Herbivores gets the chop

Herbivores, affectionately known by students as the veggie café, is being forced to move from the Burlington rooms next to the library.

The famous café, the only vegetarian and halal eatery on campus, is being urged to move to make way for a new faculty building. The university has issued stern words, announcing that there is ‘no possibility of [the café] coming back’.

Outrage has been widespread throughout the university community. Within the first 24 hours the online petition received more than 1000 signatures and the Facebook page currently has over 2000 likes.

If the University does not listen to the views of its students and lecturers, then on the 31^st January 2014, the veggie café will close its doors for good.

The University eats our greens

Herbivores has been given the option of relocating to the small RBS branch on the Oxford Road, another property owned and sub-letted by the University. However, this site is far too small for our favourite veggies and would only be suitable for a takeaway service.

Owner of the beloved café, Lesley Brown, says ‘the offer is not like for like.’

What’s worse, the cafés contracted by the University, FoodonCampus, are often heavily criticised by students for having a poor selection and being very overpriced.

Lesley describes them as offering ‘plastic food.’ The food in the veggie cafe is made daily from fresh produce, to a consistently high and healthy standard. What can’t be made on site is bought from a local baker whose livelihood would also take a significant hit after the closure of this proudly independent eatery.

A campus landmark

Although the new faculty is likely to host a canteen, no contract is to be offered to Herbivores.

Talks between Lesley Brown and the Union have been scheduled to discuss the future of this much loved venue.

If you would like to support the cause sign the online petition at:

https://www.change.org/petitions/the-university-of-manchester-student-s-union-stop-our-beloved-veggie-cafe-disappearing-from-our-campus