How to cater halal buffet food at a children's party?

[Feedingmybaby]

It’s DDs birthday party soon and just starting to think about catering. We are holding the party in a hall and will do typical buffet food for both adults and kids.

We’ce invited the whole class, and lots of children are Muslim and will only eat halal - I’ve never catered for this dietary requirement before.

Can anyone give any suggestions? There will be some cheese and jam sandwiches for the kids, but I was also planning on doing ham. Would the products containing pork need to be kept separately to everything else if the Muslim children are to eat them? I just don’t want the parents to not eat the food if I’m to do it ‘wrong’!

I wouldn’t worry about it.

Serve whatever food your kid likes, it’s her birthday.

If the guests are too young to choose food suitable for themselves then their parents can stay and help guide them.

Because I like sausage rolls and so do my kids? 🤣

Could you use veggie ham, OP?

https://www.quorn.co.uk/products/ham-style-slices

I promise that anyone not Christian would think the nativity plays are religious. Speaking as the only Jewish family at my kids' schools! I am happy for my kids to celebrate Christmas with their class, but it's definitely a religious holiday and the nativity is inherently religious.

My kids and their friends absolutely knew that there were various religions - they celebrated loads of them at nursery including things like Chinese New Year. Their schools are something like 20% muslim (and us representing the Jews!) and then a variety of people celebrating Christmas in a variety of ways.

I would guess that some of the parents came back to the OP when invited to remind her that they are halal - I always got a string of dietary responses when my kids had parties.

I have Muslim friends and I do fish or veggie things for them usually, or get halal meat. How about tuna sandwiches and breaded fish bites. All your crisps and puddings will be fine.

They're two different things. Does she not want to eat halal meat, regardless of how it is slaughtered, due to religion.
Or does she not want to eat meat that hasn't been stunned?

Most Muslim kids will accept invitations to kids parties. It's a great way to nurture friendships.

Separate table for pork/ non halal food is ideal rather than relying on kids not to cross contaminate.

Jelly/ Haribo - check vegan/ veggie otherwise gelatine in them makes them non halal. The big strawberries have always been vegan and lots of vegan haribo really available, even in home & bargains. Moaom not vegan.

If serving pizza, put pepperoni on separate table unless it's halal. Most kids i know prefer margherita or cheesy garlic bread anyway.

Be prepared for the Muslim kids asking you themselves what they can eat... most are switched on enough to know they have to check 😀

You sound really lovely and considerate 🥰
Hope your DC has a lovely birthday 🥳

I agree, all meat is cruel but Halal is undoubtedly the cruelest form of slaughter. As I said, just do a vegetarian party OP.

In what way is it cruelest?

more cruel than Kosher?

Some cheese is not halal by the way.

You can serve turkey ham (check the packaging) which is usually halal. Plenty of vegetable crudités and halal sweeties too. Separate everything and maybe put some pretty signs out saying what everything is and indicating 'halal' where appropriate.

I simply wouldn’t do it. As in I wouldn’t offer halal options. Not a chance. I’d just not serve meat. No way would I be pandering with halal meat. It’s cruel. No way.

Play safe and just serve bowls of plain boiled rice.

I don’t understand the need to warn children that there will be -shock- horror ! - horror! no meat products.

Children will eat food that tastes good. Peanut butter is vegan but people don’t have kittens about eating it, even if they are dedicated meat eaters. In fact, it’s nut allergies that are far more important, now I think of it.

And so long as the sandwiches taste good and are finger size, possibly in interesting shapes, they’ll eat them. It’s adults that come over all peculiar if they have to eat a meal that doesn’t have meat or dairy, and even then they’ll scoff it down happily until they’re told it’s vegan or vegetarian.

but I wouldn't do a halal table, I'd do a meat table iyswim. so vegan / veggie on main table, and seperate bit for meat

are they warning the kids there's no meat or reassuring the parents all food is suitable for everyone?

I find it bewildering how many people can't conceive of a vegetarian buffet. It's a kids' party, it's not a wedding or a massive fancy whatever (even if it was, it could still be delicious and vegetarian!). It's so simple - make it easy on your guests as there are a decent number of families who won't eat meat and just don't have meat there. We don't think anything of avoiding nuts anymore and if there were other serious allergies I'm sure we'd do our best to avoid those.

I have a deadly shellfish allergy so my friends just... don't have shellfish around if they invite me over. People share serving forks and touch things and it's not pleasant to make everyone be cautious - much easier just to avoid the problem and keep everything friendly. I would never demand this obviously, I just always have a granola bar on me just in case anyone forgets or doesn't want to do this, but so far no one ever has.

Oh my gosh halal, how awful!!!
Do you think the parents and kids will be expecting halal meat?
Or maybe they’d just appreciate a veggie buffet, as you said you’d do, so they know their kids can eat all the food and no one is making a big deal out of “pandering” to them.
This thread is so bloody predictable.

Mixed race and religion family here. I’ve held loads of children’s parties with a mix of children coming. I’ve never served pork at a party and it’s never occurred to me that this may be an issue. No one has ever asked where the ham sandwiches are. Don’t overthink it and just serve cheese and jam sandwich’s or something similar, plus whatever other side bits you want to serve.

ETA that I’ve also never thought to warn anyone in advance. I’ve only checked in advance when I know there’s someone with an allergy and therefore can make sure we have a plan.

Could you do mini pizzas for all the children, OP?

Most children like pizza.

https://www.iceland.co.uk/p/iceland-takeaway-4-mini-pizzas-%E2%80%93-cheese-and-tomato-356g/90510.html

I would just serve no meat at all to be on the safe side.

Good point. But not all cheese is halal! Not all eggs are halal!

It really is simpler just to give vegan food. My limited experiences is that kids don’t care provided its colourful, in small sizes and appears plentiful and pretty. With lots of things they’re not normally allowed..

Fuck knows, but neither of them belong in Britain where we have considered welfare standards and monitoring.

I’ve only ever done vegetarian parties, so don’t shoot me. I was thinking more to inform the Muslim families that they can eat rather than to apologise to meat eaters who can perfectly well eat vegetarian