Halalnivore is one of the most inventive additions to the London’s buzzing premium halal food scene.
Founded by Abbas Ismail, Walli Datoo and Hasnain Rajpal, it is proving a delight to foodies in the capital.
The three British friends gave up their day jobs in 2016 to launch Halalnivore as an online service that offers unique ‘curated’ halal meat boxes and fresh, hipster-style branding. Breaking the mold for home delivery, it has already earned 2,000 regular customers.
Eighteen months after launch it began making a profit, and Datoo, the company’s 37-year-old CEO,explains its success as having tapped into the latent demand’ for high-quality halal food in London.
A love of gourmet food
The UK halal food market is worth £700 million and there are one million Muslims in London, according to the Muslim Council of Britain, but Halalnivore has wider appeal. What customers have in common is a love of gourmet food.
Halalnivore delivers internationally sourced meat cuts across the UK, from the Isle of Wight to the Outer Hebrides. The concept is simple: any order placed before 12pm on a Tuesday will be delivered on Thursday the same week, otherwise the following Thursday.
‘Our typical customer is anyone who likes top-notch food, not just Muslims,’ Datoo told Arabian Business. We view ourselves as a lifestyle brand. We’re providing a premium service that didn’t exist before. This is the best quality halal meat on the market. We use the same suppliers as London’s five-star restaurants.’
Next will be a move into chilli pastes and special steak rubs, with recipes and cooking methods to add to brand loyalty … then extending into a range of home-style products such as organic high-quality chicken, minced lamb and beef. ‘We want to be your online halal butcher,’ Datoo explained.