Cafes on campus

We offer sustainable, locally-sourced fresh food and drink in 11 cafes on the city-centre campus , and John Bull Cafe on the north campus. Students can also find a number of food and drink outlets in the Students' Union.

We pride ourselves on offering a variety of affordable delicious food and drink options, whether you fancy a hearty breakfast, a healthy salad, a pizza with the finest toppings, the choice is yours as we have a variety of themed food options in each cafe.

We are committed to providing a sustainable food culture at the University. We have held a three star rating from the Sustainable Restaurant Association for multiple years which reflects our company achievements to sustainable sourcing, reducing disposable packaging, reducing meat intake and much more. Explore our sustainable food culture that supports local, sustainable and Fairtrade produce and suppliers.

The University is also dedicated to achieving Fairtrade Accreditation . This commitment involves advocating for fair prices, improving working conditions, promoting local sustainability, and ensuring fairtrade terms for farmers and workers in our procurement processes and supplier partnerships.

OPENING TIMES (Please note: opening times may vary*)

Babbage Bytes Cafe: Monday to Friday: 08:30–15:00

Breakfast: 08:30–11:30 | Lunch: 12:00–14:30
Food is available all day or until sold out.

The Container: 08:30–17:00

Enjoy breakfast, lunch and sweet treats all day long!

Drake's Kitchen: 07:30–18:30

Breakfast: 07:30–11:30 | Lunch: 12:00–14:30
Afternoon classics and salad pots are served until 16:00. Sandwiches are available all day, while supplies last.

InterCity Plates Cafe: Monday to Thursday: 08:00–15:30; Friday: 08:00–15:00

Breakfast: 08:30–11:30 | Lunch: 11:30–14:30
Food is available all day or until sold out.

John Bull Cafe: 08:00–15:30

Breakfast: 08:00–11:30 | Lunch: 12:00–14:30
Paninis are subject to availability and snacks are available all day.

Library Cafe: 09:00–18:00

Food is available all day or until sold out. Pasties can be cooked to order in the afternoons.

Loafers Deli: 08:00–16:00

Our goal is to have all sandwiches prepared by 10:00. After 14:30, sandwiches are prepared upon request.

Portland's Pizzeria: 09:00–17:00

Pizzas are served daily until 16:30. Enjoy our pizzants (pizza croissants) and paninis all day, or until sold out.

RLB Cafe: 08:00–15:00

Breakfast: 08:00–11:30 | Lunch: 12:00–14:30
Sandwiches, paninis and snacks are available all day or until sold out.

Reservoir Cafe: 08:00–15:30

Breakfast: 08:00–11:00 | Lunch: 12:00–14:00
Our bagels and wraps are available all day until we run out!

The Toast Office: Monday to Thursday: 08:30–15:30, Friday: 08:30–15:00

Breakfast: 08:30–11:30 | Lunch: 12:00–14:30
Paninis, filled croissants, pasties and snacks are available all day or until sold out.

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.

Cashless campus

To enable a safe and quick method of payment for everyone, the University operates a cashless campus. This means that cash payments are not accepted for tuition fees, accommodation, library and print services or in any of our food and drink outlets or shops, including the Students’ Union. We accept payment by credit cards, debit cards, pre-paid cards and mobile devices.

We understand that not all students have access to these payment methods when they first arrive on campus. The University main campus is close to the city centre, with shops, supermarkets and places to eat, so there are plenty of other places where you can use cash to pay for essential items during your first few weeks. However, for safety reasons, we strongly discourage carrying around large amounts of cash.

Global Recipe Book

As part of Global Week 2022, staff and students were invited to share their favourite recipes from around the world.

After receiving some excellent submissions, the Global Recipe Book was put together by the Catering Team, offering you the chance to create these dishes and try something new. Each page offers everything you'll need – from ingredients through to cooking methods.