Emmanuel College is facing criticism over increased hall prices, with some students calling for a boycott of the college buttery on Emfess, the College’s confessions page.

The high prices have come as a shock to students, some of whom feel that the pricing is not transparent. One told Varsity: “It’s difficult to know what separate things cost and what they’ll add up to.” They said that one meal had cost them more than £8, adding that as a result they had started buying smaller portions to save money. The student expressed concerns about the effect this was having on their health, saying: “It’s sending me down a spiral of junk food as I’m no longer getting veg.”

Some Emmanuel students have even started skipping meals to reduce their spending, with one telling Varsity: “even if I am hungry during lunch, I will wait till dinner to avoid paying twice.”

Emma’s hall prices are now comparable with eating out, with many students seeing this as better value for money. Emmanuel’s three-course formal hall, costing £9.75, is now only slightly more expensive than normal buttery food and is of much better quality.

Much Emmanuel accommodation lacks full kitchen facilities. The most populated first year accommodation does not have ovens or even hobs, only microwaves. Residents told Varsity they believe that their lack of alternatives to hall food has made them a captive audience and that they feel as though “the College is trying to undermine us.”

Students worried that higher prices would shut less affluent students out of hall — an important social space at Emma. One Emmanuelite told Varsity that the higher prices “have reduced the amount of opportunities I get to see people.” 

Following lobbying by Emmanuel’s student body, a £3.20 lunch meal deal is now being trialled, and Emmanuel’s Student Union has promised that this will become permanent if it is popular, and may even be extended to dinner.

Students have described this as “promising” — but have also expressed frustration that it is not being applied to dinner straight away, and questioned whether it would lead to a two-tier dining system. One student noted that “not everyone’s timetable allows them to come back to college for lunch, so having a cheaper option available for dinner would be much better.”

Emma is not the only college facing student anger over catering arrangements. Magdalene College has seen buttery prices increase by 31% since Easter Term, prompting widespread frustration among the student body.

Students had been told that prices would increase by approximately 6%, leading to anger when the true extent of the hike became clear. That frustration came to a head at a recent JCR open meeting, where the prospect of a boycott was raised if things did not improve.

Committee members discouraged such a move, calling it undiplomatic. Nonetheless, after the meeting a number of posts appeared on Magdfess, the College’s confessions page, calling for a boycott, though some subsequent posts were also critical of that suggestion.

At the open meeting Magdalene’s JCR president told students that the College has said that while prices will remain at the new, higher levels, portion sizes will be increased. They also said that a ‘budget’ alternative should be introduced for students looking to save money — though this has yet to materialise.