Nº I — Start with the claim itself
“Halal” on a sales sheet is a claim, not a conversation. Before you discuss anything else, get clear, specific answers about the product you are actually buying:
- Is the specific product — not just part of the range — sold as halal?
- Who is making the claim, and can that party explain it in plain language?
- Do the answers stay consistent across the website, the specification, and the person you speak with?
- Are your own customers' or institution's requirements clearly stated on your side, so the supplier can respond to the real requirement?
If answers are vague, inconsistent, or change depending on who you ask, treat that as information. Slow down, ask in writing, and keep the replies on file with the rest of your purchasing records.
Nº II — Ask about production standards
Halal status is one part of quality; production discipline is the other. Useful questions for any meat supplier include:
- What food-safety or quality standard does the production work under, and can the supplier name it plainly?
- Where is the product produced? Origin should be stated as a plain product fact.
- How are the animals raised and fed, in the supplier's own stated terms?
- How is the product packed and frozen, and what does that mean for your kitchen or your customers?
A good answer is specific: a named place, a named standard, and terms the supplier is willing to put in writing. On our own quail range, for example, the stated facts are: product of Spain, halal, raised on 100% vegetable feed with no hormones or antibiotics, produced under IFS Food certified standards. Hold every supplier — us included — to answers at that level of specificity.
Nº III — Read the pack before you buy it
Small game birds are sold by format, and the format decides the labor, the yield, and the plate. The formats in our catalog, in plain language:
- Graded whole-bird packs: retail packs are graded by bird size — a 660 g six-pack of jumbo birds is a different product from a 1,140 g six-pack of the largest, Royal-selection birds. Compare grams per bird, not just birds per pack.
- Flowpack tray: a sealed tray format suited to display and straightforward handling — the standard whole-bird wholesale pack.
- Semi-boneless, butterflied: torso bones removed and the bird opened flat — faster, more even cooking and easier stuffing.
- Vacuum packing: air removed around the product before sealing, for boneless and semi-boneless birds.
- IQF: each piece is frozen individually rather than in a solid block, so a kitchen can take out only what a service needs — the format behind our breasts, legs, and lollipops.
- By the box: game birds such as partridge are traded in fixed-count boxes (ours is 12 per box) — confirm the count and average bird weight before comparing prices.
Nº IV — Know your categories
Each category in the catalog has its own buying logic:
- Quail and game: smaller volumes, higher menu value. Game works best as a deliberate specialty offer — banquets, tasting menus, seasonal features — rather than an everyday line.
- Poultry: turnover is high and margins are watched closely. Whole birds versus portioned cuts change labor, yield, and portion cost.
- Beef and lamb: cuts, grading, and consistency drive the program. Agree on exact cut names and pack styles, and check them against what arrives.
- Grocery and pantry: staples like ghee, fava beans, tahini, and molokhia are reorder lines — judge them on the sizes offered (retail versus foodservice) and how steadily your customers ask for them.
Nº V — Evaluate the product, not just the pitch
Paperwork and conversation only get you so far. Before a program commitment:
- Ask whether samples are available for qualified buyers, and cook the product the way it will actually be served.
- Check portioning, yield, and consistency across more than one piece.
- Have the people who will sell or serve the product taste it — not just the person who buys it.
- Write down what you agreed and what you were told, while it is fresh.