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Costs of meals
Hey,
I was just wondering how much the cost of meals varies from college to college? And are there any colleges which are particularly cheap/expensive. Any info will be greatly appreciated
Since there's been quite a few helpful responses to this post, I thought I'd compile a list of the important points that have been mentioned, so anyone looking at the thread can see the information easily. I'll try to keep it updated, but I can't make any promises I'm afraid. If I make any mistakes, sorry, feel free to correct me. I'm only really going by what people tell me on this thread.
Clare
-KFC £93 per term
-Meals in buttery ~£2-£2.50
-Formal hall £4.50 for college students, £6.75 for guests
-Meals are on a pay as you go basis with no minimum spend, charged to your university card and added to your bill at the end of term
Peterhouse
-KFC £117.50 per term
-You must buy a minimum of 35 evenings per term, if you fall short of this, £4.50 is added to your bill for each missed meal (currently under discussion and may be replaced by a minimum spend rule)
-Meals are on a pay as you go basis, charged to your university card and added to your bill at the end of term
Sidney Sussex
-KFC ~£115, less if you're in a house in your second year
-Meals ~£2.10, more with pudding, less if a vegetarian
-Formal £4.90
-Meals are on a pay as you go basis with no minimum spend, charged to your university card and added to your bill at the end of term
Gonville and Caius
-No KFC
-You must purchase 45 dinner tickets at the beginning of each term (42 in Easter term), only 5 can be used for guests
-Each ticket pays for one meal at either formal or non formal hall
-Tickets cost ~£5
-Lunch optional, charged to a meal card at ~£2 a meal
-This may change next year
Trinity
-KFC £109
Selwyn
-KFC £92
-MMC (compulsory minimum meals charge) £55
-You buy meals using your swipe card, and at the end of each term, you pay the MMC (even if you spent less than this) plus anything you spent over this
Fitzwilliam
-amenities charge ~£85
-minimum spend in buttery £54
I was just wondering how much the cost of meals varies from college to college? And are there any colleges which are particularly cheap/expensive. Any info will be greatly appreciated
Since there's been quite a few helpful responses to this post, I thought I'd compile a list of the important points that have been mentioned, so anyone looking at the thread can see the information easily. I'll try to keep it updated, but I can't make any promises I'm afraid. If I make any mistakes, sorry, feel free to correct me. I'm only really going by what people tell me on this thread.
Clare
-KFC £93 per term
-Meals in buttery ~£2-£2.50
-Formal hall £4.50 for college students, £6.75 for guests
-Meals are on a pay as you go basis with no minimum spend, charged to your university card and added to your bill at the end of term
Peterhouse
-KFC £117.50 per term
-You must buy a minimum of 35 evenings per term, if you fall short of this, £4.50 is added to your bill for each missed meal (currently under discussion and may be replaced by a minimum spend rule)
-Meals are on a pay as you go basis, charged to your university card and added to your bill at the end of term
Sidney Sussex
-KFC ~£115, less if you're in a house in your second year
-Meals ~£2.10, more with pudding, less if a vegetarian
-Formal £4.90
-Meals are on a pay as you go basis with no minimum spend, charged to your university card and added to your bill at the end of term
Gonville and Caius
-No KFC
-You must purchase 45 dinner tickets at the beginning of each term (42 in Easter term), only 5 can be used for guests
-Each ticket pays for one meal at either formal or non formal hall
-Tickets cost ~£5
-Lunch optional, charged to a meal card at ~£2 a meal
-This may change next year
Trinity
-KFC £109
Selwyn
-KFC £92
-MMC (compulsory minimum meals charge) £55
-You buy meals using your swipe card, and at the end of each term, you pay the MMC (even if you spent less than this) plus anything you spent over this
Fitzwilliam
-amenities charge ~£85
-minimum spend in buttery £54
Scroll to see replies
Different colleges operate slightly different systems with regards to eating in college. At Clare, you pay £93 a term "Kitchen Fixed Charge" which entitles you to subsidised food in the buttery (canteen) and maintains your gyp rooms (little kitchens) in your accommodation.
On top of this, meals in buttery cost ~£2-£2.50 a time, which you pay for with your university card and it's added to your bill at the end of term. Formal hall costs £4.50 for college students, £6.75 for guests and again, this goes on your bill.
I'm not sure how canteen food costs differ, but formal costs are quite varied across colleges - at John's for example, it's less than £4 for a guest ticket, whereas at places like Robinson, it's over £9. KFC rates also vary; Clare's is one of the cheapest.
At Clare, you don't HAVE to eat in buttery or go to formal at all (I only go to buttery a few times a week and mostly cook for myself), but you do have to pay KFC unless you have some very specific dietary requirements that they can't meet (severe allergies, kosher/halal etc). Meals are all on a pay as you go basis. Other colleges, however, have a pay-in-advance meal ticket system, which compels you to eat in college a certain number of times a term. People from those (Caius and Peterhouse are ones that spring to mind) could tell you more about that.
On top of this, meals in buttery cost ~£2-£2.50 a time, which you pay for with your university card and it's added to your bill at the end of term. Formal hall costs £4.50 for college students, £6.75 for guests and again, this goes on your bill.
I'm not sure how canteen food costs differ, but formal costs are quite varied across colleges - at John's for example, it's less than £4 for a guest ticket, whereas at places like Robinson, it's over £9. KFC rates also vary; Clare's is one of the cheapest.
At Clare, you don't HAVE to eat in buttery or go to formal at all (I only go to buttery a few times a week and mostly cook for myself), but you do have to pay KFC unless you have some very specific dietary requirements that they can't meet (severe allergies, kosher/halal etc). Meals are all on a pay as you go basis. Other colleges, however, have a pay-in-advance meal ticket system, which compels you to eat in college a certain number of times a term. People from those (Caius and Peterhouse are ones that spring to mind) could tell you more about that.
Helenia
Other colleges, however, have a pay-in-advance meal ticket system, which compels you to eat in college a certain number of times a term. People from those (Caius and Peterhouse are ones that spring to mind) could tell you more about that.
Peterhouse doesn't operate this system. We have a KFC of £117.50 per term and buy meals on our cards that are then added onto the end of term college bill. We do however have to eat in a minimum of 35 evenings per term, if you fall short of this they add 4.50 to your bill for each missed meal. This is currently under discussion though and may be replaced by a minimum spend rule.
brunswick
We do however have to eat in a minimum of 35 evenings per term, if you fall short of this they add 4.50 to your bill for each missed meal.
Jeez that's arcane. It'd have cost me a bomb if I'd gone to Peterhouse, spending £825 on food I wouldn't be eating?! That's insane.
I maintain that all KFC charges are unfair. Breakfast in Clare used to be at 8:30, which doesn't give you enough time to eat breakfast and get to your 9am in West Cam. Lunch was 12:30 - 13:30, again you missed this if you were in lectures until 13:00 in West Cam (as I was everyday for two years). Then I could never be bothered with eating at 6-7 as I was usually playing Badminton around that time or it was just too early. So I usually cooked for myself at around 1am, when the buttery definitely wasn't still open. KFCs make no sense and I can't believe so many students put up with it, or the food that's served, for that matter.
A.
KFCs make no sense and I can't believe so many students put up with it, or the food that's served, for that matter.
That's becasue I'm lazy...
Though i do pride myself as being one of teh very few Historians to have made it to buttery breakfast! I also believe Clare breakfast now starts at about 8 or 8:15, so there's now sufficient time. BUT I'm NOT going to get up at 8am tomorrow and check!
brunswick
Peterhouse doesn't operate this system. We have a KFC of £117.50 per term and buy meals on our cards that are then added onto the end of term college bill. We do however have to eat in a minimum of 35 evenings per term, if you fall short of this they add 4.50 to your bill for each missed meal. This is currently under discussion though and may be replaced by a minimum spend rule.
Sorry, I couldn't remember the exact details - I just knew you had to go there a certain number of times a term.
Yep, Sidney is also a pay-as you go basis, which gets put on your card and paid next term. Meals are about £2.10, a bit more with a pudding, or a bit less for vegetarian (variable quality mind!). Formal is £4.90 and as far as I'm aware, it's the same for guests. KFC is um.....about £115 I think, but less if you're in a house in your second year.
At Caius we have to buy 45 dinner tickets at the beginning of each term (42 in the Easter term). Only 5 of these can be used for guests and we are 'expected' to use the rest of them. Each ticket pays for 1 evening meal (3 course, served) at either formal or non-formal hall and costs £5 something (I'll look it up later, have a lecture to get to).
Lunch is optional and charged to a meal card (at about £2 a meal). Oh and we don't pay a KFC. Also it's possible this may all change by next year.
Lunch is optional and charged to a meal card (at about £2 a meal). Oh and we don't pay a KFC. Also it's possible this may all change by next year.
Lunch at King's today:
A tasty veg/vegan curry: £1.35
rice: £0.40
veg: £0.40
juice: £0.30
dessert is usually £0.60
it's fairly expensive for college lunch from what i hear, but i've never had any complaints about the food here. There is also a yummy (and fairly cheap!) salad bar here too.
PS: I didn't fail
A tasty veg/vegan curry: £1.35
rice: £0.40
veg: £0.40
juice: £0.30
dessert is usually £0.60
it's fairly expensive for college lunch from what i hear, but i've never had any complaints about the food here. There is also a yummy (and fairly cheap!) salad bar here too.
PS: I didn't fail
visesh
it's fairly expensive for college lunch from what i hear, but i've never had any complaints about the food here. There is also a yummy (and fairly cheap!) salad bar here too.
PS: I didn't fail
it's fairly expensive for college lunch from what i hear, but i've never had any complaints about the food here. There is also a yummy (and fairly cheap!) salad bar here too.
PS: I didn't fail
Yay... I can't cook at all so might be eating in hall quite a lot. Although learning to cook might be a good gap year plan, hmm.
I barely eat in hall these days (today was an exception ), I really prefer my cooking. It's cheaper, and I can eat what I like, the way I like and and when I like... Saying that, hall food isn't bad at all.
I spent most of my gap year cooking and would like to think that I am fairly well versed in the art of cooking, or something.
), I really prefer my cooking. It's cheaper, and I can eat what I like, the way I like and and when I like... Saying that, hall food isn't bad at all.I spent most of my gap year cooking and would like to think that I am fairly well versed in the art of cooking, or something.
visesh
I barely eat in hall these days (today was an exception ), I really prefer my cooking. It's cheaper, and I can eat what I like, the way I like and and when I like... Saying that, hall food isn't bad at all.
I spent most of my gap year cooking and would like to think that I am fairly well versed in the art of cooking, or something.
), I really prefer my cooking. It's cheaper, and I can eat what I like, the way I like and and when I like... Saying that, hall food isn't bad at all.I spent most of my gap year cooking and would like to think that I am fairly well versed in the art of cooking, or something.
You are. *approves*
visesh
I just paid £1.50 for breakfast which included 2 pieces of toast, 2 poached eggs, unlimited coffee, orange juice and a packet of margarine.
Now it's time for me to fail my steeplechase.
Now it's time for me to fail my steeplechase.
And it's Viseshthemedic over the first fence, after a good start, followed closely by Best Mate and Paddylad...
Sorry, i ALWAYS want to say this whenever steeplechase is mentioned by medics...
Clare do rather a nice thing at lunch, with a salad and baguette bar in Hall (cheap and nice) with normal cooked meals in Buttery.
Alaric
Jeez that's arcane. It'd have cost me a bomb if I'd gone to Peterhouse, spending £825 on food I wouldn't be eating?! That's insane.
I maintain that all KFC charges are unfair. Breakfast in Clare used to be at 8:30, which doesn't give you enough time to eat breakfast and get to your 9am in West Cam. Lunch was 12:30 - 13:30, again you missed this if you were in lectures until 13:00 in West Cam (as I was everyday for two years). Then I could never be bothered with eating at 6-7 as I was usually playing Badminton around that time or it was just too early. So I usually cooked for myself at around 1am, when the buttery definitely wasn't still open. KFCs make no sense and I can't believe so many students put up with it, or the food that's served, for that matter.
A.
I maintain that all KFC charges are unfair. Breakfast in Clare used to be at 8:30, which doesn't give you enough time to eat breakfast and get to your 9am in West Cam. Lunch was 12:30 - 13:30, again you missed this if you were in lectures until 13:00 in West Cam (as I was everyday for two years). Then I could never be bothered with eating at 6-7 as I was usually playing Badminton around that time or it was just too early. So I usually cooked for myself at around 1am, when the buttery definitely wasn't still open. KFCs make no sense and I can't believe so many students put up with it, or the food that's served, for that matter.
A.
Agreed...I appreciate that they need the money, but I can't honestly say I've enjoyed eating in college so far (bar formal halls, which are usually lovely)...the veg is always hard, too undercooked for my liking
But on the up side, it isn't incredibly pricey though they do charge a fair bit for meat/fish, so swings and roundabouts. Expensive for guests here too, for formals £8ish, £6ish for pem students, I know other colleges put them on for far less.FadeToBlackout
And it's Viseshthemedic over the first fence, after a good start, followed closely by Best Mate and Paddylad...
Sorry, i ALWAYS want to say this whenever steeplechase is mentioned by medics...
.
Sorry, i ALWAYS want to say this whenever steeplechase is mentioned by medics...
.
hahaha...ha...ha...h...
oh so very original, Mr. T.
Though to be fair, thats how one of those feels. Today's revision steeplechase involved 40 stations, 2 mins each (don't worry Helen, we only had to identify 4 things and make up our own questions
) It actually feels like a raceRelated discussions
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