The Container Cafe

Cafes on campus: a sustainable cafe in the Roland Levinsky Building
The Container Cafe
Visit the University’s most unique cafe on campus, with a focus on high-quality handmade food which is created on campus by our Hospitality catering team.
The Container cafe's food and drink is a continuation of the Hospitality Shop, with The Container being the collection point for food boxes and other food supplies: picnic boxes, sweet treats, bakes and breakfast croissants, bagels as well as hot and cold drinks from a barista using Fairtrade , organic coffee locally roasted from Owen's Coffee.
Sourcing food and drink from local and sustainable companies are important to the catering team at the University and we're pleased to be collaborating with a fantastic variety of Devon and Cornwall businesses. Sustainability is at the core of the cafe with innovative environmental initiatives in place, including the use of a milk pergal to minimise plastic bottles, offering minimal single-use plastic, and all packaging and napkins made from sustainable plant-based or recycled materials.
The Container Cafe
Brownie from container cafe
Container cafe

Our offers

From 15:00, enjoy one of our brownies or blondies with an Owens Coffee using Fairtrade, organic coffee beans for only £3.50.
*The offer includes any available cake and a regular hot drink. Offers exclude syrups, additional coffee shots and alternative milk.

Loyalty points information

We have installed a new till system in all our units across campus.
We are working hard in the background to bring you a brand-new app-based loyalty programme with new offers and deals!
Just a reminder that the hot drink loyalty points offer utilising your staff and student card is no longer valid, payment via these methods is no longer accepted.

Friend Stop

Meet new people, connect and share experiences at the cafe's Friend Stop.
Starting university may be a daunting experience, that's why the cafes on campus have created designated pop-up tables to encourage students and staff to sit, have a natter and make friends on our open and inviting tables.
Everyone is invited to sit at the Friend Stop; whether you're on your own or with a friend or colleague, take a seat, share the table and have a chat with new people.
Whether you stay for ten minutes or spend your time eating breakfast or taking an afternoon tea break, the cafes aim to bring everyone together.
Cafes on campus

Nutritional and allergen information

We have introduced a traffic light system in The Container Cafe to enable greater visibility of the salt, saturated fat and sugar content in our food, whilst also displaying the full allergen information of each. Please select the relevant PDF below to view the nutritional information. Should you have any questions about allergens in any of our products please speak with a member of staff before purchasing.

 

The traffic light labelling system

The traffic light labelling system will tell you whether a food has high, medium or low amounts of fat, saturated fat, sugars and salt. It will also tell you the number of calories and kilojoules in that particular product:
  • Energy (kilojoules kj) and calories (kcal)
  • Fat
  • Saturates
  • Sugar
  • Salt
The image to the right shows the traffic light label found on some foods. The traffic light label is colour coded and shows that green is low in a particular nutrient, amber means medium and red is high in a nutrient.
  • Red means the product is high in a nutrient and you should try to cut down, eat less often or eat smaller amounts
  • Amber means medium. If a food contains mostly amber, you can eat it most of the time.
  • Green means low. The more green lights a label displays, the healthier the food choice is.

Reference intake indicators

Reference intake is shown in percentages and provides information on how the amount of fat, saturates, sugars and salts within that product fits into your daily recommended diet.
In the case of this food label, the amount of sugar is 38% of the total recommended daily intake, therefore you should be careful of the amount of sugar consumed in other foods throughout the day.
Cafes traffic light nutritional information 

Carbon emission labelling on menus

We have added the carbon impact of our dishes on many of our menus to enable customers to make choices that are better for the planet. We understand that what we eat can have a big impact on the environment, with food production estimated to account for a quarter of global greenhouse gas emissions.
The carbon footprint figure was created using TUCO's innovative greenhouse gas footprint calculator. The calculator allows us to select ingredients, insert the relevant quantities and select where the product is sourced from. It looks at forms of transportation, energy consumption and direct emission factors to calculate the total greenhouse gases and the emissions per serving in kilograms.


We display the amount of greenhouse gases next to each item on the menu in kilograms per serving.
You can find the carbon emission labels next to certain items on our menus in the following cafes on campus:
We are working hard behind the scenes to update more items on our menus.

Campus cafes events

Visit our campus cafes to celebrate calendar days and other events, and enjoy our sustainable, locally sourced fresh food and drink. We look forward to seeing you.
Business student Shaina Salan and PhD Geologist Dylan Beard have coffee at the Container Café, Crosspoint in the Roland Levinsky Building.

Global Fairtrade Recipe Book – University of Plymouth

Calling all food lovers!

The University of Plymouth, a proud 2-star Fairtrade University, is creating the 2nd edition of our Global Recipe Book – and we need YOUR recipes!
Do you have a dish that represents your culture, a family favourite, or a go-to meal or cake? Submit your recipe for a chance to be featured online and even served as a special in our campus cafes!
Fairtrade ingredients are encouraged but not required – we're simply raising awareness of the options available.

How to take part

Submissions open: 1–30 April
What we need from you:
  • Dish name
  • Ingredients list (Fairtrade where possible)
  • Method
  • Photo (optional but encouraged)
  • Any other relevant details
Submit your recipe to catering@plymouth.ac.uk.

Why Fairtrade?

Using Fairtrade ingredients supports ethical and sustainable farming, ensuring fair wages for farmers worldwide. Consider using Fairtrade chocolate, coffee, tea, sugar, bananas, spices, and more in your recipe where possible!

Be featured on campus!

One lucky recipe will be chosen to be prepared and served in one of our cafes, based on ingredient availability and cost – giving you the chance to see your dish enjoyed by students and staff!
Let’s celebrate the diversity of our University community through food while promoting Fairtrade and sustainability. Will your recipe be the next campus favourite?
 

Cafes on campus