Pak man still going strong
Meat Trades Journal, Nov 7 2003
WALK INTO any Pak Butchers' shops in Bristol or Cardiff and owner Abdul Malik can guarantee every piece of his meat has followed strict Halal protocol. In a sector where some traders forfeit true Islamic slaughtering practices in favour of profit and where it is possible where for chicken injected pork proteins to be labelled Halal, Abdul believes educating consumers on the true meaning of Halal is a must in order to create consumer confidence in the product.
Abdul established the business with his brother-in-law about 12 years ago age 18. "We were the first Halal meat company to use the now common 'Pak' trading name," he says. Established first in Bristol, Pak Foods now has two outlets in the area, another in Cardiff and plans are underway to launch a fourth shop in Gloucester. Abdul believes the success of the first shop was due to its location and high customer demand for a reputable meat outlet.
"The first week we opened, we were busy," he said, "and within three months the shop had undergone a revamp. We had to open another shop in Bristol just to keep up."
Similar success has been generated at the newest store, in Cardiff.
"In the three weeks we’ve been here, we have had a tremendous response," he says. "Now it's Ramadan, trade has really taken off because this is the time when you see all your customers in the month."
Researching potential areas before setting up a business has also helped Abdul to identify good locations. His Cardiff store is in an area with a strong Muslim base, an influx of asylum seekers and very little competition. He has also considered targetting Birmingham but, as with London, he believes the area is awash with traders selling cheap meat with questionable Halal status.
"We would have to educate people if we are going to go into Birmingham. If you can have a pure Halal product with proof, they why would people buy something else?" "Even though we have one book, we have got thousands of different interpretations," he says. "We need to have certainty in those inspecting this meat so if they say they are doing it we can hold them ransom to that. There needs to be one standard not 20."
He recommends that while inspection takes place in slaughterhouses to check the meat is fit for consumption, there should be an additional service so that the meat is checked to be Halal and stamped as such.
"If you can go and inspect whether the meat is fit for consumption, what is two or three seconds more to monitor the Islamic procedure to make sure everybody is doing it right?"
In order to ensure customer confidence, Abdul gathers about 17 customers interested in the slaughter and production of his meat to come with him and visit the slaughterhouses every two or three months. The biggest challenge for him at the moment is finding a poultry abattoir that adheres to his strict Islamic standards when it comes to slaughtering.
"It's a big time problem at the moment because Summers Poultry is the only non-stun operation up to the Midlands that does not use electric stunning." The true method of slaughter for birds is manual, according to Abdul, since he believes there is no guarantee that the birds are only stunned and not killed using the electric method. He claims they suffer more.
Keen to meet the needs of his customers, the shops have been tailored to sell particular products in line with their needs.
Pak's Cardiff shop sells a range of joints, steaks and other meat cuts to a mainly English clientele, while the Bristol shop's product range includes ox tails, cow feet and legs of lamb for a mixed market including Afro-Caribbean, Arab and Pakistani communities. "We used to have a purely Muslim market but now it is multi-cultural and multi-faith."
Halal meat is considered to offer benefits over non-Halal meats because the Islamic process of slaughter means the majority of the blood in the animal is drained out. "Since it has drained its systems from the excess amount of blood from the factory, it is a lot less meatier," says Abdul. "You can taste the flavour more than the red meat. Chicken is a lot whiter and the shelf life can be guaranteed an extra four days."
Halal burgers, sausages, shish kebabs and ready cooked meals are produced by a Halal food manufacturer.
Plans are underway to change the corporate image of the shop to diffrentiate it from the other "Pak" outlets already trading.
Additional plans to extend the business into more cooked products are also being discussed. "I see this change happening slowly over the three or four years to create a pure Halal concept," he says. "I have loads of ideas."