The duty chef or supervisor in each outlet will be happy to advise on the menus offered. They can provide information on request and our teams are trained to advise on an alternative dish if the recipe card doesn't meet your dietary needs.

This best practice process is in place to meet the Food Information Regulations (FIR) for open food dishes.
We are unable to offer halal ingredients across all of our product portfolios due to supply chain limitations and items that are bought in ready prepared.
Where possible we aim to have enough of a range, choice and consumer personalisation across the outlets to meet the needs of our community.

Suppliers and product traceability

This can change daily, due to the complexity of commodity switching and how manufacturers and producers source on the open market. Due to the uncertainty out of our control we are unable to advertise these areas on point of sale materials. Any advertising and marketing material must adhere to trading standards regulations and should not mislead in anyway.

The most informed and accurate source of information regarding ingredients on the grounds of religion and/or allergens is advised by the skilled operators within the outlets at the time of purchase as these colleagues have access to the most up to date information on that day. Unfortunately, other ways could increase the risk of misinformation that is above a level of acceptable risk that can be mitigated.

Does the University of Exeter offer Halal food?

Yes, the University of Exeter provides Halal food options across various locations on campus, including Cross Keys, La Touche, iSCA Eats & Drinks, COMIDA, The Terrace, Catered Halls, and Market Place Forum.

None of our kitchens are certified by a Halal Authority, and we cannot display the official Halal symbol. While we do not operate exclusively Halal kitchens, we aim to source Halal-certified or “Halal-sourced” meat for certain menu items. Please note that some kitchens also prepare dishes containing Haram ingredients.

Our team, including the Chef, Duty Manager, Customer Service Supervisor, and Customer Service Assistants, are available to provide information on the Halal status of dishes. Please feel free to ask at any of our foodservice locations.

What other dietary options are available?

In addition to Halal options, we aim to offer a variety of dietary preferences, including vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and allergen-free choices across campus to support consumer’s needs.

For more detailed information, please read our full Inclusive Food Policy Statement.

How does the University manage and mitigate food waste?

Commercial, Residential and Campus services have a range of measures in place to capture and reduce food waste. We recently had an excellent outcome in our Environmental Management Systems (ISO14001) after a vigorous external audit of our policies and actions. This includes having a regularly updated sustainable food policy with measurable actions.
Our culinary team use fermentation, pickling and dehydrating techniques to reduce food waste within our kitchens. Food waste across both campuses is collected and goes to an anaerobic digestion plant. In addition, our waste oil is collected and turned into biodiesel. The University has also recently introduced food recycling in all self-catered accommodation and we are currently reviewing all other eating areas to ensure this is also captured.
Most of our hot food outlets have 'cook to order' menus which ensure that we are not over-producing food items. In our cafes where we have packaged food items, we have stock control processes in place that ensure we are in control of our ordering and production. On days where a pre-packaged item will go out of date, we will often offer a discounted price.
In the Market Place Forum we have signed up to 'Too Good To Go' where you are able to order a magic bag of items that are at their best before date. Generally, our food waste is managed well and we do not have too much excess.

Are colleagues who work in our shops and cafes made aware of when large events are held on campus?

We have standard operating procedures in place with all teams including our third-party partners to ensure they are fully aware of when we have events on campus that are likely to cause an increase in footfall.
During vacation periods, we often have residential conferences on campus using our facilities. These are generally catered, with the odd reservations made in the city.
Should a conference not choose pre-booked University hospitality for their delegates, arrangements will be made where possible to reduce any impact on our walk-in businesses.
Post event reviews are conducted for managed events will be included to support our commitment to continual business improvement.