By Isabelle Lovblad and Mia Smith, Y12
This school year we have a new service provider for our cafeteria, which had been voted for by a panel of parents and students. The new caterers, SV restaurant, propose new and improved menus. At least, that’s what they say. There have been mixed feelings about the change; some find that the change is minimal, whilst others have some slightly harsher comments to make. Let’s start with the positives.
Many people have found that SV restaurant’s morning and afternoon snacks are better than last year’s provider. For example, the cookies are notably more fresh, and you can now find waffles at snack time. They also added some muffins (both chocolate and berry ones), which had been missing from the selection for several years. Some of the prices have also been lowered, such as the pain au chocolat, which are now 1.90CHF instead of last year’s 2CHF. Additionally, if you don’t fancy a big meal, there are many lighter options such as sandwiches and various salad bowls, mostly all under 6CHF. Someone said they found that the food was well presented, with some “snazzy visuals”. They also added an iced tea machine, which has been a big hit amongst students. The final thing that was commented on is the wide selection of ice cream, which can be purchased at any time of the day, meaning you can satisfy any cravings you might have during the school day!
However, there was some criticism about the new food and prices. For example, some complained about the portions being smaller than last year’s while remaining at the same price. They also provide less choices, as last year’s provider offered a pasta menu and a customisable salad bar every day. Additionally, single-use plastic was removed from the cafeteria this past year, however it is coming back with SV Restaurant. They use plastic cutlery and wrap their bread in plastic packaging. Although it is important in terms of the COVID regulations to have individually wrapped packaging, it is ultimately harming the environment. Someone said he found the food was “wet, warm, mushy and makes me sad”. The same individual said the food made him feel “like a British school boy in the 1980s”.
Overall, there has been a real mix of opinions regarding the change in provider, mostly positive, but there is always room for improvement!
As an everyday patron of the caf, I can agree with most of what was said. It is indeed true that the cookies are better, and the sandwiches they provide are delicious and cheap (the pesto mozzarella being the top contender). In general Novae knew what they were doing their meats while SV is a joke when it comes to such sustenance. Overall the meal presentations are lacking compared to Novae, but at least SV has a great vegetarian menu. RIP Novae.