Consumer insight: Halal retail and consumption trends 2024

Our research shows how halal consumers’ behaviours and consumption habits have changed since the Covid pandemic and the cost of living crisis.

Halal meat accounts for 30% of lamb sales

While Muslims make up around 6.5% of the UK population, AHDB estimates that they account for 30% of lamb sales in terms of volume. As they mainly consume halal meat, farmers could benefit from finding out more about the halal sector and its requirements.

In the UK as a whole, lamb consumption has been in steady decline during the last 20 years. This is driven by comparatively high prices relative to other proteins, such as chicken. For the Muslim community, however, lamb remains a primary protein source.

In 2016, Muslims in the UK were estimated to have spent £4.64 billion on halal food and beverages. By 2023, AHDB and NIQ estimate that £823 million was spent on halal meat alone.

Key opportunities for the halal meat sector

• Improve halal presentation and display in-store: Create an appealing point of sale and on-pack labelling with clear halal certification
• Improve halal meat range: Highlight new versatile cuts to retain and increase opportunities for lamb among younger consumers and expand halal ready meal ranges
• Independent specialist stores: Enhance meat counter displays and cuts of lamb to attract a wider and potentially younger clientele
• Muslim religious festivals: Observe these key dates throughout the year and plan to get product ready in time for maximum return
• Provenance: Highlight the high British standards, positive animal welfare in the UK, low food miles and support for British farmers
• Cooking preparation: Provide information on cuts of halal beef and lamb to encourage confidence in cooking at home, with a variety of quick and tasty dishes

Read the detailed findings:

Who should read this research?

Farmers, processors and the retail trade could benefit from learning more about the halal market, as well as consumption habits and purchasing preferences, and we hope our research can in turn drive sales. AHDB aims to promote red meat to consumers and protect its long-term reputation.

About the research project

In early 2024, a market research agency, The Smithfield Collective, conducted research on our behalf. The objective was to identify changes to halal consumers’ attitudes and behaviours to red meat consumption since our 2020 report Consumer Insights: Demand for Halal Meat. While that report showed the demand and opportunities for the halal sector at that time, changes have occurred as a result of the Covid pandemic, cost-of-living crisis and increasing Muslim population.

Objectives

This latest research now examines how we can optimise red meat purchasing for the halal consumer.

Utilising a two-stage mixed methodology, the research set out to answer the following criteria:

• Discover how and where halal consumers shop for meat and what they purchase
• Explore appetites and purchasing patterns for lamb and beef and the key drivers
• Find out how consumers feel about halal assurance, quality and price of meat?
• Understand who does the meat shopping, any changes, and how the cost-of living crisis has changed purchasing behaviour

How was the research conducted?

We used a two-stage mixed methodology with The Smithfield Collective to gain greater understanding of the halal meat consumer and their attitudes, behaviours and drivers to purchase.

The sample involved the primary or sole grocery shopper aged 18+ years, who follows or practises the Muslim faith and regularly buys red meat for their household, with at least half of the meat being halal.

This study was split by ethnicity, age, gender, region and social grade to give a full, representative range of attitudes around halal meat and its role in Muslim homes and lives.

The research was split into two:

• Stage one: We used a robust 20-minute quantitative survey with 1,001 halal meat purchasers, which were split into 599 online and 402 face-to-face interviews.
• Stage two: A qualitative research sample was used to add richness, depth and real-life insights; this consisted of using consumption diaries over seven days, in-home interviews and an accompanied shopping trip with 20 halal purchase decision makers across London, Birmingham and Manchester.

Fieldwork was conducted in January and February 2024.

Notes on the data

AHDB and NIQ estimated the value of the halal market by using Muslim population figures from the ONS Census 2021, NIQ average value per buyer for lamb, beef and poultry, and consumption data from The Smithfield Collective research.  

When comparing this research with the general population, AHDB refer to YouGov Consumer Tracker in February 2024, and for the ‘Average weekly spend on meat’ in June 2024, based on 1,000 respondents.

Continue reading about this research