We spoke to Buddies on students, nightlife, and the stay safe scheme

You haven’t really enjoyed university in Brighton unless you have visited the legendary Buddies. The seafront 24 hour fish and chips shop has helped out students in more ways than one. Not only do they provide pretty tasty food for drunken revellers, but Buddies have been part of the ‘stay safe scheme’ which was launched in 2008. The intention? To look after students and to provide a safe shelter for those who need it after a night out.

I interviewed Andrew Cheesman, the owner of Buddies, about student customers and to ask more about the ‘stay safe scheme’.

The man himself, Andrew Cheesman

 How much of your business is from students?

Between 12 and 13 percent of our business comes from students. We actually see most students during the week, particularly Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. On weekends it’s mostly tourists and locals.

Around what times do you usually get the most students coming in?

University students tend to come in during the day from around 6 to 9pm, and then again between 11pm and 4am after they’ve left the clubs.

 What would you say is the worst thing about the students who come in?

To be honest, there aren’t really many problems with students who come in. We have the door supervisors, as well as over 30 security cameras to keep everyone in here safe.

So generally they’re pretty well behaved?

Yes absolutely! The only trouble we might ever get is someone throwing food around or people having a go at their friends. In fact, we only eject around 3 people a week on average, which for a 24-hour restaurant is pretty good. It’s very rare that we have to kick out a student, because they want a good relationship with Buddies. Our customers also know that security and police eat here regularly after their shifts, so they don’t get too rowdy.

 And what do you think is the best thing about the students who visit?

They’re really funny! The students who come in are very good humoured, very fun. They just want to sit down for some food and have a bit more fun which is nice to see.

 How would you compare the freshers and the older students who come in?

There are some tell-tale signs. In my experience, the freshers want to get as many beers down them in their first few weeks, and often the girls are worse than the boys! The older students tend to drink a bit more reasonably, and sometimes even mentor the younger ones on how best to behave! More of the freshers that turn up at our door have taxis called for them than are actually let in.

What are the most popular menu items among students?

Fish & chips, burgers, omelettes and breakfasts are definitely student favourites. Lots of foreign students love to order steak, as well as fish platters. They tend to skip out on the chips.

Do you have any advice for students coming to eat at Buddies?

Firstly: work hard, play hard and enjoy life! But remember to be respectful to the staff who work here 24/7. Sometimes, unfortunately, you get people who are just frustrated – whether it’s from drinking, taking drugs or something that happened to them. However, we just ask our customers to be nice and polite to the staff and to other customers. Hundreds of places have tried and failed to be like Buddies, but we make sure to be selective at the door, so that all our customers can feel safe.

Could you tell me about the ‘get home safe’ scheme?

The Get Home Safe scheme was started in 2008, when the president of the University of Brighton Students’ Union approached Buddies with the idea of creating a safe haven for students on a night out. The purpose of this scheme is to look after students at Buddies, where we can call their friends, family or even an ambulance if necessary.

We’ve helped students who’ve been attacked, raped, students who’ve been drunk and disorderly and even a person who went into a diabetic coma. Students who just need to get home safe can have a taxi called for them, and can be charged a fixed fare at a discounted price.

Buddies is in the prime location for clubbers who may need help

I guess part of the reason Buddies enjoys such success is its location?

Exactly right. Everything is very close to us, which means we’re easy to get to for people in need of our services. We’re open all the time, are a safe environment and offer good food at a fair price. What’s more is that our customers can take a taxi from Buddies instead of having to walk to a taxi rank.

So what do you foresee in the future of Buddies? Any plans for expansion?

Over the years we’ve grown from a small takeaway to the popular setup we have today. I don’t think we’ll be expanding son. Brighton is our home and we’ll keep it that way! We’re very happy to work with the universities as a safe haven for students and want to continue that relationship for years to come.

University students can get 20 percent off at Buddies and 10 per cent off their fare with City Cabs. For more information on City Cabs Brighton’s student fares and the safe haven scheme click here.