Self-catered vs Catered accommodation at Bath

Hello,

I would like to ask on opinions for self-catered vs catered accommodation for first year students. My question is since the credit you get is 1:1 to what you pay if it is actually worth getting rather than purchasing the food with normal cash.

Also if catered is the food any good? I read some reviews about places basically only having pretty average pizza and other food.

Thank you!

Reply 1

Anonymous #1

Also by chance if someone knows what are the best en suite accommodations? Thanks!

University of Bath

Bath

Reply 2

University of Bath

Official Rep

Hello there!

I understand this is a late reply, and so apologies for this! Fab question, catering credit is definitely an important factor to consider when applying for accommodation – hopefully as a recent Bath graduate I can help with your questions 😊

Is catering credit worth it?

If you choose accommodation with catering credit, you get a 10% discount if you pay with your credit compared to paying with cash or card, which is a good saving! Plus, as the catering credit will not pay for all of your food for the week you can still buy your own ingredients to cook for yourself. However, one potential downside is that the options with the credit are usually higher in price as the catering credit cost is added to your rent, so if you are on a tighter budget or prefer to cook for yourself then perhaps opting for non-catering would be a better option. Besides, even without the catering credit you can still go out and try out all the cafes and eateries, as the food on campus is generally really reasonably priced even without the 10% off 😊

Food on campus

In terms of how good the food actually is? That completely depends on your preferences of course! One thing I would say that there is a lot of variety, particularly in terms of vegetarian/vegan/gluten-free options; there are places such as 4W café which sell filled jacket potatoes, toasties, paninis, topped waffles etc, the Pitstop does really nice crepes and a build-your-own baguette, and the Lime Tree is particularly good for hot food such as pasta dishes, fresh pizza and has a build your own salad bar – so there will definitely be something for everybody!

Ensuite accommodation

It’s a great question! However what is the best ensuite accommodation completely depends on you and your budget. As is usual, most ensuite accommodation options are more expensive than those without. Some of the less expensive ensuite options are the John Wood building and Green Park House in the city, both of which have good sized rooms for the price and are located right next to bus stops. On campus, there is Marlborough and Solsbury court which are smaller, cosier flats at 5-7 students each, and are located on the East side of campus which is more modern and greener than the West side. However it completely depends on how much you wish to spend, and the factors which are important to you. Its definitely worth visiting the campus if possible to get a sense of where the different blocks are and how they look (Bath has an open-campus policy and so you are free to visit whenever you want to for a self-guided tour!), and comparing the prices online according to your own budget.

I hope that helps – please post any questions you have here and the very best of luck in your next steps!

Holly
University of Bath

(edited 9 months ago)