by Rory Buccheri
Photo by vickymitchell on Flickr
Passers-by and regulars alike will know that the SDR Library has hardly been the most exciting lunch
spot on campus.That was the case until a couple of weeks ago, when the Hardback Cafe reinvented itself by adding a new menu.
While last semester you could count on a choice of cold sandwiches and packaged muffins available at
the till, the library now offers a range of hot food options from soup, to savoury muffins, toasties, and
even a creative 'pizza fold'. Roughly 50% of these options are marked as vegetarian, or possible to make VG.
The new menu offer will come as a relief for many, who have been waiting for the library to up their
game in the refreshments department, but a few students have expressed their concerns about a series of aspects, from the lack of vegan options to how hot food will affect SDR.
A poll I launched for the purpose of this article a week ago has yielded significant responses about
missing elements: 'where is vegan food??' or 'how about gluten-free?'
Jane C, a Politics-Geography student in her 3rd year, has expressed disappointment in the lack of vegan or vegan-advertised options. Jane said:
"The Library is the place where we all go. Not everyone knows Kilau or Grub, but we all, for one reason or another, end up in SDR. I just expected a bigger effort on their part to advertise vegan options, that's all."
Louise Singer, an anthropology graduate of the class of 2021, commented that this lack of advertising
'comes after years of pushing Meat Free Monday that went absolutely nowhere'.
The Gaudie got in touch with the University Communications team to know more.
A spokesperson from the University commented that 'although there are named items listed on the menu, it will not be restricted to those items'.
"There will be both savoury and sweet vegetarian and vegan options, along with a gluten-free selection." Furthermore, they added that "the food court in the Union Building will feature 50% 'vegan and vegetarian options across all units."
Many have welcomed this new change, commenting on the hot food options as an improvement. On the
other hand, a few students and staff alike have expressed concerns about how it affects the archives kept on site.
'I am sure the no hot food policy was in place before for the safeguard of books, journals, and other paper materials' Viivi Koilanen commented. 'If that was the case, I wonder what has changed now.'
A few, like Viivi, have raised similar points, in particular about how the making and consummation of hot
food will particularly affect the building, characterised by the hole in the middle.
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