Written by: Akshayaa Suresh and Shambhavi Shukla, Staff Writers
Eat Central will close for renovations on 25 March until June. The renovations were agreed as a necessary condition of the catering contract renewal with Chartwells in 2021, the company that provides the majority of catering services on campus. While Eat Central is closed, alternatives will be provided, including additional food trucks and expanded provision of food in other locations on campus.
Post-renovation, Eat Central will be turned into a multi-use space that will also be open at night. The revamp is aimed at developing the vast café into a food court that will offer a dynamic menu curated by local vendors in addition to the classic favourites. Flexible seating arrangements and entertaining setups such as a screen and a stage are a few more improvements that Eat Central will be accommodating after the refurbishment.
The renovations will likely continue until the end of June. During this time, Eat Central will remain closed. However, multiple alternatives within the University campus will be made available. A food truck beside Eat Central will continue serving the Sussex Saver £2 meal, along with numerous other pop-ups on the Bramber Lawns that will feature a wide range of food, from mac ‘n’ cheese, to barbecue jerk, to bao buns. Additionally, some of the usual dishes served in Eat Central will be available during this time at other University eateries, like sushi in the Botanical Cafe and Proper Cornish pasties and pies at Arts Piazza Cafe. Other restaurants on campus – IDS Bar & Kitchen, The Deli, Northfield Bar, Students’ Union’s Falmer Bar, and Room 76 – will also continue their operations during this time.
A University spokesperson told The Badger: “We know from our catering consultation at the end of 2022 that our campus community wants more choice. So, we’re bringing in more counters to offer even more variety and changing the layout to reflect the way that people want to eat together, but eat different things. We are using recycled materials, introducing better ways to sort food waste, and rehoming any unused furniture to make this redevelopment as sustainable as possible.”
The improvements planned for the restaurant are sure to elevate its look, ambiance, and menu from good to great. A cornerstone of campus life, Eat Central, with its new and improved interiors and dynamically diverse menu, will blend international flavours with friendship, a sense of belonging, and the sound of a good time!
