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We actively support and promote Fairtrade across the university. During our annual ‘Fairtrade Focus Week’, we share information and raise awareness of the Fairtrade mark and the positive impact it has around the world. Our range of ethically sourced products has grown to include items certified by Rainforest Alliance and Cocoa Horizons.

Sustainability is embedded in our procurement processes, with environmental and ethical considerations now accounting for 20% of tender evaluation scores. We source food to certified standards including LEAF Marque, Soil Association Organic, Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), British Retail Consortium (BRC), and Red Tractor. We also assess suppliers based on carbon reduction plans and their approach to local sourcing.

Read our Sustainable Food and Beverage Policy.

We’re committed to providing a wide variety of nutritious, affordable meals to support the wellbeing of our university community. Our menus are designed to offer balanced choices, thoughtful cooking methods, and appropriate portion sizes.

We follow a set of guiding principles to help everyone make informed, healthier decisions:

• Healthier oils: We use rapeseed and olive oils, both lower in saturated fat, and ensure excess oil is drained before serving.
• Lean meats: Our team uses lean mince and trims visible fat. Chicken skin is removed unless it affects the quality of the final dish.
• Better cooking methods: Where possible, we grill or bake instead of fry, especially for fish, bacon, and sausages.
• Smarter cheese use: We use grated and mature cheeses to maintain flavour with smaller quantities.
• Milk options: Semi-skimmed, oat, and soya milks are standard, offering lower-fat alternatives to whole milk.
• Deep frying standards: When deep frying is necessary, we use correct temperatures (175–190°C) to minimise oil absorption.
• Oil maintenance: Frying oils are sieved, filtered, and replaced regularly to ensure quality and safety.
• Vegetables as standard: All meals include at least two portions of vegetables, alongside a variety of fresh salads.
• Healthy meal deals: We promote meal deals that feature fruit, salads, or other healthier alternatives to crisps or chocolate.
• Pulses and plant proteins: Dishes like soups, stews, and rice are enriched with vegetables, lentils, or beans to increase nutrition and reduce costs.
• Wholegrains encouraged: We promote wholemeal bread, brown rice, and wholewheat pasta as standard options.
• Portion control: Our kitchen staff follow clear portion guidelines using scoops and serving standards to encourage moderation.
• Low-alcohol alternatives: Our bars now offer a range of low and alcohol-free drinks, as well as sugar-free soft drinks.
• Balanced desserts: Where desserts are offered, they are accompanied by fresh fruit and yoghurt options.
• More plant-based choices: 34% of our food is now plant-based, supporting health, sustainability, and dietary choice.

We use 100% sustainably sourced cooking oil in all catering outlets. Once used, it is collected and converted into biodiesel — a cleaner, more sustainable energy source. This not only reduces waste but supports a circular economy and helps us minimise our environmental impact.

We are committed to cutting down on food waste across campus.

• Too Good To Go: We partner with the ‘’ app to offer unsold food from selected venues at a reduced cost. Staff, students, and the local community can purchase ‘surprise bags’ and help prevent perfectly good meals from going to waste.
• Food waste monitoring: All food waste is tracked and recorded. Campus Services has set ambitious targets to reduce this year on year.
• Anaerobic digestion: Any unavoidable food waste is sent to an anaerobic digestion facility, generating renewable energy. You can learn more about waste management on our waste and recycling pages.

We offer a wide range of good-quality, reasonably priced meals across campus. Student discounts are available, and our pricing remains competitive without compromising on ingredients or preparation.

Meal deals offer extra value — for example, sides are included free with any main meal. All food is prepared by our in-house team of professional chefs using responsibly sourced ingredients.

Drinking water is freely available throughout campus via water fountains and mains-fed dispensers in teaching spaces, public areas, catering outlets, and hotel rooms. Over 150 fountains are now connected to the mains supply.

As part of our sustainability efforts, our CMDC hotel has phased out small bottled water in guest rooms — a move that eliminates around 20,000 plastic bottles a year and saves an estimated 16.5 tonnes of COâ‚‚.

ÃÀ¼§¸ó holds the Green Kitchen Standard (GKS) certification in recognition of our commitment to sustainable catering practices. In 2025, we retained the certification with an improved score, reflecting achievements in plant-based menu options, sustainable sourcing, food waste reduction, and the elimination of single-use plastics.

View the latest copy of the certificates