The following Frequently Asked Questions (F.A.Q) are intended as a guide to help Food and Private halal catering and coordinators understand the special dietary requirements of their Muslim clients and guests.
What does Halal mean? • Halal is an Arabic word, meaning lawful, and is the Islamic dietary law that identifies food permitted for Muslims. • Non-halal is also referred to in Arabic as Haram (meaning not permissible). • Alcohol and pork products are NOT permitted including pork lard, ham and bacon. • For processed foods to be Halal, they must be free of alcohol and pork, and must not have come into contact with either of them during the manufacturing process. • For meat and poultry to be Halal it must be slaughtered according to Islamic guidelines. • Food cannot touch or be contaminated in the storage or preparation process with meat that has not been slaughtered in accordance with Islamic law. •The Halal logo or the Halal symbol indicates that only Halal certified products are contained in the product. Where can I get Halal meat? • Butchers: There are several authorised butchers in and around Brisbane that supply Halal meat. Visit the Queensland Muslims website for a list of Halal outlets. Or you can Contact Us Here • Pre-packaged meat: Chicken from certain suppliers are certified Halal. What precautions must I take during the food preparation? • All utensils, crockery, glass, serving dishes and food preparation surfaces must bethoroughly cleaned before use. • Halal meat should be purchased from an authorised Halal butcher. • Ensure that the ordering of Halal and non-Halal meat is done separately. • A separate surface work area, chopping board and knife should be used for HALAL MEAT AND PRODUCTS ONLY and should be thoroughly cleaned before use. • Make sure you can tell between the Halal meat and the non-Halal by labelling them or by putting on different toppings etc… • Never cook Halal and non-Halal meat in the same container. • If possible, cook Halal meat in a separate oven to non-Halal. • If separate ovens aren’t available, Halal meat should be cooked in a separate container to non-Halal, and the Halal meat should be on the upper shelf with the non-Halal on the lower shelf to avoid contamination. • Once it’s been cooked, keep the Halal meat and Halal dishes away from non-Halal meat and dishes and make sure that they are easily identified. •The layout on the counter should ensure that Halal meat is completely separate fromnon-Halal dishes. • Halal dishes SHOULD BE CLEARLY IDENTIFIED so not to cause confusion with the non-Halal dishes. • Separate serving utensils should be used and retained for Halal meat and Halal products only. • Use vegetable oil when frying any food such as chips, spring rolls, etc. • Don’t cook or serve any food that has had alcohol (such as beer or wine) added to it (however little the quantity). • Ensure salads do not contain any non-Halal meat or pork and the cheese used is Halal. • Take extra care to ensure that all the Halal food does not make even accidental contact with non-Halal food through mixing utensils, spillages and drops. Once such contact has been made the food cannot thereafter be consumed by Muslims under any circumstances. Are there any special requirements when it comes to non-meat products? • Fruit, vegetables, dairy products, grains/cereals, herbs and spices are Halal. • If making sandwiches, avoid any butter substitutes made with rendered beef fat. The label will indicate the use of such fat. • Avoid the following e numbers as they are non-vegetarian: E120 Cochineal; E441 Gelatine; E542 Edible Bone Phosphate. Some other e number substances can also be produced from animal sources. A full list can be found at www.vegsoc.org/info/enumbers.html. • Any biscuits provided should contain no animal fats other than butter. Also, check the label to ensure that cochineal has not been used in their production as this is not vegetarian. • Food items should not contain gelatine (unless it is of a vegetarian variety). • Alcohol should not be used in the preparation of any food. • No animal fat should be used in any cooking, and when cheese is used it should be of the kind labelled ‘vegetarian’ which indicates that it has not been made with rennet which comes from cows’ stomachs. • Potato chips that have beef tallow are NOT permitted
How do I serve non-halal and Halal food at the same venue?
• Where no special arrangements have been made to cater for halal meat, Muslims are generally happy to eat vegetarian food that has no animal fat or by-products used in its production. • Most fish dishes are also permissible, provided there is no contamination with other non-Halal products or cooked in BEER batter. • If non-halal meat and fish dishes or sandwiches are provided as part of a meal, ensure that they are on separate platters and label them to avoid confusion. • Where alcoholic drinks are being served ensure that they kept separate from the non-alcoholic ones. • If using an external caterer for an event, underline that any meat and fish items must be on completely separate platters.
We’ve created a simple five step process that anyone can follow to get started. It’s designed to help you decide what kind of business you want to run, plan where it’s going to be sited, equip a kitchen and be ready to market your Best Catering Berkshire business to attract customers…
1. KNOW WHAT KIND OF FOOD YOU WANT TO SERVE
Spend a long time thinking about what food you are going to serve, how customers are going to order, and how long they are going to sit eating the food that you give them.
Think about the specifics of the menu: list the individual ingredients needed for each dish. Look at food suppliers and find out how much they charge for the food you want and when they deliver.
Then answer these questions:
What do you need to store your ingredients in? What equipment do you need to prepare it? What dishes will need storing between prepping and cooking? What production equipment will you use to cook it? How will it be presented? Do you need to wash up the serving dishes afterward? How many people can you serve in an hour? A day? A week?
Once you’re able to answer these questions, you should know how much storage space you’ll need, what refrigeration you will have to buy, what prep space you need, what prep and production equipment you need, what crockery you want and what dish-washing facilities you need.
You’re now ready to start planning where your catering business will be…
2. FIND YOUR BEST LOCATION
The location will be vital to the future success of your Best Catering Maidenhead company. Even if you are setting up a mobile catering business it’s still important to know where you will pitch up.
It’s vital you get your positioning right for viability, visibility, footfall and finding the right customers.
Research the area, find commercial agents and chat to them about footfall patterns and rents.
Visit existing businesses in your sector and find out what their experience has been with passing trade and competition, before deciding where to base your business.
3. DESIGN YOUR KITCHEN
If you know what food you want to serve and where you are going to be serving it, you can plan your kitchen.
Think long and hard about this – it’s incredibly difficult to change your kitchen around once you’ve set it up. In the years we’ve spetted supplying catering equipment we’ve seen caterers stuck with the wrong kit for years. It ends up gathering dust rather than making money.
The best way to design a kitchen is to create a ‘flow’: have each part of the food creation process flow naturally into the next.
So start with where you’re going to receive deliveries, have a place to hold and check deliveries, then add storage (both dry and refrigerated), move onto the prep area, then onto preparation, production and serving, before pot wash and waste.
4. FINANCE YOUR EQUIPMENT
A lot of new caterers have to make a choice between three buying options: buying outright, hire purchase, or second hand.
However you purchase, it’s difficult to get your hands on the catering equipment you need without either facing a high outlay right at the start of your business’ life or tying yourself into a long-term contract.
It can seem a little scary when you are first starting out when cash flow is most pressured.
This is why we think it’s important to put time into planning your menu before anything else. It allows you to know exactly what equipment you will need. It also gives you the time to research what models are best suited to your needs and give the best value for money.
Because of this, it’s important to be flexible about how you procure catering equipment. Renting can sometimes leave you with free capital. Buying second-hand – as long as it is from a reputable dealer and comes with a good warranty – can be a good option to reduce your outlay.
There is also a new option which leaves you with brand new equipment, no large initial outlay and doesn’t tie you into a new contract: Try It Buy It from U-Select. This is a 12-month contract to hire your equipment with no need to buy when you reach the end of your contract. If your catering business is a success you can either carry on renting or buy at a reduced price.
5. MARKET LIKE A MASTER
If no one knows about your catering business, you are going to find success hard going. You have to become a champion for your brand to drive your business forward.
Leaflet your local area with a simple offer that you can use to attract people in. Make it worth their while: a free starter or bottle of wine with every three-course meal perhaps? There’s no substitute for getting customers in the door and showing them a good time. They WILL tell their friends and that word-of-mouth is better than any advertising campaign.
Begin finding ways to collect customer email addresses. Write emails introducing your menu and staff that also include offers to reward customers for coming back time and again.
Services like MailChimp allow you to contact up to 2,000 customers for free, and this can be more than enough to build a loyal and profitable fan base.
I hope this five-point plan gives you the tools you need to work towards your dream. Good luck!
