Motion to lobby the University for reductions in quality of catering

Proposed by: Henry Wood, Joseph Most, Humam Quader.

Seconded by: Anton Ball, Charlotte , Charlie Foord* (to confirm), Reuben Fitzsimmons, Ben Lovejoy, Lucinda Lovick, Marc Twinn, Steffan Thomas, Lou Cooke

This JCR notes:

●      Food quality has declined in comparison to recent years.

●      As of the academic year 2023/24, pastries at breakfast (including croissants and pain au chocolats), the deli at lunch (including a range of breads and sandwich fillings), and puddings at dinner have been scrapped from the menu.

●      Whilst cuts are understandable during current economic circumstances, the cost of catering has still risen byover 10%*

●      Catering staff have also been told that they are no longer allowed free meals on shift and must now pay for them through Too Good to Go.

●      Since 2018, college catering has been centralised by the University, restricting the autonomy over food and staff.

This JCR believes:

●      That the JCR should lobby the University for better food quality. Although catering is beyond the power of the JCR or College, the JCR can still make its position clear and align itself with other Common Rooms.

●      Catering staff should not be charged for on-shift meals.

●      The creation of a JCR-led working group should be established to:

○      Conduct a full investigation into the breakdown of costs and cuts so that the University can justify the changes made in the academic year of 2023/24.

○      Establish how much autonomy the College has over catering.

○      Setup a student consultation process so that livers-in can provide feedback on their catering experience.

●      Centralised catering must be scrutinised as to whether it is the most financially viable option for students. The colleges of St John’s and St Chad’s have decentralised catering and can still offer affordable fees, with more autonomy of food options.

It is resolved that the creation of a working group to investigate the cuts and provide a forum for feedback will help inform members as to why the quality of food has declined. This will also provide a means to lobby the university for a better quality of food.