Improve catering on campus
Category: Sunderland Ideas
Voting closed
Students and staff have been unhappy with catering on campus for several years - food provision on campus is poor value for money, becoming increasingly unaffordable, and does not cater for even the most common dietary requirements (eg. nut allergies, celiac/gluten intolerance, halal options). All students have the right to accessible and good quality food provision while at university.
We demand the following from the university and the catering company Elior:
-
Lower prices to ensure food is affordable for students on campus. This is especially important as students are impacted by the cost-of-living crisis, which has led to over half of all students spending less on food, according to the NUS. Furthermore, international students (who make up around 37% of students at UoS) cannot work more than 20 hours per week during term time; after making rent and bill payments, food on campus becomes incredibly unaffordable for many international students.
-
Longer opening hours for cafes and restaurants on campus. The minimum that students should be able to expect is for the Riverside Restaurant to stay open till 7 pm (the same time as The Studio on City Campus). This is especially important for postgraduate students who have evening classes which do not finish until 8 or 9 pm.
-
Stock checks in the afternoon/early evening. Many students who finish late or have evening classes have found that there is nothing left by the time they go to get food, leaving them with no alternatives.
-
Allergen-free vending machines for the most common food allergens (Eg. milk, nuts, wheat, eggs). This includes non-dairy milk in campus coffee machines.
-
Proper allergen-labelling for all food and for all reasonable measures to be taken to prevent cross-contamination.
-
For halal and kosher options to be made available at all cafes and restaurants on campus, especially as Muslim students make up around 10% of the student population. This includes ensuring that any equipment used to prepare or serve halal and kosher food is cleaned in line with halal and kosher rules.
Company limited by guarantee.
Company registered in England no: 07702161
Registered Charity no: 1148212
VAT no: 178592316
University of Sunderland Students' Union
City Campus,
Edinburgh Building, Chester Road
Sunderland, SR1 3SD
Company limited by guarantee.
Company registered in England no: 07702161
Registered Charity no: 1148212
VAT no: 178592316
Comments
completely agree with all of the points above !
Definitely agree that not only are the choices, price, and opening times, poor. I am disappointed that at half term for undergraduates, everything is closed therefore nothing is available for postgraduates and staff.
at least one of the dairy free milks should be free! why am I paying 70p for a dribble of milk when a whole carton costs less in some stores. I shouldn’t have to pay that just so I don’t have an allergic reaction
The food is not only expensive for students but it generally left out for so long its rock hard and inedible by early afternoon. For our students who want to eat on campus we need to do better.
Prices are way too high especially for students, very limited healthy choices and no microwave except one in library which is not helpful.
I agree with the above , but I do think that a microwave should installed in reg vardy and wearside view.
Completely agree! As a postgraduate student our classes are 5-9pm on Mondays and 5-7pm Wednesdays. We have no catering options available after a certain time , only vending machines which are not satisfactory at all. We are fee paying students and have the right to use university facilities just like every other student. I also agree with Jade’s comment below - the price of switching dairy milk to an alternative milk (like oat or soya) is ridiculous. It puts students who are unable to consume dairy milk at a disadvantage financially. There is very limited healthy options available and St.Peter’s campus is out of the way of any other food vendor / shop so you’re quite literally stuck on campus with no food options! The university need to do better.