Things are really starting to cook for Barakah Eats, a Surrey family business that makes South Asian-influenced, ready-to-eat meals sold in stores and served at a growing number of hospitals, schools and other institutions.
Cooked and packaged at a Newton plant since 2019, the Khan family's butter chicken, channa masala, beef haleem and other products come frozen in bags and boxes, ready for the microwave.
The company recently scored the Emerging Business trophy during the 2024 Rise Awards hosted by BC Food & Beverage, a not-for-profit association representing the province's food and beverage processing industry.
Rushd Khan operates Barakah Eats with the help of father Zafar, mother Lubna, wife Arshiya and a dozen employees.
"We're very proud of the award, which reinforces our mission since we've launched this business as an extension of our family business including the restaurant (Gulberg Tandoor, located near the KPU Surrey campus in Newton)," Rushd said. "It (the award) will help with the growth of our businesses, for sure."
In a competitive frozen-food market, key for Barakah Eats products is halal certification — food that adheres to Islamic dietary laws and regulations.
"Some hospitals, like Surrey Memorial, Langley and BC Children's Hospital just this month, they started using some of our products for patient care because they're halal-certified," Rushd explained. "That has been a gap among hospital patients, who can now ask for halal-certified meals. The hospitals noticed that there was a lot of food waste, because some people couldn't eat the food."
Barakah Eats products have been tasted at BC Halal Food Festivals at Holland Park in recent summers and will be featured at the new Halal Expo Vancouver, planned Feb. 7-8 at Cloverdale Agriplex (details on halalexpovancouver.com).
In Arabic, the company name means "blessings," a word embraced by the Khan family.
"I never thought it would get to this, with people all over the place eating our food. It's unbelievable," patriarch Zafar Khan said.
"Food is my passion, you know, so we have a tandoor in my backyard when we built our house, where we make naan," he added. "I went to back to Pakistan to learn how to make it, and at that time we didn't have a restaurant or anything yet."
Looking ahead, the Khans aim to grow the Barakah Eats name in the food manufacturing market.
"We see ourselves becoming more of a national company, hopefully by next year," Rushd said. "Right now our business is predominantly in B.C. We do some business outside of B.C. with our vegetarian products, but the meat license with CFIA certification (Canadian Food Inspection Agency), that's our target right now. Once we get over that hump, that opens up a lot of doors for us to start exporting across Canada and then outside of Canada as well. We already have a HACCP-certified facility."
BC Food & Beverage's 2024 Rise Awards attracted 400 people to Anvil Centre in New Westminster on Nov. 29, a night when "exceptional leaders, innovators and brands" were recognized in 16 categories. “These awards showcase the talent, dedication and innovation that define B.C.’s food and beverage industry,” James Donaldson, CEO of BC Food & Beverage, raved in a news release, posted online.
Other Rise Awards winners are Terra Breads (Hall of Fame inductee), Chocxo Chocolatier (Best in Brand), Vancouver Island Sea Salt (Circularity), Fine Choice Foods (Export), Authentic Indigenous Seafood (Indigenous Led Business of the Year), Blume (Innovation), Jeff Lee of Honey Bee Zen Apiaries (Leadership), Fine Choice Foods (Outstanding Workplace, Health & Safety), Salt Spring Kitchen Co. (People's Choice), Salt Spring Coffee (Social Impact), Chiwis (Sustainability) and Binny Boparai-Gill of Farming Karma Fruit Company (Woman Entrepreneur of the Year). Products of the year are Plant-based Crumbles-Chorizo, made by The Better Butchers (Gold award), Honey Salt Popcorn, Popstastic (Silver) and Dark Chocolate Lemon Crème Cups, Chocxo Chocolatier (Bronze).
