Birmingham’s biggest halal food court opens to the public as Muslims welcome Eid celebrations following a month of fasting during Ramadan.
With plans already underway to expand the new foodie heaven in the city’s trendy Digbeth neighbourhood over the coming months, this initial launch saw hundreds of Brummies visit, explore and dine at the unique culinary hub amid the start of Eid al-Fitr festivities on Friday (20 March). Art.Quarter in Birmingham city centre - which already hosts a stylish men’s barber shop, women-only salon, and contemplation prayer space - is now home to a variety of halal food vendors serving an incredible array or treats for all tastes. Among the first eateries to open inside “AQ Foodhall” is Kacao with its mouth-watering range of brunch items and gorgeous patisseries.
Kacao co-founder Sak described the outlet as a “Middle Eastern-inspired” cafe. “I was always inspired, going to the Middle East and having that Emirati cafe culture, but I felt like the UK was missing somewhere to go, unwind, have a nice chai, a nice dessert, relax, and slow down,” he said.
“I feel like the UK is very fast-paced, so just somewhere to slow down and enjoy good food. So we are quite unique because we do croissants three ways. We’re only doing a limited menu for the soft launch, but we’re doing cube croissants, pizza croissants - which we’ve had on show - and we’re also doing ice cream croissants as well.
“We're in a brilliant location. We’re doing great food; we think people from all lives and cultures are going to come and enjoy this place.” What’s a better accompaniment to delicious pastries than a rich, full-bodied coffee? Thankfully Kohitayn is on hand.
The vendor specialises in artisan coffee, desserts and pocket toasts inspired by Japanese and Middle Eastern coffee culture. Tempting customers with a taste of the far-east is Broth Noodle Bar, cooking up halal broth noodles loaded with Vietnamese, Korean and Thai flavours and garnished with your favourite toppings. Completing the brand-new food hall line-up is Frost Froth, a perfect stop for acai bowls, fresh juices and healthy bites; and Fat Belly, a dedicated matcha bar focused on “cultivating a unique experience to the Birmingham coffee shop scene”.
AQ (Art.Quarter) Food Hall officially opens its doors on ‘Jummah’ (Friday), the Islamic holy day, on which millions of British Muslims also celebrated Eid. At a ‘Chand Raat’ preview of the new food court, Art.Quarter CEO Jordan Patel said the venue’s goal was to promote “social cohesion”.
“Art Quarter is all about creating a community space for really positive social cohesion, for us to have a city-centre, central space to be seen, be heard, have visibility, but also be the bridge between all communities, and that's what we're about,” he said.
“I think the city deserves a public asset that people from all walks of life get to enjoy and cherish, and so, yeah, we want to lean into the hype and hope that this is going to be one of the biggest projects the city's ever seen.” Echoing his sentiments is Chrystal, one of the managers at the creative and culinary hub.
“It’s an amazing new concept to know that everyone can come here to eat; people who eat halal and people who don't, we can still all dine together in unity and can still come together in that community. It’s an amazing thing for Birmingham: we now have our first indoor halal food hall, so everyone is fully catered to and they're not scared to try new cuisines because they know they can eat everything here.” The majority of Muslims around the world celebrated Eid al-Fitr on Friday 20 March, which was announced following sighting of the new crescent moon, signifying the end of Ramadan and the start of a new month in the Islamic Hijri calendar.
