Muslim care home owner ‘bans pensioners from eating bacon sandwiches’

A Muslim care home owner has been branded ‘a disgrace’ after banning his pensioner residents from eating bacon.

The 40 pensioners - none of them Muslim - were shocked when all pork products were cut off the menu by owner Dr Zulfikar Ali Khan.

He stopped deliveries from the butcher who supplied the home for years and instead ordered halal-meat only from another firm.

It meant that the elderly residents at the 40-bed Queen’s Care Centre in the pit village of Maltby, near Rotherham, missed out on traditional favourites like bacon sandwiches, sausage and mash, ham sandwiches and sausage rolls.

But the move has brought a furious reaction from the 37-strong staff - and the families of residents.

Said a relative of an elderly resident : ‘This is a disgrace. The old people who are in the home and in their final years an deserve better.

‘They are paying customers who are making profits for this man. The least he can do is give them their favourite food.

‘Bacon butties and bangers and mash is traditional English food and that’s what these people want, it’s shocking that they should be deprived of the food they like on the whim of this man.’

Said one member of staff , who asked not to be named: ‘Only halal meat was delivered to the home and all pork products such as bacon, ham sandwiches, pork pies, sausages and even lard were stopped.

‘He did not consult the residents or seek their approval. Bacon sandwiches are a favourite here.

‘It’s also quite wrong that someone should impose their religious and cultural beliefs on others like this.

‘For many years meat has been supplied by Crawshaws, a Rotherham family butcher but that contract ended two weeks ago and since then only halal meat has been delivered along with other products with brand names you would not recognise.

‘We were told that if people wanted pork products we could go out and get them, but in reality this has not worked.

‘We only have halal meat on the premises and so this is all we had to serve to residents because there is no other meat in the building.’

When asked about the decision, Dr Khan, who has owned the home since 1994, suggested that the halal meat had been brought in for Muslim staff - but he is believed to be the only one the only in the building.

He said staff had misconceptions about the situation and added : ‘As soon as we realised residents were not getting what they wanted it was resolved a a senior staff meeting a week ago.

‘We will be ordering all types of meat . It is complete nonsense. The residents are free to have whatever they want.

‘Regarding meat we are moving from Crawshaws to Browns Meat Supplies - a British company which supplies all kinds of meat.

‘There has been one delivery of halal meat and people have misunderstood the concept. As soon as I realised this I held a senior staff meeting which was minuted and I made it abundantly clear that residents could have any meat product or food they wished.

‘I agree it would be quite wrong for someone to impose their religious or cultural beliefs on others, but this is not the case.’

Said a former member of staff who still has connections with the home: ‘I believe Dr Khan intended to serve only halal meat at the home but has had to think again because of the row.

‘The staff have been very unhappy and the manager has just left, one of several to go in the last few years.’

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