Halal and kosher food by city

How certification works

In the UK, halal and kosher food is certified by bodies such as HMC, KLBD and the Manchester Beth Din. Each publishes its own list of the places it supervises, and lists change as venues join or leave. That is why we link the lists instead of naming restaurants.

• Halal: the Halal Monitoring Committee (HMC) has a shop finder that searches its certified butchers, restaurants and takeaways by city or region, and a list of businesses it says have misused its mark.^[1] HMC is one certifier among several; if a venue names a different body, check that body’s list.
• Kosher: supervision is local. KLBD (the London Beth Din’s kashrut division) and the Manchester Beth Din publish lists of their licensees and state their standards, for example that their meat restaurants are Glatt.^[2][3]

For vegetarian and vegan options, which many visitors with religious diets also use, see vegetarian, vegan, halal and kosher.

Londres

Halal

Search HMC’s shop finder for London to see the restaurants, takeaways and butchers it certifies.^[1]

HMC certified shops (opens in new tab)

Casher

KLBD lists about 40 licensed restaurants and takeaways, most in north-west London (Golders Green, Hendon, Edgware, Hampstead Garden Suburb and nearby), with a few in Marylebone and elsewhere.^[2]

KLBD restaurants and takeaways (opens in new tab)

Plan the rest of your visit: our London guide.

Manchester

Halal

Search HMC’s shop finder for Manchester.^[1]

HMC certified shops (opens in new tab)

Casher

The Manchester Beth Din lists the restaurants and takeaways, bakeries, caterers and shops it supervises (about 15 restaurants and takeaways when we read it), with its MK logo and standards.^[3]

Manchester Beth Din licensees (opens in new tab)

Plan the rest of your visit: our Manchester guide.

Birmingham

Halal

Search HMC’s shop finder for Birmingham.^[1]

HMC certified shops (opens in new tab)

Casher

We found no current published list of kosher venues for Birmingham. Singers Hill Synagogue (Birmingham Hebrew Congregation) on Ellis Street has a kosher foods section and an office you can contact.^[5]

Singers Hill Synagogue (opens in new tab)

Glasgow

Halal

Search HMC’s shop finder for Glasgow.^[1]

HMC certified shops (opens in new tab)

Casher

Giffnock Newton Mearns Synagogue, in Giffnock, Glasgow, has a kosher food section with guidance on kosher dining in Glasgow, and welcomes visitors.^[4]

Giffnock Newton Mearns Synagogue (opens in new tab)

Plan the rest of your visit: our Glasgow guide.

Tips for eating out

• Ask which body certifies the venue and whether the whole menu is covered or only some dishes.
• Certifiers’ lists are the most current source. Call ahead before a long trip across the city.
• If you also have a food allergy, the law on allergen information applies to every food business: see allergies and coeliac disease.^[6]

Questions

How do I check a restaurant is really halal?

Ask which body certifies it and check that body’s own list. The Halal Monitoring Committee publishes a searchable list of the shops it certifies, and a separate list of businesses accused of misusing its mark. Other certifiers exist with their own rules.

Where is kosher food easiest to find in the UK?

On the certifiers’ own lists: KLBD’s restaurant list is mostly in north-west London, and the Manchester Beth Din lists its licensed restaurants, bakeries and caterers. In Glasgow and Birmingham the choice is small, so contact the local synagogue.