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“Meal planning is a top priority to our first-class chefs, who offer a range of menus, including healthier options, fast food and international trends”
H
ere’s food for thought; according to a study by researchers at the University of California in
Los Angeles, eating meals with a low nutritional value not only makes you fat, it also makes you mentally slower and less motivated. Here’s some more, a recent Lotery-funded survey on the eating habits of students in Britain – imaginatively titled Student Eats – found that as many as 70% of respondents take quality and freshness into consideration when buying food. And how about this nugget; in February, students at Oxford University’s Exeter College marched in protest over the college’s mandatory annual catering charge of £840 – a figure that doesn’t include the price of the individual meals themselves. Students in 2014 require meals that are
healthy, fresh and value-for-money – and that’s just some of their considerations. Which is precisely why many higher education establishments are upping their game in the catering stakes, both in terms of their on-site canteens, and the food they provide for conferences and functions. Take the University of York, which
employs a highly trained and award- winning team of chefs to conjure up all manner of culinary treats at its dozen or so on-campus eateries – everything from fresh-fruit smoothies to gourmet sandwiches. Not only that, but it promises to do so with a minimal carbon footprint, and even offers a Meals In Advance deal, which provides an average saving of 12% per meal. If all of that sounds like food fit for a king, that’s because it is: “During the past year, we have provided
functions ranging from student-society parties, through pensioners’ tea parties, to more than one royal visit,” explained David Garner, Head of Media Relations for the University. Last year, York was placed at number
seven in The Times Higher Education’s world rankings of universities under 50 years old. And, while it would be folly to credit that to the quality of its catering, it certainly won’t have done any harm. As Virginia Woolf wrote in her essay A Room Of One’s Own, “One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.” Also bending over backwards to satisfy
its students’ every foodie whim is the University of Southampton. Promising on its website to “look after your every need”, it offers a wide range of on-campus restaurants, as well as delivered catering – a convenient option for busy scholars that’s not matched by a premium price. For example, a meat and fish-wrap plater serving 12 people costs just £30 – an average of £2.50 per person. And, as with York, there’s a resolute sustainability ethos: according to its mission statement, “We are a Fairtrade University and work with our suppliers to provide local and seasonal produce that minimises our impact on the environment, such as fish from sustainable sources and not using palm oil.” In fact, such is the University’s
commitment to providing top-quality food, researchers there have been working alongside Vitacress – one of the UK’s biggest producers of packaged salads – to understand what keeps salad leaves fresh for longer. “The provision of both retail catering
and hospitality plays an increasingly important role across the University,” said a spokesman for the institute. “Our internal catering department offers
a high-quality service for 800+ events each year.” These include everything from VIP dinners for government ministers and civil dignitaries, through international conferences for 300+ delegates, to University open days for up to 5,000 prospective students and their families. “We pride ourselves on puting our customers first,” continued the spokesman. “Meal planning is a top priority to
our first-class chefs, who offer a range of menus, including healthier options, fast food and international trends.” The challenge of keeping up with
international trends cannot be underestimated. The rise in popularity of foreign holidays over the past few decades has had the knock-on effect of broadening people’s culinary tastes, and restaurant menus have had to adapt to meet the demand. When’s the last time you went out for lunch and ordered a white coffee and a cheese sandwich? These days, people want macchiatos and ciabatas (invariably stuffed with prosciuto and sun-ripened tomatoes). To prove the point, a recent poll by BBC Good Food magazine found that 53% of students today regularly consume Oriental food, compared to just 4% in the 1960s. Swansea University is another
establishment to have embraced this continental culture. As its website states, “You’ll find a range of catering outlets around campus. Each has a distinctive image and style of food, from light
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