Students can no longer bring wine into the Curry King or the Curry Mahal. The managers of the two restaurants have decided that behaviour at dinner is too rowdy, and if students want to drink they will now need to buy wine in the restaurants.

Giash Uddin, manager of the Bombay Brasserie (popularly known as the Mahal) said he was tired of students treating his restaurant like a nightclub, and hoped the new house rule on wine would help.

“There is too much mess around, too much noise. I don’t want students to ruin our restaurant anymore,” he said.
He denied that there was any financial motivation behind the change of policy, which will see Sunday as the only bring-your-own-bottle day.

At the Curry King, prices have risen to £12.50 per person for the set menu, including one glass of wine or beer. It remains to be seen whether students will still attend the Curry King, given the generally short shrift they already receive in terms of customer service.

SPS student Sarah Beament said she was disappointed by her recent experience at the Curry King. “It’s not the same. It used to be fun. The portions are small, the food is poor, napkins are not given to students as standard. The other night there weren’t enough plates, chairs, glasses or cutlery,” she said.

The banning of wine in the two curry houses follows on the heels of the closure of the Bun Shop, another restaurant popular with students. These developments are simultaneous with the new wine restrictions at St John’s Formal Hall.

Sidney Sussex has also reputedly begun to crack down on wine in Hall. A second-year Sidney student, who wished to remain anonymous, said the new Dean had become more strict on alcohol consumption. “He’s banned the ‘Slags’ drinking society and has started restricting students to one bottle of wine between two. These are sad times,” he said.

Sidney’s Dean, Bernhard Fulda said: “At this moment in time there has been no change in policy, and the amount of wine remains at the discretion of the catering staff”.

Other Colleges continue to take a more liberal approach to wine in Hall, with many having no formal limits on alcohol. Simon Hawkey, manciple at Jesus College, said the College wanted to offer guidance as opposed to rules. “We want to treat students like adults. It’s one of those situations where you’ve just got to keep your eye on things. We hope not to find ourselves in a situation where we have to do what John’s have done... but it’s too early to say to be honest. At the end of the day it’s your health, but we’re responsible for creating a safe environment,” he said.

Chris Robinson