Tesco is claiming to be the first supermarket to roll out a halal meat barbecue range this summer in time for the football World Cup.
From 12 June, the supermarket will sell seven frozen chicken and lamb barbecue dishes and plans to add more to the range next year. The UK barbecue market has an estimated annual worth of £2.8bn, according to Tesco, with a calculated 6m consumers of halal meat in the UK.
Tesco ethnic food buying manager Steve Ewels said: “It’s estimated that there are about two million Muslims living in the UK, but until now there has never been a dedicated halal barbecue range.”
He added: “We know from our own sales data that there is a high growing demand for halal food, so for us it is a natural move to offer a barbecue range.”
Tesco said it currently offers 100 different fresh halal products, with volume sales growing at 82% year-on-year.
The halal range from Aisha’s Original Recipe will include Tandoori Chicken Wings, Hot & Spicy Chicken Portions, Lamb Seekh Kebab, eight Tandoori Chicken Burgers, eight Peri-Peri Chicken Burgers, Chicken Seekh Kebab and Chicken Tikka Portions, costing £3 each.
Tesco has also opened a halal meat counter at its Hodge Hill store in Birmingham, backed by the National Halal Food Group.