Halal catering at work, and planning around Ramadan.
If some of your colleagues eat halal, getting it right is mostly about asking the right questions and keeping things clearly separate. During Ramadan, it is also about making sure lunch isn’t the only way people are included.
Four questions to ask any caterer
Whoever you order from, these are the questions that separate a genuinely halal spread from one that only looks it.
Is the meat halal, or just pork-free?
They are different things, and some colleagues need the first. Ask which one you are getting.
Where could pork be hiding?
Ham and bacon aren’t always in the name. A chicken Caesar often includes bacon, and an Italian club usually has ham and salami.
What about the sweets?
Some desserts contain gelatine or alcohol. If a guest is strict about it, ask about the specific items.
Will it be kept apart?
If the order mixes halal and non-halal food, ask for the halal items to be packed separately and labelled.
Questions about halal catering: 1. Is the meat halal, or just pork-free? 2. Could any item contain ham, bacon or salami, even if the name doesn't say so? 3. Do any of the sweets contain gelatine or alcohol? 4. Will the halal items be packed separately from anything else, and labelled?
Our halal lists
You can shop our halal range as two lists, one for lunch and one for morning and afternoon tea.
Halal meat, not just pork-free
The chicken, beef and turkey in the sandwiches, wraps, baguettes, paninis and salad bowls on our halal lunch list are supplied halal by our kitchen partner, including processed meats like pastrami and deli turkey. Ask us and we can show you the certification.
See the halal lunch listPork is left off, even when it’s hidden
We check fillings against our supplier’s ingredient records, not the name. Our Chicken Twister Tortilla, for example, contains bacon, so it isn’t on the list.
Kept apart when you need it
For larger orders, we can arrange for halal items to be plattered separately when you ask. It isn’t standard, so let us know when you order. For smaller orders, we can limit the fillings to halal meats and vegetarian options.
See the halal morning tea listWe check items against our suppliers’ ingredient records before they go on a halal list, so the checking is done before you order, not after. None of our morning or afternoon tea products use animal gelatine.
A month of meetings, planned with care
Ramadan is expected to begin around Monday 8 February 2027, with Eid al-Fitr around Wednesday 10 March. The exact dates depend on the sighting of the moon. Colleagues who are fasting don’t eat or drink from dawn until sunset.
Don’t make lunch the only way in
If a team celebration or thank-you is built around lunch, fasting colleagues miss out. Consider holding it in the days after Eid instead.
Offer something to take home
When food is part of a meeting, put a sealed, individually packed item from our halal lunch list in the office fridge for a fasting colleague to take home at the end of the day for iftar, the evening meal that breaks the fast.
Halal lunch listKeep it low-key
Not everyone who is Muslim fasts, and not everyone who fasts wants attention drawn to it. A quiet word works better than an announcement.
Planning something in February or March?
Pick your event date to see whether it falls during Ramadan 2027 or around Eid.
Does your event fall during Ramadan?
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Celebrating Eid with the team
Eid al-Fitr marks the end of Ramadan. Some colleagues will take the day itself off, so a team morning tea in the days after Eid is a natural way to celebrate. Baklava is a popular choice.
Baklava Triangles
Layers of crisp filo filled with nuts. $81.50 a tray.
View baklava triangles
Seasonal Fruit Platter
Fresh-cut fruit to balance the sweets. $93.50 a platter.
View the fruit platterA few terms worth knowing
- Halal
- Permitted under Islamic dietary law.
- Haram
- Not permitted. Pork and alcohol are the best-known examples.
- Suhoor
- The meal eaten before dawn during Ramadan.
- Iftar
- The meal at sunset that breaks the day’s fast.
- Eid al-Fitr
- The festival that marks the end of Ramadan.
- Eid Mubarak
- A common greeting at Eid, meaning “blessed Eid”.
Halal and Ramadan questions
Is vegetarian food automatically halal?
Do you have a halal option for morning tea?
Should we avoid food at meetings during Ramadan?
How do I find out who eats halal without singling anyone out?
A halal-friendly order, without the guesswork.
Start from the halal lists. We have done the checking, so you don’t have to.
About the dates. Ramadan and Eid dates are expected dates for Australia and are confirmed by moon sighting shortly beforehand (timeanddate.com). Prices are read from our menu and include GST.