while living in the West do you feel that there is a requirement of Halal Catering solution for majalis, wedding parties, Milad and other get togethers. I and my friends are working on this solution and willing to find your answers and your opinions?

Halal Catering solution will enable a user to choose the best deal for catering meals for any big occasion. 

Please share your opinion.  

[Zulfiqar1472]

@Hameedeh

How can i promote this page to notify users about this poll? Any suggestion appreciated

[Hameedeh]

14 minutes ago, Zulfiqar1472 said:

@Hameedeh

How can i promote this page to notify users about this poll? Any suggestion appreciated

You can copy the link in the browser at the top and email your family and friends. Paste the link on the URL field (on your profile) or in your signature.

https://www.shiachat.com/forum/topic/235059319-halal-catering-solution-for-west/

[hasanhh]

Fortunately, around here we have at least two that l know of. The women probably know all of them.

[Zulfiqar1472]

As per data UK has 3000 and US around 4500 Catering associated with restaurants. We are working on data cleansing and software developments....

Thank you for reply

[ShiaMan14]

39 minutes ago, Zulfiqar1472 said:

@Hameedeh

How can i promote this page to notify users about this poll? Any suggestion appreciated

if you are conducting this as a business, you can advertise on ShiaChat and also Zabihah.com

Selfishly speaking, one advantage of advertising here is that if I accidentally click on your ad and get re-directed to your website, at least I wont have some weird explaining to do...it happens quite frequently on my phone that I click "ShiaMatch" by mistake.   

[hasanhh]

1 minute ago, ShiaMan14 said:

if you are conducting this as a business, you can advertise on ShiaChat and also Zabihah.com

Selfishly speaking, one advantage of advertising here is that if I accidentally click on your ad and get re-directed to your website, at least I wont have some weird explaining to do...it happens quite frequently on my phone that I click "ShiaMatch" by mistake.   

Hmmmm . . . a hijabi who runs a successful catering business? Plus, l  2 .

Well, l have sworn off getting marred again, but mutah for excellent cooking ? Yeah, l'II think about it.

[Haji 2003]

On 9/21/2018 at 10:55 PM, Zulfiqar1472 said:

do you feel that there is a requirement of Halal Catering solution for majalis, wedding parties, Milad and other get togethers

Not sure what you mean by 'halal catering solution'.

In the UK (London, specifically) if you are organising a wedding party, for example, there are lots of (Asian) catering companies that will supply halal food. I don't know about the Arab market, but given the number of Leb/Turkish restaurants all over the place, arranging for a caterer should not be difficult.

The really big piece of the jigsaw that is missing is halal/organic - cruelty-free. If someone can set-up a supply chain for that it would be great, but the problem may be that there are not enough halal eaters currently who are of the mindset where they will pay the extra.

[hasanhh]

6 minutes ago, Haji 2003 said:

who are of the mindset where they will pay the extra.

Why should we "pay the extra"?????

ls halal like the mob's kosher chicken racket?

The only thing different between halal and regular slaughter is the recitation and the knife instead of an air-driven ball-peen hammer, then hung and throated.

So where is the "extra" cost of production?

[Haji 2003]

^ the extra is for the organic aspect of the halal meat. 

[Maryaam]

29 minutes ago, hasanhh said:

Why should we "pay the extra"?????

ls halal like the mob's kosher chicken racket?

The only thing different between halal and regular slaughter is the recitation and the knife instead of an air-driven ball-peen hammer, then hung and throated.

So where is the "extra" cost of production?

There is a recent article here that explains the difference and why it costs more. https://www.soundvision.com/article/it-is-time-to-be-organic-and-natural

42 minutes ago, Haji 2003 said:

Not sure what you mean by 'halal catering solution'.

In the UK (London, specifically) if you are organising a wedding party, for example, there are lots of (Asian) catering companies that will supply halal food. I don't know about the Arab market, but given the number of Leb/Turkish restaurants all over the place, arranging for a caterer should not be difficult.

The really big piece of the jigsaw that is missing is halal/organic - cruelty-free. If someone can set-up a supply chain for that it would be great, but the problem may be that there are not enough halal eaters currently who are of the mindset where they will pay the extra.

There are places that sell both and, also, some organic free range farms, will allow Islamic hand slaughter.  You just have to buy the whole animal but you can have it  cut up and wrapped and frozen.  You can share with another family or use it all yourself.  You also get to see for yourself  how the animals are treated which is just as important as to what they are fed,  and where the animal grazes etc.  

The article above your quote is kind of a wake up call to really be aware of what we are actually eating when we eat meat products marked halal from the market.. 

Edited September 22, 2018 by Maryaam

[hasanhh]

@Maryaam  Most of the animal feed supplements have gotten this way and it started with anchovies in the 1960s --as l remember.

ln slaughterhouse operations, some drift automatically went to tankage -where it was rendered unfit for any purpose. Downer animals were another item. But, instead of keeping this as a cost-of-business, somebody wants the FDA to allowed this tankage to be rendered into feed supplements. This is how BSE -mad cow- got started. lt only takes one animal infected with prions -so now, the brain and spinal cords cannot be used.

The added protein is supposed to accelerate weight gain, but like with the fat content of milk from dairy cattle, genetics is the biggest -and about only- factor.

You can probably see this example on public TV. Notice how the hogs waddle. When l grew up, hogs trotted or ran everywhere -as they are an energetic animal. So why do they waddle now? Because the market wants thicker pork chops and the only way to get that is to select animals for their longer backs. Hence, a deformed animal is a market preference.

[Zulfiqar1472]

@Maryaam

the halal catering solution will help the users to pick the right set of dishes to be served for any religious gathering considering

1. That all the products are halal

2. That all are made by Muslims

3. That the host require least interference of doing a lot of management chores.

4 that it will provide them with good price and services comparison in case 0f pre and post issues like logistics etc...

 

since it is for lots of people..

Let ma know your thoughts...

[Maryaam]

On 9/23/2018 at 6:55 AM, Zulfiqar1472 said:

@Maryaam

the halal catering solution will help the users to pick the right set of dishes to be served for any religious gathering considering

1. That all the products are halal

2. That all are made by Muslims

3. That the host require least interference of doing a lot of management chores.

4 that it will provide them with good price and services comparison in case 0f pre and post issues like logistics etc...

 

since it is for lots of people..

Let ma know your thoughts...

I am not a business person but this is what I would think of - maybe some of the ideas will be helpful.. dunno…just disregard the rest

My idea of halal is actually tayyib.  

Personally, I am really really picky as to what I eat and what I serve others in terms of tayyib, halal, local sourcing (100 mile rule) and sustainable packaging. This pickiness provides me with nutritious, tasty food that does not involve waste or a huge carbon footprint. The downside is that it can be more labour intensive to find these products and the cost can be substantially more unless you are willing to invest time!  Help in reducing cost: Being a loyal customer to food providers, buying in bulk (with someone else if need be), being willing to advertise the source of your product in a subtle sign by the dishes, and purchasing in-season food stuffs can all reduce costs.  

There is lots of competition in the catering business - you need to provide something that clients will see as different, special and that they eventually search you out for their special occasion. With my ideas the service would cost more but it would be known to be consistently good quality with reliable service. That may not be what you are looking for but here are the basics of what I would consider:

Food Sourcing:

Accessing food sources and securing a reliable provider who will consistently give you a quality product would be the first thing I would do.   Halal meat is more than “bismillah" and a cut.  The animals should be raised humanely, fed quality food with no additives of any kind, and be given a relaxed outside grazing area that is clean... so... go to the farm.  Search out farmers who are passionate and extremely knowledgeable in the feeding and treatment of their animals. If you go to the source and avoid the middle man, you can reduce cost and have a more tailored approach to what you want.  Find a dairy (for me it would be organic) and again find out their products and see if you can get a discount for being a loyal customer.  For produce you would probably have to find a middle man who collects (again for me it would be organic) vegetables and grains from good sources. If you are a loyal customer and they are clear as to what you want, they will provide it.

Dishes:

Choosing dishes would be hard unless you are catering to a specific ethnic community.  I don't know what would be considered a “Muslim" food.  If I was starting out, I would have 6 or 7 main meat dishes that people could choose from that could be done well in large quantities (like chicken biryani), can be kept warm without diminishing their quality, and then vary the side and vegetable dishes with the season - this is healthy but is also very bright and colourful.  Appearance is important.  

Hygiene: 

Make sure you and all handlers of food have Food Safe Certificates, find out the licensing requirements for you, your staff and your kitchen, etc. Sometimes these things take more time than you have anticipated and can be a source of frustration if you have not planned for it.

Transportation:

Lease or invest in a truck that has a cooler and a warmer.  This would be a big cost investment.  You would probably also need a smaller van.

Determining Client Base and Marketing:

Determine your customer base and market, market, market - both online and directly in the community.  Have an office/kitchen area where you can provide people with tasters of your dishes - be exceptionally pleasant and relaxed - your customers come in very stressed with the enormity of planning their event.. go out of your way to put them at ease.  Be clear on cost and get a cheque for half the cost before they leave the room! Don't limit yourself to Muslim clients only.  If you are providing a quality food product, you will have people that will search you out.  There is a huge market for quality food and people are willing to pay for it. Service should be super reliable.

Money management

If you don't know how to manage business finances, hire an accountant - it is a business expense and is deductible.   Make sure your accounting practices are audit ready - for obvious reasons and also so that you always know where you stand financially. I do know that people who go into first time businesses often fail to separate their personal income from the business income and expenditures.  You need to draw a formal salary from the income - there are lots of advantages to this and will also prevent you from losing your personal assets if there is a problem with the business.  This is not the place to cut corners as many people lose their business due to financial mismanagement.

I have never had a business, but this could be a lot of fun and very rewarding.  Good luck!

Edited April 4, 2020 by ShiaChat Mod
Removed large empty space at the end.

[Zulfiqar1472]

On 9/23/2018 at 8:52 AM, Maryaam said:

I am not a business person but this is what I would think of - maybe some of the ideas will be helpful.. dunno…just disregard the rest

My idea of halal is actually tayyib.  

Personally, I am really really picky as to what I eat and what I serve others in terms of tayyib, halal, local sourcing (100 mile rule) and sustainable packaging. This pickiness provides me with nutritious, tasty food that does not involve waste or a huge carbon footprint. The downside is that it can be more labour intensive to find these products and the cost can be substantially more unless you are willing to invest time!  Help in reducing cost: Being a loyal customer to food providers, buying in bulk (with someone else if need be), being willing to advertise the source of your product in a subtle sign by the dishes, and purchasing in-season food stuffs can all reduce costs.  

There is lots of competition in the catering business - you need to provide something that clients will see as different, special and that they eventually search you out for their special occasion. With my ideas the service would cost more but it would be known to be consistently good quality with reliable service. That may not be what you are looking for but here are the basics of what I would consider:

Food Sourcing:

Accessing food sources and securing a reliable provider who will consistently give you a quality product would be the first thing I would do.   Halal meat is more than “bismillah" and a cut.  The animals should be raised humanely, fed quality food with no additives of any kind, and be given a relaxed outside grazing area that is clean... so... go to the farm.  Search out farmers who are passionate and extremely knowledgeable in the feeding and treatment of their animals. If you go to the source and avoid the middle man, you can reduce cost and have a more tailored approach to what you want.  Find a dairy (for me it would be organic) and again find out their products and see if you can get a discount for being a loyal customer.  For produce you would probably have to find a middle man who collects (again for me it would be organic) vegetables and grains from good sources. If you are a loyal customer and they are clear as to what you want, they will provide it.

Dishes:

Choosing dishes would be hard unless you are catering to a specific ethnic community.  I don't know what would be considered a “Muslim" food.  If I was starting out, I would have 6 or 7 main meat dishes that people could choose from that could be done well in large quantities (like chicken biryani), can be kept warm without diminishing their quality, and then vary the side and vegetable dishes with the season - this is healthy but is also very bright and colourful.  Appearance is important.  

Hygiene: 

Make sure you and all handlers of food have Food Safe Certificates, find out the licensing requirements for you, your staff and your kitchen, etc. Sometimes these things take more time than you have anticipated and can be a source of frustration if you have not planned for it.

Transportation:

Lease or invest in a truck that has a cooler and a warmer.  This would be a big cost investment.  You would probably also need a smaller van.

Determining Client Base and Marketing:

Determine your customer base and market, market, market - both online and directly in the community.  Have an office/kitchen area where you can provide people with tasters of your dishes - be exceptionally pleasant and relaxed - your customers come in very stressed with the enormity of planning their event.. go out of your way to put them at ease.  Be clear on cost and get a cheque for half the cost before they leave the room! Don't limit yourself to Muslim clients only.  If you are providing a quality food product, you will have people that will search you out.  There is a huge market for quality food and people are willing to pay for it. Service should be super reliable.

Money management

If you don't know how to manage business finances, hire an accountant - it is a business expense and is deductible.   Make sure your accounting practices are audit ready - for obvious reasons and also so that you always know where you stand financially. I do know that people who go into first time businesses often fail to separate their personal income from the business income and expenditures.  You need to draw a formal salary from the income - there are lots of advantages to this and will also prevent you from losing your personal assets if there is a problem with the business.  This is not the place to cut corners as many people lose their business due to financial mismanagement.

I have never had a business, but this could be a lot of fun and very rewarding.  Good luck!

@Maryaam

Thank you for such a detailed description and there are many good point here to consider for future.

This gives me energy to focus on main point for the project

Edited April 4, 2020 by ShiaChat Mod
Removed large empty space from the quote.