Edinburgh University Student’s Association creates petition for canteen provision on campus 

REPRESENTATIVES from the Edinburgh University Student’s Association (EUSA) have called for canteen provision on campus. 

Their petition asks for an “affordable, nutritious but delicious hot food outlet across campuses”. 

This comes after student complaints of “expensive” and “not very appealing” food available on campus. 

The petition, which launched last month, has over 160 signatures so far. 

In order to prevent students turning to food banks, the union is encouraging the university to “reconsider their approach to profit-driven catering”. 

The university offers 19 different catering facilities across the city, with one being the newly opened Canopy restaurant at The Edinburgh Futures Institute. 

It offers a “thoughtfully crafted” menu, serving beef bourguignon and roast coley loin alongside dishes such as porcini mushroom pate and truffled green beans, with mains costing upwards of £16.50. 

The EUSA petition, written by vice president of community, Ruth Elliot, states: “Establishing affordable hot food canteens on campus is one of my key manifesto commitments as VP Community at Edinburgh University Students’ Association. 

“We often hear students saying that the food on offer at the university is too expensive and not very appealing and most importantly, is far too expensive. 

“A 2024 National Union of Students survey found that 19% of students in Scotland use food banks.  

“Food is a human right, yet we are not seeing affordable, nutritious and satisfying options prioritised by the university. 

“As you know, I’ve been lobbying the University since August to reconsider their approach to profit-driven catering, but one of the main pushbacks I hear is that there simply isn’t demand from students. 

“This letter is signed by students who want to see an affordable, nutritious and delicious hot food outlet (think IKEA restaurant) on campus. 

“I hope their names will demonstrate that there is a demand for this catering approach and encourage you to consider amending your strategy to develop an offer which matches evolving student needs.” 

Ruth Elliot (she/her), Vice President Community at Edinburgh University Students’ Association said today: “Across Europe and in other UK Universities, it’s completely normal to have extremely cheap yet filling and healthy food on campus.

“Many students come to Edinburgh and are surprised to find that they’d be better off going to high-street vendors or bringing a packed lunch than buying University food.

“Canteens tick every box; they’re value for money, they provide good portion sizes, they allow for healthy and tasty options, they allow for dietary requirements to be more easily catered for, and they’re a place for socialising and community.

“The University is missing a big opportunity not to establish them on the big campuses!”

Akrit Ghimire (he/him), a 2nd year informatics student and current UG school rep for informatics said: “A £4.50 meal deal is not a meal deal!

“The University is keen on sustainable sources and local produce, but the sentiment is not worth much if the food is inaccessible to a lot of students.

“The Student Association’s VPC, Ruth, conducted surveys across various campuses and students kept saying the same thing. The food is too expensive.

“We hear stories of how other Universities are able to provide actual hot meals on a plate for a fraction of the price to their students.

“How come our world leading University struggles to provide such a basic right to their own students? We are a global brand for education, not food.”

A University of Edinburgh spokesperson said today: “The University’s Good Food Policy informs our food provision and includes a clear commitment to offer nutritionally balanced food options, with approximately 50% of food on campus served hot. 

“We aim to provide good value, healthy food that meets dietary needs and enhances the wellbeing of staff and students. All of the fresh products we serve are prepared on-site and we have expanded our provision of fresh vegetable options in hot food outlets. We also help people make informed choices by highlighting health benefits of items at the point of sale. 

“Our current catering offering was planned in 2024 and shared with our Students’ Union. We will continue to liaise with them and any others who have suggestions or concerns about this provision.”

“More information about the University’s Good Food Policy is available here – Good Food | Social Responsibility and Sustainability”.