Durham University launches £2 meals on Too Good To Go

In the midst of a cost of living crisis, Too Good To Go has come to save Durham students.

Durham University has launched £2 meals for students on the food waste app, provided by various colleges’ catering and University-owned cafés. You will have to be quick however, as the meals have proven very popular already and many are sold out for today.

Similar to Castle’s previous ‘Embrace The Waste’ campaign, Too Good To Go works by partnering with local restaurants, cafés and businesses to combat food waste by offering mystery bundles of whatever is left at the end of the day at significantly reduced prices.

Advertised on the app so far are St Mary’s College, Van Mildert College, St Cuthbert’s Society, Hatfield College, University College, Zing Kitchen at the TLC, Circolo Restaurant at The Palatine Centre, the Maiden Castle café, and Fusion Restaurant at the Business School.

Whilst meals from the colleges are only available to Durham University staff and students; Zing Kitchen, Circolo Restaurant, Maiden Castle café and Fusion Restaurant are on offer to the general public as well.

The meals on Too Good To Go are provided at nearly half the price of college accommodation catering fees, where students pay £83 per week for a maximum of 21 meals, each individually priced at just over £3.95. This equates to £2490 per student per year – just under what the government says an average energy bill should cost for a whole house.

As the nature of Too Good To Go is that you won’t know what’s in the meal, which may not make it suitable yet for those with specific dietary requirements, this step towards sustainability by the University still offers the majority of students a significant saving on food.

In an email regarding the cost of living crisis sent to students on Friday last week, the University said: “We have significantly increased the Student Support Fund for the academic year 2022/23. We have also allocated a significant amount towards new, proactive measures to support students during these difficult times (details to follow)”.

The other measures include amendments to the Durham Grant Scheme, which is available to home undergraduates who do not yet hold a degree. The previous tiered income thresholds were £25,000 for the maximum grant and £42,875 for the minimum, but the University has accounted for inflation in its revision of the Scheme.

Now, students with a household income of less than £27,000 are entitled to a grant of £2200, and those whose household income is less than £47,200 are entitled to between £232-£2119. Students who have already been awarded the grant will be notified by the University before Wednesday 12th October, and students who are newly eligible will be contacted by Friday 14th October.

In further support for students, the University now provides free cereal 8am-9am, Monday-Friday at the Bill Bryson Library and the Durham Students’ Union, with tea and coffee also available for free at the SU.

The email also directed students to part-time work through The Student Employment Service, and advised students to use e-Books provided by the University’s extensive library before buying textbooks.

If you need further financial advice or assistance, the University’s new Student Money Adviser, Louise Burnip, can be contacted at [email protected] for expert advice on money matters, budgeting, management of bills and accommodation payments, and entitlement to benefits. Face-to-face meetings by appointment and drop-ins will also be available.

Applications to join our team are currently open. Join us at our first open meeting of the year at 8pm Friday 14th October at The Library Bar. 

Related stories recommended by this writer:

• Police investigating after Durham University students shot with an air rifle at a boat party

• Durham University actually once had a Harry Potter module

• An investigation into the infamous Jimmy’s Jerusalem remix