Food and drink news

Eat Central is set to close on 25 March for a full refurbishment, reopening in the early summer to offer our campus community even more choice.

The Bramber House café will be shut for 12 weeks for a complete revamp that will see it transformed into a flexible and contemporary space for day and night. The food court-style interior will include a shake-up of the seating to introduce lots of cosy booths and comfy areas, as well as a screen and a stage for entertainment.

The food will be based around a changing roster of global menus alongside classic favourites, with new hatches where diners can place their orders.

View a video of the new-look Eat Central on Viva Engage.

What to expect

The first section will offer more traditional meals, as well as the Sussex Saver meal, while the second hatch will have a hot and cold counter that’s ideal for sushi or salads.

The third will offer all your Asian favourites, including Bamboo and Baba Thali, while the fourth will dispense much-loved street food options like bao buns, dirty fries and House of Cluck fried chicken.

The whole redesign has an environmentally sustainable ethos at its heart: the worktops are made of recycled offcuts, for example, while the fabric on the seating is made entirely from recycled bottles.

All unused furniture will be offered to our campus community and local community for reuse – more on this next week.

Giving our campus more choice

In our consultation on catering held at the end of 2022, both students and staff made it clear that they wanted more choice, especially with more international food while still offering great value.

"We're really excited about the new look for Eat Central as well as the new food offering," says Mark Lawrence, contract director for Sussex Uni Food.

"Our executive chef Mike King has worked really hard to bring a wider range of options while still giving people what they have shown us they enjoy. We’re already getting some great feedback on the improvements we’re introducing and can’t wait for everyone to see it!”

What happens while Eat Central is closed?

While the redevelopment is underway, there will be a number of options for staff, students and visitors eating on campus, including pop-ups on Bramber Lawns and free delivery via the Sussex Uni Food app.

If you’re wondering where to eat while Eat Central is closed, you can find a full list of alternatives in this earlier article.

Find out about how we’ve been engaging with staff and students to update them on the changes.

You can also visit Where to eat : Food and drink on campus : ... : About us : University of Sussex and follow @sussexunifood on Instagram.

Tell us your views 

Have your say in our catering partners’ food attitudes survey for the chance to win free lunches, coffees, reusable cups and much more.

If you have any questions or feedback, please email bettercampus@sussex.ac.uk

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