Strandies: here are the best food options if you’re trying to break your Pret Addiction

There’s no denying that Central London is extortionate. We’ve compiled a list of budget food alternatives in and around Strand Campus to help you avoid the (delicious) pitfalls of spending your entire student loan on Pret a Manger baguettes.

Hare Krishna FREE Lunch

Okay, this one is absolutely essential for any broke Strandie. If you’re brave enough to venture onto the LSE campus behind the Virginia Woolf Building you will be blessed with one of the crowning glory of London student cuisine. Vegetarian (and usually vegan) food is given to anyone and everyone, at zero cost, by the delightful Hare Krishna people. Swing by between 12:00 and 14:00 any day to grab a helping of delicious and nutritious grub.

Wasabi & Pod

Listen up. 30 minutes before closing time, both restaurants along Kingsway offer a whopping 50% off everything. Not only is this a crazy bargain, it also ensures that their food wastage is as low as possible, which is great news for everyone. The logical next step here is to shovel copious amounts of sushi into your mouth and feel proud of yourself while you do it.

50% off!

Tesco Meal Deal

Don’t pretend you didn’t know this would feature somewhere on the list. Gotta be loyal to the OG bargain lunch.

Too much choice

Unsold/ Surplus Food Apps

Anyone who has not already downloaded a few of these (think Karma, Too Good to Go, etc) should get onto it immediately. These apps enable restaurants, cafés and supermarkets to offer free or massively discounted food when they have a surplus or unsold produce. Not only do they keep costs low, they’re great for the environment too.

It's good for the environment too!

Student Discount

Strand Campus is surrounded by supermarkets, cafés and restaurants which offer special deals for students. Leon, Itsu and the Coop, to name just a few, all offer student discounts. Take the time to create a UNiDAYS account, or even invest in an NUS card so you can bag some absolute bargains.

Street Food

Discover your edgy Strand alter-ego and try out the Instagramable lunch options at the likes of Berwick Market. Not only is a lot of street food pretty affordable with big portions, you may also get some free samples (woo!) from stalls as you browse. And it’s only a small step from edgy street food to smoking rollies outside the Strand building wearing a beret. Probably.

Of course, don’t forget that ‘borrowing’ your mate’s KitKat when they leave their bag unattended is also a very valid dining option.

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