Nandos

Nandos

Is Nandos Halal?

Nandos is everyone’s favourite chicken place in the UK, but is Nandos halal?

Nandos have 402 restaurants, or which 73 serve only Halal chicken. A small proportion of chicken sold in other restaurants may also be Halal. This may happen on rare occasions if there are, for example, issues with supply. But all stores are clearly sign posted. And all chickens are packaged, labelled and distributed to their intended restaurant. Nandos make it clear whether the chicken is halal:

  • Sign on the entrance of the restaurant
  • On the relevant restaurant page on the website
  • Certificate from the supplier (Freemans), certifying the chickens in that restaurant are supplied by them

Please ask a member of staff at Nando’s if you are unsure.

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From Nandos:

“Our Halal chickens are supplied to us by Cargill Freemans of Newent. They are authorised by the Islamic Institute of Jurisprudence and are one of the UK’s leading suppliers of Halal chicken.

We are committed to the highest standards and therefore the quality, welfare and health of our chicken is a priority. We ensure that Cargill Freemans of Newent follow the strict Red Tractor Farm Assurance Standards. All our chickens are indoor-reared. They are pre-stunned which minimises suffering and fear. The method used is a high frequency stun – this means the chicken is still alive, but unconscious when it is hand slaughtered and blessed by licensed Muslim slaughter men. Their slaughter process is overseen by Mr. Ali Bham who has been a practising Muslim slaughter man for over 20 years.

All of our Halal products are clearly segregated at our supplier and in our distribution centre. Our Halal serving restaurants are authorised only to receive poultry from our approved distribution centre.”

This is an official statement from Nandos. Let’s examine it further:

Cargill Freemans of Newent

Cargill Freeman’s are an English supplier of poultry. Although its a non Muslim company, they claim to have many Muslim workers who know the Islamic rites of slaughter, they also go by the certification of the Institute of Islamic Jurisprudence. This organisation is headed by Mufti Sacha, a well known and revered Mufti in the UK. It can be argued, his certification alone is enough to trust Cargill provide halal (and Sharia compliant) food.

Have a read of the following article :

Muslim bosses spark halal row over new Blackburn Nando’s restaurant

The Institute of Islamic Jurisprudence

The IIJ was founded in 1976 by Mufti Yusuf Sacha, then based in Darlaston, West Midlands. In 1979 on moving to Batley, West Yorkshire, the Institute of Islamic Jurisprudence (IIJ) started to assist Muslims in their problems and social affairs. Initially, Fatawa (Islamic verdicts/legal Edicts) and research into contemporary issues were dealt with.

After some time it became apparent that food technology and the complex nature of E Numbers was another field which needed thorough research. In the early nineties correspondence was established with major manufacturers and information collated from them to form a formidable volume of information published In a local magazine An-Noor. Thereafter, with the arrival of Mufti Faheem Mayet from South Africa in 1993, the Institute began the task of publishing a food guide for Muslims. This resulted in the first Muslim Food Guide published in the UK in 1995, thereafter two subsequent editions were published in 1998 and 2000 respectively.

Although Freeman’s stun, the IIJ is satisfied by their level of standards.

We at theHalalLife have attempted to contact IIJ for an update to the slaughter process. We are still awaiting a reply.

You can contact Mufti Sacha here:

Institute of Islamic Jurisprudence
Mufti Yusuf Sacha
68 Broomsdale Road
Batley, WF176PJ

ysacha@hotmail.com

Stunned Chickens

The issue of stunning still varies amongst scholars however many, through education, are beginning to accept stunning before slaughter, an acceptable, if not better, method to slaughter.

The argument is that its key to lessen pain and suffering to the animal as much as possible, so if stunning allows slaughter without pain then it’s halal.

We will be posting an official article on stunning. To keep updated, please sign up to our newsletter.

The statement from Nandos and the certification from prominent scholars show that Nandos is Halal.

However one must still consider the options. Its possible that someone in the process isn’t abiding by guidelines. How do you make sure all distribution centres are compliant or all slaughter men are Muslim?

Nandos say:

All of our Halal products are clearly segregated at our supplier and in our distribution centre. Our Halal serving restaurants are authorised only to receive poultry from our approved distribution centre.

The choice is yours, whether to accept official scholarly opinion or be cautious. But don’t be overly cautious. Don’t make what’s halal haram.

List of Halal Nandos

Nando’s serves only Halal chicken in the following selected restaurants:

London (within M25)

Baker Street, Balham, Barking, Bayswater, Beckton, Bethnal Green, Brixton, Croydon Valley Leisure Park,Feltham, Finsbury Park, Harrow – Station Road, Hounslow, Ilford, Kilburn, Kingsbury, Mile End, Park Royal, Shepherds Bush, South Harrow, Stratford, Tooting, Walthamstow, Wembley, Wembley Park, Whitechapel, Wood Green

South

Bristol – Aspects Leisure Park, Fareham, Luton, Oxford – Cowley Road, Slough – High street, Slough – Queensmere, Watford – High Street

Midlands

Birmingham Broad Street, Birmingham – Star City, Coventry – City, Leicester – Freemans, Leicester – Highcross, Leicester – Granby Street, Milton Keynes -MK Stadium, West Bromwich, Wolverhampton

North

Ashton Moss, Blackburn, Bolton, Bolton – Vaults, Bradford Leisure Exchange, Bradford Centenary Square, Huddersfield, Leeds – Cardigan Fields, Leeds – The Light, Liverpool – Queen Square, Manchester – Oxford Road, Manchester – Trafford Centre, Manchester – Parrs Wood, Manchester – The Fort, MetroCentre – Blue Mall, MetroCentre – Qube, Middlesbrough, Newcastle – The Gate, Oldham – Old Town Hall, Oldham – Elk Mill, Preston – Deepdale, Preston – Marketplace, Sheffield Valley Centertainment, Wakefield

Scotland

Glasgow – Springfield Quay, Glasgow Soar

Wales

Cardiff Old Brewery Quarter, Nantgarw

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