food

[VThigh]

what is the deal with the hall food, in general is it good? Are there options? Someone please enlighten me.

[hr]

History will be kind to me for I intend to write it.

[Paranoid]

It keeps you ticking over...in the majority of halls.

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..I've got this pain down all the diodes on my left side...

[Gealle]

Lived in Sallies my whole time living in St Andrews... I was probably the only person who's ever done so and self-catered for 99% of his meals...

It was GOD AWFUL

Quoting Paranoid from 04:42, 27th Nov 2006
It keeps you ticking over...in the majority of halls.

[hr]

..I've got this pain down all the diodes on my left side...

[hr]

Funky flunky munky...

[flarewearer]

Truly, truly atrocious. I wouldn't be surprised if HM Prison Service spends more per head per day on catering than the University of St Andrews does. Certainly, it's shocking that you have to pay MONEY for "it".

[hr]

[Thalia]

Well, i work in hall and i quite enjoy getting fed. But that might have something to do with my two years in fife park living off of nothing but pizza, pasta, chips and fish fingers

[hr]

The shadow proves the sunshine...

...And I am a Sinner Goddess.

[exnihilo]

I lived in Fife Park for two years, and the six of us ate very well indeed - on a very limited budget of £16 per head, which provided electricity, dinner each day, and foodstuffs for breakfasts and lunches. It can be done perfectly easily with a bit of thought, and doesn't rely on pre-prepared or ready meals.

In halls, I found the food varied wildly, sometimes it was okay, sometimes it was awful. It seems to be a function of how big the hall - and what proportion of the food is prepared on site and what proportion shipped in. If you're a picky eater or have special dietary requirements (and who doesn't?), you'll probably be better off going for self catering. If you're used to school food, you'll be fine with hall food.

[Animal]

Quoting flarewearer from 07:53, 27th Nov 2006
Truly, truly atrocious. I wouldn't be surprised if HM Prison Service spends more per head per day on catering than the University of St Andrews does. Certainly, it's shocking that you have to pay MONEY for "it".

Perhaps it would be more fitting to have responses from people who have actually lived in halls in St Andrews in recent years.

[Animal]

Quoting exnihilo from 08:47, 27th Nov 2006
I lived in Fife Park for two years, and the six of us ate very well indeed - on a very limited budget of £16 per head, which provided electricity, dinner each day, and foodstuffs for breakfasts and lunches. It can be done perfectly easily with a bit of thought, and doesn't rely on pre-prepared or ready meals.

That's only £8 per head per year - amazing!

(I thought electricity was part of the hall fees?)

[WashingtonIrving]

I suppose you could say they aren't much worse than school dinners. Really, though, I always found it depended upon what the meal was: unhealthy food like pizza and so on always tasted fine, but 'proper' food like meats and so on were not the nicest. But then again, while I can eat most things, I was used to very good food at home.

[hr]

"I said farewell honey, I'll see you Judgment Day"

[Malcolm]

Hmm... the food in New Hall last year was pretty damn good, if a little unhealthy.

I've heard similar horror stories about Sallies, including claims of it being the worst in the whole University.

Regs isn't too bad, though. Although some of the meat is a little dodgy, they do stir-fry and pasta etc., there's always something edible.

Hall food, as a general rule, is glorified school dinners.

[hr]

"Moskau, Moskau,
Wirf die Gläser auf die Wand
Russland ist ein schönes Land
o-ho ho ho ho ho, hey!"

[The Jaspar]

VThigh, don't let these people scare you! As a prospective student last year, the thought of hall food scared me (I almost chose a different university with better food!)

I live in McIntosh Hall, and I've found the food to be actually quite good. Yes, some days it's not very appetising, but for the most part, I feel well fed because there's almost always something decent there (with the option of getting seconds!)

I wouldn't worry about the food in hall, though I've only eaten in McIntosh so far. You could probably request to live there next year, as it's a great hall. I'm not sure if this is true, but I've heard that McIntosh Hall spends more money on food than any other hall.

[Nymphomanic]

Quoting Gealle from 06:43, 27th Nov 2006
Lived in Sallies my whole time living in St Andrews... I was probably the only person who's ever done so and self-catered for 99% of his meals...

It was GOD AWFUL

Quoting Paranoid from 04:42, 27th Nov 2006
It keeps you ticking over...in the majority of halls.


Wjhen i lived in Macintosh i self=-catered most of the time as well - I was doing a lot of societies and I never seemed to be in at meanl times. The food wa all right on the few occasaions I was there though.
[hr]

..I've got this pain down all the diodes on my left side...

[hr]

Funky flunky munky...

[hr]

I read most of the night and go south in winter - wasteland

[sporkaphobia]

I can't say that I'm overly impressed by the meal options. Choosing between soup and juice is just ridiculous. They aren't equivalent.

And if you're vegetarian in any way, shape or form, you might possibly die eating the hall food. A lot of days, their idea of a vegetarian meal consists of a small bowl of pasta with one scoop of tomato sauce.

All in all, I regret spending ANY money on hall food. I wind up cooking for myself more times than not. I think the people who enjoy hall food are usually lazy and don't like to cook or haven't yet figured out how to eat on a budget. Of course, there's always the chance that there are a lot of people in this town without taste buds and they might account for a small percentage of people who like the food.

[Rufus]

Quoting sporkaphobia from 13:48, 27th Nov 2006
I think the people who enjoy hall food are usually lazy and don't like to cook or haven't yet figured out how to eat on a budget. Of course, there's always the chance that there are a lot of people in this town without taste buds and they might account for a small percentage of people who like the food.

Acerbic generalisations, love them. You forget to mention that some people may manage to retain their taste buds throughout living in hall and eating the food it produces, those people have a little mechanism inside them that say 'Eat what you're given' and if the first bite doesn't kill you, don't complain.

I lived in McIntosh, and for the most part, liked the food. There is always the salad option for fusspots. Beware of eating pudding at lunch and at dinner; I developed a sweet tooth and paunch.

[angel_kohaku]

Hall food gets a lot of flak.

I lived in McIntosh for 2 years, and the food was interesting.. to say the least. However, I don't recall ANY mealtime where there was NOTHING edible.

I never thought I'd say this, but I kind of miss being in a catered hall, because now I'm self catered, I really can't be arsed cooking half the time, and when I do it's usually Supernoodles (nb: I can cook well, I just lack the motivation... and the budget)

Overall, Hall food isn't that bad, being catered gives you one less thing to worry about. you will soon learn what to avoid! (Lemon Spaghetti anyone?)

[hr]

I have always depended on the kindness of strangers

[exnihilo]

Quoting animal from 09:54, 27th Nov 2006

Quoting exnihilo from 08:47, 27th Nov 2006
I lived in Fife Park for two years, and the six of us ate very well indeed - on a very limited budget of £16 per head, which provided electricity, dinner each day, and foodstuffs for breakfasts and lunches. It can be done perfectly easily with a bit of thought, and doesn't rely on pre-prepared or ready meals.

That's only £8 per head per year - amazing!

(I thought electricity was part of the hall fees?)

Oops. Sorry, should ahve said £16 per head per week, and in those days (possibly still?) fifty pences were needed to feed the meter.

[Thalia]

Quoting exnihilo from 08:47, 27th Nov 2006
I lived in Fife Park for two years, and the six of us ate very well indeed - on a very limited budget of £16 per head, which provided electricity, dinner each day, and foodstuffs for breakfasts and lunches. It can be done perfectly easily with a bit of thought, and doesn't rely on pre-prepared or ready meals.

It was nothing to do with budget and everything to do with motivation. Stick a pizza in the oven or cook a real meal? hmm

And electricity? What?

[hr]

The shadow proves the sunshine...

...And I am a Sinner Goddess.

[Gubbins]

Hall food is what happens when you mass cater on a budget. Do not expect lobster thermadore, fillet steak and pate de fois gras. As long as you bear that in mind, hall food is actually rather good (although I have yet to experience it this academic year). They do surprisingly well for the budget they have and in the five years I was in or regularly visiting St Andrews, the quality of the food increased markedly.

I believe the catering services have won awards for their food (search the Uni website if you want the article) and is A LOT BETTER than many other Uni halls across the UK. If you think St Andrews hall food is bad, I can show you things that will make your tongue shrivel up in disgust.

[hr]

...but then again, that is only my opinion.

[pea]

Quoting The Jaspar from 10:35, 27th Nov 2006
...but I've heard that McIntosh Hall spends more money on food than any other hall.

It's not that, it's just that the RM that deals with the budget is very very good at it. I think we're one of (if not the) only hall to get brand name ice creams regularly (Cornettos, Mars Bars, Soleros etc), ditto with the salad bar.

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I'm a little pea, I love the sky and the trees...

[VThigh]

can you pick between items, or is it a set menu for each day? Is it comparable to a cafeteria at a US school?

[hr]

History will be kind to me for I intend to write it.