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The Freshers' Guide

Food

Eating in Hall

Like other colleges, Sidney Sussex offers subsidised dining in college during Full Term. Three self-service meals are usually served in Hall each day. Depending on the term, breakfast is either hot (i.e. full English breakfast) or cold (i.e. cereal). You can have a salad, a hot meal and a dessert for lunch and dinner for about £3 per meal in total. Vegetarian options are available. In addition to the self-service meals, there are formal halls, graduate guest nights and other events in Hall with waiter service - see College Events. The college kitchens are closed outside Full Term.

Be forewarned that students subsidise the cost of college dining. All students living in college accommodation are charged a fixed kitchen charge each term which is added to your college bill. The kitchen fixed charge (or KFC) is currently differentiated based on where you live and falls in the £100-150/term range for those living in college accommodation. It is assumed that the closer you live to the college, the more likely it is that you are going to use the dining hall, and therefore those students who live in College face the highest rate of KFC while those living in college-ownded houses some distance away pay less. Students in private accommodation will incur a charge of £38.50/term in 2012-13. However this matter will be revisited by the Bursar, so if you will be studying at Sidney for several years you may notice changes in the level of KFC.

Buying food outside college

If you prefer cooking yourself (or when left to your own devices in between terms), Sainsbury's is just across the street from college. There are regular discounts each week and items on sale before closing each day. If you don't mind a nice walk or have a bicycle, there is also Tesco's on Newmarket Road, offering bigger choice and better prices. Fruit and vegetables are more fresh and less costly at the Market Square. If you're a fan of sushi and other delicatessen products, try Marks and Spencer. See the Shopping page for more information.

For fresh meat at very reasonable prices go to Andrew's Butchers near the Grafton Centre, in the middle of Burleigh Street (NB: not open on Mondays or Sundays). You can get a good selection of meats from the butcher at the Market Square on Wednesdays and Saturdays (for Halal meat, try Mill Road). Fresh fish is on offer at the Market Square from Tuesday to Saturday.

If you're interested in organic food or food with less preservatives, check out Cambridge Health Foods at 5 Bridge Street. It is close to college and offers a good, if small, range of food items at reasonable prices.

Cambridge also has a variety of ethnic stores on Mill Road. You can find ethnic groceries and spices as well as, for example, Chinese-style kitchenware. Spices and nuts are available at the Market Square as well.

Freshers' Guide last modified: 22 February 2013
This section last modified: 2 July 2012