We caught up with the lovely Tanzeem, the Marketing Director of Master Gourmet Meats, at their family launch party held at The Great Chase restaurant. The atmosphere was buzzing with happy friends and family. Mother Parkar was cooking and serving, whilst Father Parkar was cooking up a storm out back. The cousins were serving everything up fresh, stopping for a chat and laugh along the way. Today they were celebrating, as their website had finally gone live to the public. We felt honoured to be included in this momentous, intimate occasion, at this time of celebration.
During the speeches, the owners at The Great Chase said something which really resonated with me: ‘Muslim food business’ tend to always compete with each other. Now is not the time for that. Now is the time to support each other, and help each other as we all have the same cause.’ I couldn’t agree more. We listened on to the great speeches given by the key members of this family run business, and I felt impressed to hear the story of their recent successes at the NEC Birmingham Food Show in the sausage competition, along with the story of how they began. It was just the beginning, and they seemed to have already achieved so much!
ShakerFries and I had the amazing opportunity to taste their South African inspired burgers and sausages, and we were introduced to a few ideas of alternative ways of prepping and serving them. My favorite thing by far was their lamb pastry, stuffed with lamb sausages, sun dried tomatoes, onions, and turkey bacon. I can’t wait for the recipe to be posted so I can try this out for Ramadan! The lamb burger was also a close second favorite for me. The mint in the burger gave an extra punch of flavor, and the meat was tender and flavorsome. One thing is for sure, you could tell this meat wasn’t any old Shazans or Mr.Spicy. This was gourmet meat at it’s finest, carefully crafted and combined with the most amazing flavors, and washed down with some beautifully tasting mocktails prepared by The Great Chase. Sausages have always been a bit of a ‘turn off’ to the Muslim community because of their appearance, but Master Gourmet Meats are about to change all that with their original tasting meat, unparalleled quality, and best of all, their new ideas of how best to prep and use this meat. We couldn’t wait to tuck into the sample box we had at home…we were just itching to be blessed with a sunny day to get the BBQ out!
1. What service do you provide?
We are a supplier of halal meat products, established since 2010. Our main focus is producing gourmet sausages and burgers. As of the 23rd of April, customers will be able to order our products online for home delivery!
2. Tell us a bit about what inspired you to start your
business
As a family, we have always enjoyed barbecues, come rain or shine! Having spent many holidays visiting our family in Cape Town, we were always very envious of the variety of meats on the braai and wanted to bring this experience home. So, with some inspiration from our South African connections, we decided to start producing our own sausages back home in London for family and friends. They very quickly became a hit and it was then that we realised we were on to something. The people of the UK were in need of good quality, halal sausages and we were ready to answer the call!
3. What makes your food business stand out from your
competitors?
Our emphasis from day one has always been to create the tastiest products, using only the finest ingredients. All too often, we’ve found halal sausages and burgers to be both lacking in flavour and quality, and we believe that customers deserve better.
4. What’s your favorite South African dish and why?
Aside from our sausage obsession, we’re also lovers of Biltong (a spicy, dried and cured beef snack). We’ve tried our hand at producing this too with some positive feedback, so you might see this becoming an addition to our product range in the near future!
5. What’s your favorite thing about your job?
After years spent perfecting our recipes, it is always great to hear that people are enjoying our products. What started as a small operation at home has since moved on to a large production unit in Hertfordshire. Having achieved this and continuing to build as a family makes this all the more rewarding.
6. How do you see your business progressing in the future? / what dreams do you have for your business?
We hope to expand our range of products and eventually be able to offer them to customers beyond London!
7. Are all your products halal? If so are they HMC or HFA certified? (please provide method of slaughter for your meat)
At the moment, only our lamb burgers are made with HMC certified meat. None of our meats are machine slaughtered. Our chicken and beef are HFA certified, however the casing used for all of our sausages comes from a German supplier, Viscofan, who have halal accreditation in Germany.
8. How can people contact you if they would like to place an order?
As of the 23rd of April, customers wil be able to order sausages and burgers directly through our website, http://www.mastergourmetmeats.com. Customers who are looking for a
larger supply of our products can contact us directly at info@mastergourmetmeats.com where a member of our team will be in touch within 24 hours.
9. Is there any advice that you would like to give to other young Muslims wishing to start their own business?
Stay committed, be willing to take risks, and never underestimate the power of social media!
Place your order online now at https://www.mastergourmetmeats.com/
the halal plug 