Subway.

[Sam Slater]

That wasn't his point. He's talking about the present and so am I. If there aren't enough Halal abattoirs to serve most schools and hospitals in the country, his point is scaremongering.

[Arginald Valleywater]

On a serious note many moons ago I worked in a food factory for a certain well known Swiss company. We made Kosher product once in a blue moon and the Rabbi, a trained food scientist came to bless the ingredients. He was a charming man and extremely funny and realised that 99.99% of the output was non Kosher but trusted us. When we made product for Islamic customers it was like being watched by the Stasi. They were a dour bunch who thought we would try to take short cuts in the manufacturing process when in fact we treated their custom, and customs with the highest integrity.

[Milk Tray Man]

David Johnson wrote:

> And that will be a business decision too.


Sure. But the point is, a business decision taken because the number of Muslims in that area has now increased to such a level that the only way to remain profitable is to cater to their needs/demands.

as far as I know, these companies never used to offer halal meat in their outlets until recently. Now it seems they feel compelled to do so and this seems to be a new phenomenon. So what has changed, and why now?

What's next, breweries shutting down pubs because too many local muslims are 'offended' by their presence?

Like I said, thin end of the wedge.

[cockneygeezer2009]

"It is the fact Muslim views are being considered above and beyond everyone else."

Lol. If you believe that you'll believe anything.

[cockneygeezer2009]

One of the Sun's job is to wind people up. Most Halal meat eaten by Brits is stunned before slaughter. What the difference in taste if some religious person says something over it?

[David Johnson]

"Sure. But the point is, a business decision taken because the number of Muslims in that area has now increased to such a level that the only way to remain profitable is to cater to their needs/demands."

I do not think you are correct when you say "the only way to remain profitable". What all companies do is look at ways of maximising their profits and in 10% of their outlets in the UK Subway have obviously seen an opening for selling halal food to their customers to meet their business objective of increasing profit. Secondly they presumably lower their cost base if the meat they take is halal which they can sell to all their customers without having the overheads of dealing with different suppliers i.e. some halal, some not halal.

"as far as I know, these companies never used to offer halal meat in their outlets until recently."

Depends how recent you regard "recently" as. Subway have had halal outlets since 2007.

"Now it seems they feel compelled to do so and this seems to be a new phenomenon. So what has changed, and why now?"

No-one is "compelling" them. Two things have changed. The Muslim population is growing - 3% in the 2001 census, 5% in the 2011 census. And secondly, as funding has been cut to universities and colleges, increasingly they are depending on foreign students, many of them from Muslim countries to help fund the universities by paying up to 3 times an English student's fees. In a number of Subway Halal locations there is a very limited Muslim permanent population but sufficient in term time to support a halal outlet.

" What's next, breweries shutting down pubs because too many local muslims are 'offended' by their presence?"

Well that is the least of pubs worries. There has been a huge number of pubs closed over the last few years which has next to nothing whatever to do with muslims. Again it is just business. If people buy much cheaper booze from the supermarket and watch football on a large screen in their living room or whatever, pubs close.

"Like I said, thin end of the wedge."

I don't think so. It is merely companies looking to maximise profits. If you are not happy with this approach, anyone can make their own business decision and buy their sarnies somewhere else. Subway is a High Street outlet. There will be umpteen different alternatives if you do not want to eat halal food. If sufficient Subway customers take the same approach then Subway may change their use of halal food.

[Sam Slater]

[quote]What the difference in taste if some religious person says something over it?[/quote]

Go ask a Muslim 'What's the difference in taste if a religious person doesn't say something over it?'

[Arginald Valleywater]

Wonder if Boko Haram stun their victims before murdering them?

[max_tranmere]

I find this interesting, I never realised (genuinely) that religious figures actually showed up at abattoirs and oversaw meat production. The world seems to be going mad! lol.

[max_tranmere]

I remember watching an episode of a reality TV show where these people lived in a house in Hackney (or somewhere around there) and they were tasked with doing certain things. One task was to prepare a meal and they had to buy certain ingredients. They went to Kingsland Road in pursuit of pork sausages but nowhere in that major street or nearby stocked them. The 'rich multicultural society' we live in (which The Left always tell us is wonderful) has created a situation where you can't buy certain things now in entire REGIONS of London! The butchers they visited, and there were many, all told them (the ones who spoke English anyway): "you have to go up to Stoke Newington to buy such things". Mass immigration really has changed things.