University of Reading - Clever Cuisine

I had a response to my email. It was quite general as they quoted it was ‘against data protection regulations’ to discuss a students account. The 13 food venues relates to last year and should not still be advertised anywhere and I was asked where I saw it so they could remove it. Apparently the students have requested pizza and pasta daily but ‘The nutrition of these items is carefully engineered to ensure they are firstly home-made and portioned in a way that encourages sensible consumption.’ They did say they are going to occasionally remove the option in some venues to encourage students to make healthier options. In answer to my point about there were no healthy options, they replied that ‘We take every opportunity to put vegetables, fruit, grains and legumes into food wherever possible, for example the burger is around 50% oyster mushrooms. They said for instance there were 5 food station at Park Eat offering different cuisines, but did not respond to my comment that these were empty when my son went to eat. The long and short of it is that they say the food they provide is varied and value for money. Hopefully if enough people complain, the students may see an improvement so spread the word!

I haven't had the decency of a reply. The issue for many people is that when they chose the plan, it included the eateries which they have since removed. I shall resort to a formal complaint now.

Me neither. My issue is also that we were offered 13 eateries, unlimited free drinks and discounts in the campus shops. Now down to 5 eateries and drinks with meals only. Misleading. They know the students will feel awkward complaining hence their reluctance to respond to parents. Where is the form to complain please? Thank you

Me neither. My issue is also that we were offered 13 eateries, unlimited free drinks and discounts in the campus shops. Now down to 5 eateries and drinks with meals only. Misleading. They know the students will feel awkward complaining hence their reluctance to respond to parents. Where is the form to complain please? Thank you

I sent my email to [email protected]

Im kicking myself now that I threw away the PDF I printed out which clearly stated 13 eateries and unlimited hot drinks. If you search the plan now, it only says 5 eateries and ‘a hot drink with your meal’. The only place it still says there are 13 places to choose from is in the accommodation section of the Uni website but even then, if you click on the link attached it only says 5. Hope you all get responses soon.

I have found this online, will see if I can find the 2023 version. But this lists the eateries we were offered as we haven’t all pulled this informationout of a hat!

https://www.hospitalityuor.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/45/2020/03/Clever-Cuisine-Terms-and-Conditions.pdf

I have found this online, will see if I can find the 2023 version. But this lists the eateries we were offered as we haven’t all pulled this informationout of a hat!

https://www.hospitalityuor.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/45/2020/03/Clever-Cuisine-Terms-and-Conditions.pdf

I copied this from the bottom of the accommodation page on the Uni’s official website -
MEAL PLANS
With our flexible Meal Plans, you can eat fresh, nutritious meals at 13 of our food outlets across our campuses, benefiting from discounts of up to 75% on food as well as free drinks.

Hey!

Great question.
Whilst I was self-catered when living on campus, the Clever Cuisine scheme has been very beneficial to others I know who have used it. You are able to eat in 13 different places around campus, meaning you will always find foods you like but you don't have to deal with the cooking, washing up or shopping!
Those I know have usually got money left over by the end of the week on their card too, meaning there is definitely enough to get the food you want all week which is great and they've always loved the variety of food options available - there's so much choice, suitable for all diets!

However, I think it totally depends on you. I was self-catered and also loved that a lot as it gave me freedom to buy foods I wanted at the time and adapt meals to suit my taste. It also prepared me well for 2nd year when I moved off campus!

So, I think both options are great and it's really just down to personal preference... but I would say it is worth it if that is something you think would be helpful for you!

Hope this helps.

Skye
2nd Year Speech and Language Therapy Student & Student Ambassador

This second year student wrote on this post a year ago that you could eat at 13 eateries!

I had a reply from student services who said they would take it up with clever cuisine but they never even replied to my first message 🙄. I have requested a different accommodation that doesn't come with the meal plan. My daughter paid for dinner 3 times last week. I am so appalled at the service and quality I want out of it entirely. They have said I can raise my complaint to stage 2 if I remain dissatisfied...