catering services questionnaire report 2006

8/6/2019 Catering Services Questionnaire Report 2006

1/29

Catering Services

Questionnaire Report 2006

Ursula Wolski


2/29

Contents

Overview............................................................................................................................. 3Introduction......................................................................................................................... 5

Sample............................................................................................................................. 5Results................................................................................................................................. 7

1. Dietary preferences ..................................................................................................... 72. Ratings on various aspects of the catering outlets ...................................................... 9

2.1 Quality of food and drinks.................................................................................. 102.2 Size of food portions........................................................................................... 112.3 Cleanliness of the servery, seating area and cutlery ........................................... 122.4 Temperature of food ........................................................................................... 132.5 Attitude of serving staff ...................................................................................... 142.6 Value for money ................................................................................................. 152.7 Variety of products ............................................................................................. 15

3. Views on the newly refurbished Hub........................................................................ 174. Clothes and memorabilia in College Shop................................................................ 205. College Shop promotions.......................................................................................... 216. Reasons for using College Shop ............................................................................... 227. Additional comments/suggestions regarding catering facilities ............................... 23

Summary ........................................................................................................................... 29

2


3/29

Overview - 25.6% preferred a low fat diet, 20.4% were vegetarian, and 19.4% preferred

organic food and 13.2% preferred a low fat and low cholesterol diet

- Quality of food and drinks

o A high percentage of respondents rated the Hub (23.7%), Caf Jules(12.9%) and the Tapas Bar (16.9%) as excellent

o 53.4% rated Kingswood as poor

- Size of food portions

o The majority of ratings were good, but a high percentage also gaveratings of excellent and average

o A high percentage rated Kingswood as poor

- Cleanliness of servery, seating area and cutlery

o 45.2% rated the Hub as excellento A fairly large percentage rated Crosslands, Tapas Bar and Kingswood as

average and poor

- Temperature of food

o A high percentage rated the Hub, Crosslands and the Tapas Bar asexcellent


- Attitude of serving staff

o Most of the ratings were good and average, with some outlets rated asexcellent


- Value for money

o Most outlets were rated as averageo 25.0% rated the Tapas Bar as excellent

- Variety of products

o A high percentage rated the Hub (22.7%), Tapas Bar (18.8%) and CollegeShop (13.2%) as excellent

o Crosslands (32.7%) and Kingswood (43.8%) were rated as poor

3


4/29

- Views on the Hub

o 42.5% had positive things to say about the Hub, such as it was a nice placeto eat and the food was good

o However, 32.1% had not yet visited the Hub and 4.7% thought that it

needed more advertisingo 14.0% said that it lacked atmosphere as it was cold and clinical lookingo 9.3% said that the staff were pleasant and helpful, although at times the

service was a bit too slowo Only 3.6% had any negative comments to make regarding the Hub

- 37.8% rated the clothes and memorabilia as good and 26.3% rated it average

- 32.7% claimed to have not noticed the college shop promotions, those that did16.5% rated it as good and 21.8% as average

- Similarly to 2005, most respondents used the College Shop to buy lunch andsnacks, 35.4% to buy newspapers and magazines and 34.5% because they hadforgotten items from their main shopping trip. Almost 30% of respondents used itto buy cards (29.2%) and stationary (28.9%).

- Additional comments included: more variety in outlets, particularly in the collegeshop which needed to be expanded and the problem of long queues dealt with.Food was seen as too expensive.

4


5/29

Introduction The Catering Questionnaire was designed to obtain views and opinions of the cateringfacilities provided at Royal Holloway. The aim was to identify any areas that could beimproved or changed in order to provide a better service in the future. A comparison has

been made wherever possible with the responses given in the 2005 questionnaire. 1Respondents were also asked to rate various aspects of the catering services and thecollege shop, as well as their views on the newly refurbished Hub.

Sample

The total number of returned questionnaires was 339, of which the majority of respondents were staff (37.8%), 26.5% were non-resident students, 20.9% were residentstudents catered and 14.7% were resident students self catered. Table 2 shows that themajority of students were in their first year (21.5%) and second year (17.7%), 10.9%were third years and 6.8% were postgraduate students.

Table 1: Category of Respondent

Category % ResponseResident Student - Catered 20.9Resident Student - Self Catered 14.7Staff 37.8Non-Resident Student 26.5

Table 2: Year of Student

Year % ResponseFirst 21.5Second 17.7Third 10.9Fourth 2.9Postgraduate 6.8JYA/Erasmus 1.5

1 As the number of responses differed from last year and for each question, the comparisons between 2005and 2006 can only indicate the overall ratings.

5


6/29

Figure 1: Category of Respondent

20.9

14.7

37.8

26.5

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

Resident Student -Catered

Resident Student - SelfCatered

Staff Non-Resident Student

Category

% R

e s p o n s e

Figure 2: Year of Student

21.5

17.7

10.9

2.9

6.8

1.5

0

5

10

15

20

25

First Second Third Fourth Postgraduate JYA/Erasmus

Year

% R

e s p o n s e

6


7/29

Results

1. Dietary preferences

Table 3 shows that 4.2% of respondents had no dietary preferences, however 37.8% was a noanswer so it is possible that these were also respondents with no dietary preferences. 25.6%preferred a low fat diet, 20.4% were vegetarian, and 19.4% preferred organic food and 13.2%preferred a low fat and low cholesterol diet. If a comparison is made with 2005 (Table 3.1), itcan be seen that low fat and vegetarian preferences have remained the highest, but organicpreferences has increased, and low carbohydrate has decreased.

Table 3: Dietary Preferences

Diet % ResponseNo answer 37.8Low Fat 25.6Vegetarian 20.4Organic 19.4Low Cholesterol 7.1Low Fat & Low Cholesterol 6.1Halal 5.5None 4.2Gluten Free 4.2Vegan 2.3Nut Allergy 1.6Vegetarian & Low Fat 1.3

Dairy free 1.0Other* 1.3

* Other included Kosher & Fair Trade

Table 3.1: Dietary Preferences 2005 & 2006

Diet 2005 2006Low Fat 13.2 25.6Vegetarian 8.9 20.4Organic 4.9 19.4

Low Cholesterol 2.5 7.1Low Fat & Low Cholesterol* 6.1 6.1Halal 2.5 5.5

* Low fat & low carbohydrate in 2005

7


8/29

Figure 3: Dietary Preferences

25.6

20.419.4

7.16.1 5.5

0.0

5.0

10.0

15.0

20.0

25.0

30.0

Low Fat Vegetarian Organic LowCholesterol

Low Fat & LowCholestral

Halal

Diet

% R

e s p o n s e

8


9/29

2. Ratings on various aspects of the catering outlets

The total number of questionnaires was 339. Table 4 shows the number of responses per

question for each outlet (the number in brackets are a percentage of the number of responses per question/the total number of responses). These figures will need to be takeninto consideration when looking at the results.Tables 5 to 11 show a comparison with 2005 and tables 9 11 include the college shop.The Hub is a new outlet and so no comparisons can be made with last year; howeverviews on the Hub are covered later in the report.

Table 4: Number of Respondents

The Hub Founders Caf Jules Crosslands Tapas

BarKingswood SCR College

ShopQuality of food

and drink139

(41.0%)155

(45.7%)194

57.2%)198

(58.4%)65

(19.2%)58

(17.1%)117

(34.5%) -

Size of foodportions

135(39.8%)

148(43.7%)

174(51.3%)

181(53.4%)

57(16.8%)

56(16.5%)

110(32.4%) -

Cleanliness ofServery

135(39.8%)

149(44.0%)

184(54.3%)

185(54.6%)

55(16.2%)

57(16.8%)

110(32.4%) -

Temperatureof food

128(37.8%)

147(43.4%)

162(47.8%)

172(50.7%)

56(16.5%)

54(15.9%)

109(32.3%) -

Attitude ofserving staff

132(38.9%)

141(41.6%)

178(52.5%)

176(51.9%)

50(14.7%)

48(14.2%)

100(29.5%)

194(57.2%)

Value forMoney

134(39.5%)

142(41.9%)

179(52.8%)

171(50.4%)

48(14.2%)

45(13.3%)

99(29.2%)

189(55.8%)

Variety of

Products

132

(38.9%)

142

(41.9%)

173

(51.0%)

168

(49.6%)

48

(14.2%)

48

(14.2%)

101

(29.8%)

190

(56.0%)

9


10/29

2.1 Quality of food and drinks

Table 5 shows that the majority of respondents rated the quality of food and drinks as

average and good. A fairly high percentage rated the Hub (23.7%), Caf Jules (12.9%) andthe Tapas Bar (16.9%) as excellent. However, a large percentage rated Kingswood as poor(53.4%). The results are similar to 2005, although the ratings for Kingswood have decreased.

Table 5: Quality of Food and Drinks in Outlets

The Hub Founders Caf Jules Crosslands Tapas Bar Kingswood SCR2006 2006 2005 2006 2005 2006 2005 2006 2005 2006 2005 2006 2005

Excellent 23.7 2.6 4.4 12.9 15.3 3.0 6.4 16.9 30.0 5.2 5.4 6.8 5.8Good 53.2 34.2 37.5 54.6 56.6 33.8 39.6 43.1 36.0 8.6 21.6 31.6 36.4

Average 20.9 45.2 36.8 27.8 22.2 48.0 43.9 29.2 26.0 32.8 45.9 46.2 42.1Poor 2.2 18.1 21.3 4.6 5.8 15.2 10.2 10.8 8.0 53.4 27.0 15.4 15.7

Figure 4: Quality of Food and Drinks

2.2

18.1

4.615.2 10.8

53.4

15.420.9

45.2

27.8

48.0

29.2

32.8

46.2

53.2

34.2

54.6

33.8

43.1

8.6

31.6

23.7

2.612.9

3.0

16.95.2 6.8

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

T h e H

u b

F o u n

d e r s

C a f

J u l e s

C r o s

s l a n d

s

T a p a

s B a r

K i n g s

w o o d S C

R

Outlets

% R

e s p o n s e Excellent

Good

Average

Poor

10


11/29

2.2 Size of food portions

The results in table 6 show that most respondents rated the size of food portions as good,with a fairly high percentage rating some outlets as excellent (the Hub 15.6%, Founders14.9%, Crosslands 16.0%, Tapas Bar 26.3% and SCR 13.6%). However, a fairly highpercentage of respondents also gave ratings of average, in particular Kingswood, where ahigh percentage also rated it as poor. The results are similar to those of 2005.

Table 6: Size of Food Portions in Outlets


Excellent 15.6 14.9 11.9 5.2 9.3 16.0 12.6 26.3 12.2 7.1 5.9 13.6 11.8Good 48.1 42.6 47.6 44.8 47.7 48.1 50.3 33.3 48.8 30.4 29.4 43.6 42.7Average 29.6 29.1 28.6 44.3 39.0 30.9 30.5 29.8 26.8 39.3 41.2 31.8 36.4Poor 6.7 13.5 11.9 5.7 4.1 5.0 6.6 10.5 12.2 23.2 23.5 10.9 9.1

Figure 5: Size of Food Portions

6.713.5

5.7 5.0 10.523.2

10.9

29.629.1 44.3

30.929.8

39.3

31.8

48.1 42.6

44.8

48.133.3

30.4

43.6

15.6 14.95.2

16.026.3

7.113.6

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

T h e H u

b

F o u n d e

r s

C a f J

u l e s

C r o s s l a

n d s

T a p a s

B a r

K i n g s w

o o d

S C R

Outlets

% R


Good

Average

Poor

11


12/29

2.3 Cleanliness of the servery, seating area and cutlery

Table 7 shows that the majority of respondents gave ratings of good and 45.2% rated the

Hub as excellent. 42.2% rated Crosslands, 38.2% rated the Tapas Bar and 35.1% ratedKingswood as average, with a large percentage of respondents also rating these outlets aspoor. Again the results are similar to 2005, although it would appear that there has been aslight decrease in the ratings for Kingswood.

Table 7: Cleanliness in Outlets

The Hub Founders Caf Jules Crosslands Tapas Bar Kingswood SCR

2006 2006 2005 2006 2005 2006 2005 2006 2005 2006 2005 2006 2005

Excellent 45.2 8.7 6.9 19.6 12.6 5.4 7.5 16.4 11.6 8.8 16.7 18.2 13.8

Good 38.5 42.3 45.8 48.4 52.0 33.5 30.1 38.2 58.1 36.8 36.1 49.1 55.0

Average 14.8 40.3 36.6 26.1 30.3 42.2 43.9 38.2 23.3 35.1 41.7 23.6 24.8

Poor 1.5 8.7 10.7 6.0 5.1 18.9 18.5 7.3 7.0 19.3 5.6 9.1 6.4

Figure 6: Cleanliness in Outlets

1.58.7 6.0

18.97.3

19.39.1

14.8

40.3

26.1

42.2

38.2

35.1

23.6

38.5

42.3

48.4

33.5

38.2

36.8

49.1

45.2

8.7

19.6

5.416.4

8.8

18.2

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

T h e H

u b

F o u n

d e r s

C a f

J u l e s

C r o s

s l a n d

s

T a p a

s B a r

K i n g s

w o o d S C

R

Outlet

% R


Good

AveragePoor

12


13/29

2.4 Temperature of food

The majority of respondents gave ratings of good, although a fairly high percentage alsogave ratings of average. A fairly high percentage rated the Hub (19.5%), Crosslands (15.1%)and the Tapas Bar (23.2%) as excellent, but 31.5% rated Kingswood as poor. Again the

results are similar to 2005 and once more it would appear that the ratings for Kingswood haveslightly decreased.

Table 8: Temperature of Food in Outlets


Excellent 19.5 8.8 9.2 11.1 13.5 15.1 12.7 23.2 26.2 3.7 9.1 11.9 8.2Good 48.4 38.8 44.6 61.7 61.9 47.1 61.4 44.6 54.8 27.8 33.3 50.5 49.1Average 23.4 37.4 32.3 20.4 23.2 26.7 22.9 23.2 16.7 37 39.4 30.3 36.4

Poor 8.6 15.0 13.8 6.8 1.3 11.0 3.0 8.9 2.4 31.5 18.2 7.3 6.4

Figure 7: Temperature of Food

8.615.0

6.8 11.0 8.9

31.5

7.3

23.4

37.4

20.4

26.723.2

37.0

30.3

48.4

38.8

61.747.1

44.6

27.8

50.5

19.58.8 11.1 15.1

23.2

3.711.9

0

10

20

30

40

5060

70

80

90

100

T h e H

u b

F o u

n d e r s

C a f

J u l e s

C r o s s

l a n d s

T a p a

s B a r

K i n g s

w o o d S C

R

Outlets

% R

e s p o n s

e

ExcellentGoodAveragePoor

13


14/29

2.5 Attitude of serving staff

Table 9 shows that most respondents rated the attitude of serving staff as good. However ahigh percentage also rated it as average. A large percentage rated the Hub (26.0%), CafJules (16.3%), Crosslands (26.7%) and the Tapas Bar (22.0%) as excellent. However, 16.7%

also rated Kingswood as poor. Yet again, the results are similar to 2005.

Table 9: Attitude of Serving Staff in Outlets

The Hub Founders Caf Jules Crosslands Tapas Bar Kingswood SCR Shop2006 2006 2005 2006 2005 2006 2005 2006 2005 2006 2005 2006 2005 2006 2005

Excellent 26.0 12.8 9.1 16.3 12.9 26.7 32.8 22.0 7.1 12.5 9.4 14.0 10.5 11.3 15.1Good 51.9 48.2 47.9 45.5 50.0 48.9 44.3 44.0 61.9 37.5 31.3 49.0 52.4 47.4 51.8Average 17.6 31.2 33.9 31.5 31.8 18.8 19.5 26.0 23.8 33.3 40.6 28.0 23.8 31.4 28.9Poor 4.6 7.8 9.1 6.7 5.3 5.7 3.4 8.0 7.1 16.7 18.8 9.0 13.3 9.8 4.1

Figure 8: Attitude of Serving Staff

4.6 7.8 6.7 5.7 8.016.7

9.0 9.8

17.6

31.2 31.5

18.826.0

33.3

28.0 31.4

51.9

48.245.5

48.9

44.0

37.5

49.047.4

26.0

12.8 16.326.7 22.0

12.5 14.0 11.3

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

T h e H

u b

F o u

n d e r s

C a f

J u l e s

C r o s s

l a n d s

T a p a

s B a r

K i n g s

w o o d S C

R S h

o p

Outlet

% R

e s p o n s e


14


15/29

2.6 Value for money

In terms of value for money, the results are similar to 2005 as most respondents gave ratingsof average, although a fairly high percentage also gave ratings of both good and poor.

However, a quarter of respondents rated the Tapas Bar as excellent.

Table 10: Value for Money in Outlets



Figure 9: Value for Money

29.1 24.631.8

15.8 12.5

35.627.3 22.8

42.540.8

49.7

47.4

27.1

44.4

39.440.2

19.425.4

15.6

31.0

35.4

17.8

27.3 32.8

9.0 9.22.8 5.8

25.0

2.2 6.1 4.2

0

10

20

30

40

5060

70

80

90

100

T h e H

u b

F o u

n d e r s

C a f

J u l e s

C r o s

s l a n d

s

T a p

a s B a

r

K i n g

s w o o

d S C

R S h

o p

Outlet

% R

e s p o n s e


2.7 Variety of products

15


16/29

Table 11 shows that the majority of ratings were average, although 49.2% rated the Hub,39.4% rated Founders and 44.7% rated the College Shop as good. However, somerespondents also rated the Hub (22.7%), Tapas Bar (18.8%) and the College Shop (13.2%) asexcellent. However, a significant proportion also rated the variety of products in outlets aspoor, most notably Crosslands (32.7%) and Kingswood (43.8%). The table shows similar

results to 2005, although it would appear that for some outlets the ratings have slightlydeclined.

Table 11: Variety of Products in Outlets



Figure 10: Variety of Products in Outlets

9.116.9 21.4

32.7

4.2

43.8

22.8

8.4

18.9

36.6

43.4

43.5

41.7

37.5

41.6

33.7

49.2

39.428.9

21.4

35.4

14.6

29.7

44.7

22.7

7.0 6.4 2.4

18.8

4.2 5.913.2

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

T h e H

u b

F o u n

d e r s

C a f

J u l e s

C r o s

s l a n d

s

T a p a

s B a r

K i n g s

w o o d S C

R S h

o p

Outlet

% R


Good

AveragePoor

h

16


17/29

3. Views on the newly refurbished Hub

There were 193 responses to this question and the breakdown is as follows:

Positive Comments (82 comments, 42.5%)

Overall 42.5% of comments made simply stated that The Hub was nice and good, orthe food was good

Very good, the food is very good (Resident student catered)

The food is nice and good value (Non Resident student)

Personally I think every student canteen should be like The Hub (Residentstudent catered)

Great addition to the campus (Staff)

Not Visited (62 comments, 32.1%)

These respondents said that they had yet to visit The Hub, although quite a fewrespondents said that they had heard positive things about it.

I havent had a chance to visit it, but I have heard that its nice (Staff)

Havent tried it personally, but it is recommended by colleagues (Staff)

Havent had a chance to go and see it yet (Resident student catered)

Expensive (43 comments, 22.3%)

Despite the positive comments, almost a quarter of respondents thought that the outletwas too expensive.

Excellent dining hall, but quite expensive (Resident student catered)

I wouldnt eat there all the time, simply because its expensive (Residentstudent self catered)

Very nice, but very expensive (Non-resident student)

17


18/29

Atmosphere (27 comments, 14.0%)

Respondents found the Hub clean, spacious, big and modern; however felt that theatmosphere was cold, needed more colour and seemed a bit empty. Although severalrespondents (8) thought that the atmosphere was fine. A couple of respondents pointed

out that it was a strange place to go to amongst all the construction work and thereforethis may account for the lack of atmosphere experienced by some.

Whenever I go it is embarrassingly empty (Non-resident student)

It is OK, but I dont find the atmosphere as exciting as the others (Residentstudent catered)

Too much white can make it seem a bit clinical, some warm colours interspersed throughout would improve it, especially in winter (Non-resident student)

Feels very bright and fresh and the open counters give a very good impression,the place is very clean and the atmosphere is friendly (Staff)

Staff (18 comments, 9.3%)

Generally staff was seen as friendly and helpful, although several respondents thoughtthat at times the service was too slow. One problem area highlighted was that thereneeded to be more tills open as sometimes the queues were too long (11 comments).

Need more than one cashier working at lunchtime (Staff)

Service and staff quality is excellent, although could do with more staff on thetills, at busy times the queues are long and your food is cold before you sit down(Resident student self-catered)

Variety (11 comments, 5.7%)

With the exception of a couple of respondents, it was generally thought that the Huboffered a good variety of food in particular for different dietary preferences, although itwould be better once all the areas are open, such as the stir-fry counter.

Pretty good, will obviously be better when all the new areas are open (Non-resident student)

18


19/29

Not aware/more advertising (9 comments, 4.7%)

Some respondents stated that they were unaware of the Hub and that more advertisingwas needed, as well as better signage.

It would be nice if more fuss was made about the place as some people dont know its there among all the building chaos (Resident student catered)

Coffee shop (9 comments, 4.7%)

In particular these respondents liked the coffee shop, although a couple of respondentsthought that there should be healthier options available other than cakes and cookies,more pannini grills and the option to not to have to buy fair trade products as this wasexpensive. Generally the coffee shop was seen as expensive.

Good to have a coffee bar with decent cakes, but expensive (Staff)

Negative comments (7 comments, 3.6%)

These respondents did not agree with the majority in that they though that the space couldhave been used for something more worthwhile in that some of the food options wereunavailable and overpriced.

Far too overpriced for the low quality and choice offered, lack of promised retail area an annoyance (Resident student self-catered)

Other comments included:

- Good recognition of dietary preferences (3 comments, 1.6%)- Plenty of seating area (2 comments, 1.0%)- Good salad selection (2 comments, 1.0%)- Too far away from academic buildings (2 comments, 1.0%)- More variety for dietary preferences (1 comment, 0.5%)- Hard to access (1 comment, 0.5%)

19


20/29

4. Clothes and memorabilia in College Shop

Similarly to 2005, respondents rated the selection of clothes and memorabilia in the

college shop as good (37.8%) and average (26.3%).Additional comments (18) included: Not interested in clothes and memorabilia (6); tooexpensive (5); clothes should come from fair trade suppliers (2); different designs and theavailability of a catalogue showing the full range (2); should sell academic diaries (1) andnormal glue sticks (1) and the need for a bigger shop (1).

Table 12: Selection of Clothes and Memorabilia in College Shop

2006 2005

Excellent 7.7 6.7

Good 37.8 34.7

Average 26.3 26.7

Poor 3.8 5.2

Figure 11: Selection of Clothes and Memorabilia found inthe College Shop

6.7

34.7

26.7

5.27.7

37.8

26.3

3.8

0.0

5.0

10.0

15.0

20.0

25.0

30.0

35.0

40.0

45.0

50.0

Excellent Good Average Poor

Rating

% R

e s p o n s e

2005

2006

20


21/29

5. College Shop promotions

As in 2005, the majority of respondents did not notice the college shop promotions(32.7%). However, those that did gave ratings of average (21.8%) and good (16.5%).Additional comments (7) included: unawareness of promotions (2); the meal deals wereseen as good, as were the reduced stock (2); although sometimes still expensive (1) andonly applied to those with a college card (1). Increased variety of offers was welcomed(1).

Table 13: Rating of College Shop Promotions

2006 2005Excellent 1.8 0.9Good 16.5 18.4Average 21.8 18.4Poor 6.5 4.3

Not Noticed 32.7 35.3

Figure 12: Rating of Promotions in College Shop

0.9

18.4 18.4

4.3

35.3

1.8

16.5

21.8

6.5

32.7

0.0

5.0

10.0

15.0

20.0

25.0

30.0

35.0

40.0

Excellent Good Average Poor Not Noticed

Rating

% R

e s p o n s e

2005

2006

21


22/29

6. Reasons for using College Shop

Table 14 shows that a high percentage of respondents (69.3%) used the college shop tobuy lunch and snacks; 35.4% bought newspapers and magazines and 34.5% because they

had forgotten items from their main shopping trip. The main reasons for using the collegeshop have not differed since 2005.Other reasons included (8): Other shops are too far away (2); to buy milk and tea (2);medicines (2); toiletries (1) and groceries (1).

Table 14: Reasons for Visiting Shop

2006 2005Lunch & Snacks 69.3 70.6Evening Meal 4.1 8.6

Main Shopping 34.5 36.5Stationary 28.9 27.0Cards & Gifts 29.2 31.0Newspapers 35.4 46.9

Figure 13: Reasons for Using College Shop

70.6

8.6

36.5

27.031.0

46.9

69.3

4.1

34.5

28.9 29.2

35.4

0.0

10.0

20.0

30.0

40.0

50.0

60.0

70.0

80.0

Lunch EveningMeal

MainShopping

Stationary Cards &Gifts

Newspapers

Reason

% R

e s p o n s e

2005

2006

22


23/29

7. Additional comments/suggestions regarding catering facilities

Respondents were asked if they had any additional comments or suggestions regardingthe catering facilities, in particular any additional food or retail items they would like to

see in the outlets. The number of responses to this question was 124 and the breakdownof the results is as follows:

More variety (25 comments, 20.2%)

These respondents wanted to see more variety in the outlets, particularly those withvegetarian or other dietary preferences, as well as healthier options. Crosslands wasespecially seen as offering a poor variety of options. Several respondents commented onthe poor quality of the coffee available.

Increased selection of jacket potato fillings in Crosslands (Staff)

More vegetarian sandwiches, there arent any mixed salad sandwichesanymore (Resident student self-catered)

Somewhere to get a proper cup of coffee at a reasonable price (Staff)

More gluten free food (Staff)

More choice in Crosslands during the morning and lunchtime (Staff)

Too Expensive (19 comments, 15.3%)

Some respondents thought that the outlets were too expensive, particularly for students;furthermore some respondents said that they could not understand the differing pricerange amongst the various outlets. However, some items were seen as good value formoney. Outlets particularly seen as expensive were The Hub, Crosslands and Caf Jules.

Confused by the diversity of prices across catering outlets for the same basicitems (Staff)

Cafe Jules, whilst very nice, serves rather expensive food, it would be nice to see

some cheaper sandwiches on sale on campus (Non-resident student)

Some food options are quite good value whilst other similar items (in terms of cost of ingredients and effort to cook) seem much more expensive (Staff)

The food is too expensive, we are after all students and well known for having alow budget to spend (Non-resident student)

23


24/29

Quality of food (20 comments, 16.1%)

Respondents thought that the quality of food was poor in some of the outlets (16comments), particularly in Kingswood (4 comments) and Founders (3 comments). It wasargued that in some outlets the vegetables were often overcooked and the food served

was cold, the sandwiches in Caf Jules and the college shop were poor with the lack of fresh ingredients.

The food in Founders is usually disgusting; the food is often burned, it isunhealthy and just not good quality, fresh vegetables are hardly used (Residentstudent catered)

The food at Kingswood is not very good, there is little variety of vegetables and these are overcooked and tasteless (Resident student catered)

However, some respondents thought that the quality of food was good (6 comments)I particularly like the range of Indian snacks (filled nan breads, bhajis etc),theyre good value and very tasty (Staff)

Crosslands is excellent in terms of the simple good food on offer (Staff)

Comments specific to college shop (79 comments, 63.7%)

Variety (16 comments, 20.3%)

Respondents wanted to see more variety in the college shop, such as:

- Increased range of sandwiches and snacks as they sell out quickly (3 comments)- Healthier options such as more fruit and vegetables (3 comments)- More ready made meals (2 comments)- More salad bowls or non-sandwich options (1 comment)- Other substitutes for chocolate due to an allergy (1 comment)- Personal care products such as shampoo and conditioner (1 comment)- Soy milk (1 comment)- Catering for Afro-Caribbean diet (1 comment)- Baguettes like those in Caf Jules (1 comment)- More vegetarian food (1 comment)- More gluten free products (1 comment)

24


25/29

Queues (14 comments, 17.7%)

As has occurred in the past, respondents complained that the queues were often too longand that more staff were needed at the tills, although a couple of respondents had thoughtthat the queues had improved from last year.

The queues tend to be long due to understaffing at key times of the day (Resident student catered)

The proactive handling of large queues in the Shop has improved over the last year (Staff)

Other items (10 comments, 12.7%))

Respondents would like to see a number of other items sold in the college shop including:

a wider selection of cards, graph paper, fair trade hot chocolate, make-up, foreignnewspapers, household items such as crockery, less expensive t-shirts with small collegelogo, bike equipment and a larger choice of stamps.

More birthday cards now that Waterstones has gone (Non-resident student)

Extension of the college shop (9 comments, 11.4%)

These respondents thought that the college shop was overdue for a renovation and that itneeded to be expanded to meet the increasing demands of staff and students and to beable to offer a wider range of products.

It would be great to see the shop being extended so that it could offer a larger selection and more deals to encourage students to go there (Resident studentcatered)

Too expensive (9 comments, 11.4%)

The college shop was seen as too expensive in comparison with other local shops andsupermarkets.

College shop prices are too high when you compare it to a local supermarket(Staff)

25


26/29


Staff was seen as rude and unhelpful and that they should provide a better customerservice (5 comments), although one respondent pointed out that this could be due tostress (overcrowding and busy periods). However, one respondent thought that they were

pleasant and friendly.

Staff are often too busy talking to each other or friends (Non-resident student)

Stock (6 comments, 7.6%)

Respondents thought that the shop often ran out of stock, particularly of certain items(such as sandwiches). Staff members thought that stock levels were particularly lowduring student vacations (3 comments).

For staff, facilities for eating on campus, particularly during the vacations, arevery limited (Staff)

Fair Trade (4 comments, 5.1%)

The selling of fair trade products in the college shop was met with approval (1 comment),although this could be further increased as well as including eco-friendly cleaningproducts (1 comment). Although a couple of respondents thought that these productswere too expensive (2 comments).

The prices of fair trade products are distorted to the extent that many studentsare put off by them (Non-resident student)

Longer opening hours (4 comments, 5.1%)

Respondents thought that the college shop should be open later out of term times andearlier at weekends.

I often work later than 5, by which time the college shop is shut (Staff)

Comments specific to SCR (14 comments, 11.3%)

Respondents thought that the food served in the SCR needed to be of better quality (6comments), with more variety (4 comments), particularly vegetarian options. Othercomments included: more space for staff functions (1 comment), SCR did not alwaysfollow the published menu (1 comment), and often as it was busy there was difficulty infinding a free table (1 comment), unclean cutlery (1 comment).

26


27/29

The SCR food selection is extremely limited and the food is not sufficiently hot(Staff)

The range of food available at the SCR is very poor. I often arrive there, not

long after it opens, to find no sandwiches, a pitiful selection of salad items and avery restricted selection of cold meats/sandwich fillers (Non-resident student)


Generally, some respondents thought that staff were friendly and helpful (4 comments),whilst others disagreed (4 comments). A couple of respondents thought that staff inKingswood were not always aware of the details of the food that they were serving (2comments).

With the exception of Caf Jules, staff seem genuinely welcoming and happy tohelp (Staff)

Staff (in Kingswood) should know what they are serving (Resident studentcatered)

Healthy food (8 comments, 6.5%)

Respondents thought that there should be healthier food items available on campus,particularly in the college shop, where there should be less processed food and more fruitand vegetables. In other outlets, there should be less fried foods and more low fat items.

I think there should be more focus on healthy food options at the college shop asthere is a lot of processed food (Resident student self-catered)

The vegetarian food in Founders is very good, but relies too much oncarbohydrates, we veggies are gaining weight (Resident student catered)

Other comments included:

- Promotions (3 comments)o Adverts for offers in college shop are often out-of-dateo Offers and deals should be more relevant to students needso More discounts should be available

- Online menus for Founders often do not advertise what is actually available (2comments)

- Charity ( 2 comments)

27


28/29

o More donations to charity, for example a fixed percentage of price goingto charity

o Charity boxes to be installed in the college bookshop as well- More recycling facilities (1 comment)- Energy saving products (e.g. light bulbs) (1 comment)

- Water dispensers in Founders (1 comment)o Book orders to arrive earlier in bookshop (1 comment)- Clear and obvious way of allowing constant student feedback, such as comment

boxes in dining halls (1 comment)- Condiments such as ketchup should be free (1 comment)- Knives and forks often run out in Founders and the Hub (1 comment)- Menu to be placed on the wall in the Hub, currently only at the counter, therefore

unable to see what is available (1 comment)- Provision of basic cutleries, pots and pans and other kitchen utensils for self-

catered students or the option to buy these at the start of term (1 comment)- Sandwiches for buffet lunches are of low quality and not labelled (1 comment)

- Lack of catering in Huntersdale (1 comment)- To be able to use debit cards in the college shop (1 comment)

28


29/29

Summary Overall, respondents tended to rate the outlets as good and average, although a highpercentage rated some outlets, such as the Hub, Caf Jules, Tapas Bar and Crosslands asexcellent. However, a large percentage rated Kingswood as poor.

Generally, the Hub was rated quite highly on various aspects and this is highlighted bythe fact that 42.5% of respondents made positive comments about it. However, 22.3%thought it was too expensive and 14.0% thought that the atmosphere was in need of improvement. About 30.0% had not yet visited the Hub.

Similarly to 2005, the majority of respondents claimed to not have seen any of the collegeshop promotions. However, the college shop was the most used outlet on campus inwhich 69.3% used it to buy lunch and snacks.

Respondents thought that there needed to be more variety on campus, especially in the

college shop which was also seen as in need of expansion and renovation. The longqueues in the college shop were seen as problematic and an extension of the shop as wellas more staff at the tills may help to alleviate this problem.

In general, the outlets were seen as expensive, particularly the Hub and college shop,with the majority of respondents rating value for money as average. An exception tothis was the Tapas Bar, where a high percentage rated it as excellent.

The results show a similar pattern to the findings in 2005, with the exception of Kingswood which clearly indicates a decrease in the ratings. Comments made byrespondents reflect this, in which Kingswood was seen by some as offering poor variety

and low quality food.

To summarise, the results clearly identify that overall the results are similar to last yearsresults; the Hub was seen by the majority as a success albeit expensive; the college shopand Kingswood for various reasons already highlighted were in need of improvement.

catering services questionnaire report 2006

Documents