Food and drink news

Some of our campus cafes are getting a makeover – and there are significant refurbishments on the horizon.

Among the first major changes will be an overhaul of the outside space at Eat Central, with new covered seating and igloo-style pods giving us all the chance to extend summer and sit outside whatever the weather. There will be a permanent outdoor spot for small Brighton-based vendors and, later in the academic year, the interior of Eat Central will be revamped to create a multi-use space for day and night with flexible seating, a screen and a stage.

The food court-style interior will include Tortilla, the Sussex Special menu and other options – plus it'll be home to the first UK university delivery robot to speed up service by serving several customers at once.

PICS: get a sneak peek at the new-look Eat Central 

Also in the first wave of renovations will be the Arts Piazza, Dhaba and the Library Café. The Arts Piazza will have some low-key changes to improve the way you can browse for food along with a new coffee offering: Coffee for Causes, where a new socially responsible coffee will be introduced each term. Part of the profits from each cup will go towards charitable causes including Café Queero supporting the LQBTQ+ community, Redemption, and Blend 53 that helps the homeless.

Dhaba will offer a fully plant-based menu of Asian cuisine with options to build your own meals; QR codes on the tables and digital screens for ordering will bring a more modern experience.

Then, over Christmas time, the Library Café will introduce Costa with a full redesign to reduce the bottleneck that currently restricts the flow of customers and increases wait times.

Responding to your feedback

In our survey of 3,200 students and staff in December 2022, the number of outlets on campus was judged to be just right by 55% of respondents. Most people found the locations to be good, very good or excellent (69% in total) but there was a call for more facilities on the science side of campus and around the School of Law, Politics and Sociology, as well as more spacious seating areas.

Following the survey feedback, we are aiming to make sure that the north of the campus is better catered for: from September, the Sussex Innovation Centre (SINC) Café will continue to hold regular pop-ups as well as the usual premium salads, freshly made sandwiches and more. Recent themes have included bao buns and dhal, with Spanish and barbecue options to come.

Plus the Bridge - which spans the North-South Road between Pevensey I and Pevensey II and has been shuttered since lockdown in 2020 - will be getting a facelift and transforming into a public space where you can meet friends, hold meetings and order food to be delivered to you.

Have your say

We’ll soon be introducing new ways to get more involved in the food provision here on campus. In the meantime, we really want to know what you think about these changes and our future service. Email bettercampus@sussex.ac.uk with your views or join the conversation on our dedicated food group on staff social network Viva Engage.

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