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Consulting on catering: what our community think is crucial for the future of food on campus
By: Ellie Evans
Last updated: Monday, 11 March 2024
At the end of 2022, thousands of you took part in our consultation on the future of food on campus. Thanks to everyone who gave up their time to share their views by taking the survey, attending our focus groups or speaking to the programme team while they were out and about.
A total of 3,255 people took part in the survey, and the feedback that you provided will help shape the future of catering provision as we look for a new partner from August 2023.
Following our recent communications announcing that the tender has gone live, we wanted to provide you with more detail on the feedback you gave us during the consultation.
Here are some of the key things you’ve told us:
1. You are concerned about the environment and want a partner that shares Sussex’s vision: almost two-thirds of respondents said they were very concerned (22%) or concerned (40%) about the environmental impact of the catering industry.
Nearly 70% said it was very important or important that catering partners share the vision to become one of the most sustainable and inclusive universities in the world.
2. You care about sustainability: the issues that mean the most to you, and that you are prepared to pay more for, are: ensuring that food is sourced locally and offering recyclable or compostable takeaway materials or serving sustainable products (like fair trade coffee).
3. You think campus catering is good – but there’s room for improvement: a third of you think the current campus catering is good, with an additional 20% rating it very good or excellent. However, 30% find it average, and 16% feel the current campus catering is poor or very poor.
4. Money talks: half of respondents think that campus catering is good value for money, but half don’t. Small portions and higher costs for coffee with plant-based milks were some of the reasons given. Thirty percent want to see more brands on campus – while 40% think the current mix is just right.
5. Should we have a meat-free campus? we asked what percentage of menus on campus should be meat-free – and the greatest support (42%) was for half of menus on campus to be plant-based. Only 6% believed that every menu should be meat free. At a workshop on 12 January, led by the University’s sustainability team, a range of possible ways to reduce meat demand was discussed – read more in this sustainability blog post.