After a successful showcase at the NEC, Birmingham, The Halal Food Festival 2023 heads to Manchester’s Bowlers Exhibition Centre on Saturday 19th August and Sunday 20th August 2023, with a line-up of over 150 exhibitors. Outdoor food vendors, an indoor exhibition featuring Muslim lifestyle stalls, and various forms of entertainment will be part of the mix for the bank holiday weekend, expected to draw over 20,000 visitors.
This year’s food vendors promise a global culinary tour. Stalls include ‘Afrikana’, ‘Redfern Kitchen’, ‘Myos Japanese Fusion’, ‘The Dutch Fishmen’, and ‘Cleopatra’ from the Middle East, artisan hot dogs by ‘Malik Butchers’, and Manchester’s own Afro-Caribbean cuisine from ‘Ritas Reign’.
The main arena will host a variety of Halal lifestyle brands, encompassing fashion, jewellery, Islamic art, and charitable causes. Celebrity chefs Pulwasha, Mia Dia from The Islam Channel, and KanD Man from the BBC Asian Network will add to the attractions with live cooking demonstrations. The festival will also host TikTok sensation ‘Mr Tee’, famed as one of Britain’s best ice cream vendors.
An ‘Artisan Market’, hosted by the ‘Muslim Instashop Expo’, will showcase fine delicacies, home décor, arts and crafts, fashion and beauty. This market has previously served as an excellent platform for small, start-up and Instagram businesses at Birmingham’s Monthly Muslim Market.
Bilal Khan, the organiser and festival director of The Halal Food Festival 2023 said, “Being able to host The Halal Food Festival is like a dream come true, bringing friends and families together to socialise, eat, and celebrate the Halal lifestyle. We encourage all walks of life to join us to learn a little more about our integration into the UK. It is also a great opportunity for us to champion Halal businesses, hoping to take them from being small start-ups to leading enterprises in their respected fields.”
The festival will be open from 11am to 7pm each day. Tickets are available at the Halal Food Festival website, with prices starting from £7.00.