The use of British-produced lamb, beef, dairy and cereals will be put in the spotlight during the festival of Ramadan.
British Muslim TV, in conjunction with Shazan Food Ltd, will release a special 30-day digital series titled 'British Ramadan'.
This will show the preparation of recipes featuring British meat and cereals on social media during the Ramadan period from 28 February to 30 March.
In 2016, UK Muslims spent £4.64 billion on halal food and beverages, while in 2023, AHDB and NIQ estimate that £823m was spent on halal meat alone.
Lamb and mutton consumption is important: 80% consume lamb weekly and 64% consume mutton weekly, compared with only 6% of the general UK population eating lamb.
As part of 'British Ramadan', AHDB will be highlighting its marketing campaign Lets Eat Balanced, promoting the use of British meat and dairy when Muslims break their fast.
Denise Spencer-Walker, AHDB’s food communications manager, said: “It was great to be invited to showcase some delicious, healthy and halal compliant recipes to a Muslim audience.
"When Muslims break their fast they need to ensure they eat a balance of starchy foods including wholegrains, fruit and vegetables, dairy and protein-rich foods, so lamb is very popular during that time.
"I demonstrated six lamb recipes that are easy to cook, highly nutritious and championing meat from Britain," she explained.
“Along with lamb, I also demonstrated six beef, three wholegrain cereals and one dairy recipe that are nutritionally balanced and high energy to help prepare for the next period of fasting.”
The halal sector is seen as important for UK meat and dairy, both domestically and internationally.
In the UK, lamb consumption has been in steady decline during the last 20 years, but for the Muslim community, lamb remains a primary protein source.
AHDB’s retail insight manager, Vanessa Adamson said the opportunity to reach a key demographic directly for farmers was 'incredibly valuable'.
She said: “We know how important the halal meat sector is for our levy payers, particularly lamb producers.
"While Muslims make up around 6.5% of the UK population, we estimate that they account for 30% of lamb sales in terms of volume."
