Is Nando's Halal? Which UK Branches Are Halal (2026)

Is Nando’s Halal?

Nando’s is halal at its designated halal branches only — around 80 of its 400+ UK restaurants serve 100% halal chicken. Nando’s itself is clear that its restaurants are not halal overall: designated branches serve exclusively halal-certified chicken, while the rest of the estate does not.

Like Subway’s designated halal stores and KFC’s halal branches, this is a store-by-store question — you need to check your branch before you order, not assume the chain.

Which Nando’s Branches Are Halal?

Not all of them — around 80 of Nando’s 400+ UK restaurants serve only halal chicken. Nando’s publishes which ones, so verification takes a minute:

• Check the official list at nandos.co.uk/halal or the individual restaurant’s page on the Nando’s site — halal branches are labelled “halal-friendly.”
• At the door, look for the “Halal Chicken Served Here” sign; supplier certificates are usually displayed inside.
• Halal branches cluster where demand is highest: most are in London, with the rest across the Midlands, the North, Scotland and Wales.

The branch list can change as restaurants open, close, or switch supply — always check the current list rather than relying on last year’s knowledge.

Who Certifies Nando’s Halal Chicken?

The certification sits at supplier level, not restaurant level. Designated halal branches serve chicken from HFA (Halal Food Authority)-approved suppliers — Nando’s does not hold a premises certification from HMC or HFA for the restaurants themselves.

• HMC does not certify Nando’s. HMC does not certify premises that serve alcohol, and requires hand slaughter without the stunning methods Nando’s suppliers use.
• The certificate displayed in a halal branch is the supplier’s — ask staff to see it if you want to verify the certifying body for that branch’s chicken.
• Strict HMC-only followers should treat Nando’s as outside their standard; for those who accept HFA supplier certification, designated halal branches are halal.

Does Nando’s Serve Alcohol?

Yes — UK Nando’s restaurants, including the halal branches, serve beer and wine. The chicken’s halal status is unaffected, but this is the main reason some Muslims — and the stricter certifiers — steer clear.

• HMC will not certify alcohol-serving premises, so halal branches carry supplier-level HFA certification instead.
• Some Hanafi scholars rule dining there impermissible on cross-contact and doubt grounds; others permit it where the food itself is certified. Apply your own standard.
• No pork is handled anywhere on the menu, in any branch.

Nando’s Halal Status Globally

Nando’s originated in South Africa and has a significant presence in Muslim-majority markets. Halal certification is standard in many of these countries.

Country	Halal Status
United Kingdom	Designated branches only (~80 of 400+) — check nandos.co.uk/halal
South Africa	Halal certified (some locations, verify)
Australia	Verify per location
United States	Verify per location
Malaysia	Fully halal certified
UAE	Fully halal certified
Saudi Arabia	Fully halal certified
Pakistan	Fully halal certified

For Nando’s locations outside the UK and Muslim-majority countries, it is worth verifying halal status locally, as halal supply is arranged market by market.

What to Order / What to Avoid

At a designated halal branch (verified via nandos.co.uk/halal):

• All chicken dishes — whole chicken, half chicken, quarter chicken, butterfly chicken
• Chicken wraps, pita, and burgers
• Chicken wings and strips
• All marinade and spice levels (Lemon & Herb, Medium, Hot, Extra Hot, Extra Extra Hot)
• All side dishes — corn on the cob, peri-peri chips, coleslaw, spicy rice, macho peas

At a standard (non-halal) branch:

• The chicken is not halal-slaughtered — the meat dishes are not permissible
• Meat-free sides and halloumi items are an ingredient-level judgement, with the usual shared-kitchen caution

Check ingredients before ordering (any branch):

• Garlic bread — check for non-halal butter or additives
• Halloumi and vegetable pittas — contain dairy; halloumi sourcing may vary
• Sauces — Nando’s bottled sauces are widely available in supermarkets; check each product’s E-codes if you are strict

Ingredients & E-Code Check

Nando’s chicken marinades and sauces are relatively clean in terms of halal-concerning additives. The PERi-PERi sauce base is chilli pepper, lemon, garlic, and vinegar — all permissible.

A few items to be aware of:

E150c / E150d (Caramel colouring) — Used in some Nando’s sauces. Halal by mainstream rulings, though the specific type matters — E150a (plain caramel) is permissible; E150c and E150d involve ammonium compounds.

E415 (Xanthan gum) — A thickener used in sauces. Produced by bacterial fermentation of glucose. Halal.

E211 (Sodium benzoate) — A preservative in some sauces and soft drinks. Synthetically produced. Halal.

Vinegar — Nando’s sauces use distilled vinegar, not wine vinegar. Distilled vinegar is halal by mainstream rulings, as the fermentation produces a compound that is not intoxicating in food quantities.

The ingredient profile at Nando’s is significantly more straightforward than many other fast food chains from a halal perspective.

How We Reached This Verdict

• Nando’s official: Nando’s own help centre confirms its restaurants are not halal overall, and that designated UK branches serve 100% halal chicken. Nando’s publishes the branch list at nandos.co.uk/halal.
• HMC: Nando’s does not appear in HMC’s certified outlets — consistent with HMC’s policy of not certifying alcohol-serving premises.
• HFA: certification applies at chicken-supplier level for designated branches, not to the restaurants.
• Branch count: “around 80” is tallied from Nando’s own published halal-branch listing; Nando’s does not publish a total figure.
• Fatwa note: some Hanafi scholars advise avoiding Nando’s altogether on doubt and alcohol-on-premises grounds; others permit designated branches. We publish the mainstream position and note the split.

Summary

Factor	Detail
Halal Certification (UK)	Designated branches only — around 80 of 400+
Certification Body	Supplier-level HFA; not HMC
How to Verify	nandos.co.uk/halal, restaurant page, or in-branch signage
Pork on Menu	No — chicken-only restaurant
Alcohol Served	Yes — including at halal branches
BDS Boycott	No active BDS campaign against Nando’s
Verdict (UK)	Halal at designated branches; not halal elsewhere

Bottom line: Nando’s is a reliable halal option at the right branch. Around 80 UK restaurants serve exclusively halal chicken and Nando’s publishes the list — so check nandos.co.uk/halal or look for the sign at the door before you order. At any other branch, the chicken is not halal. The alcohol on the premises remains a personal-standard decision even at halal branches.

Planning the wider meal out in the Midlands? Our Birmingham halal food guide covers which Birmingham branches appear on Nando’s own halal-chicken list — Star City, Broad Street, New Street and Perry Barr — alongside the city’s certified independents, and the Wolverhampton halal food guide does the same for the Queen Street branch and its neighbours.