General catering information
Meal plans
Applicants offered a place in a catering residence must indicate when returning their letter of acceptance (reply form) what their chosen meal plan is for the year.
Applicants can choose between one of the four meal plans:
Where an applicant fails to choose, the maximum of 21 meals per week (plan 1) will default and be charged.
UCT currently operates a self-service system for everything except cooked meals and the various cold options on offer.
Students are able to help themselves to a variety of cereals at breakfast time, bread, butter, condiments, milk, tea and coffee. There is a variety of salads at lunch time, soup and gravy as well as bread.
At lunch and dinner there are always two meat options and a vegetarian one, as well as a variety of cold plate options (such as cheese or meat). Breakfast options include yoghurt and fruit juice as choices, with two hot options.
Given that UCT is in a mass catering system, it cannot cater for special religious dietary or medical requirements. It is recommended that students with these special requirements, needs to apply for accommodation in the self-catering residences.
Students who are not able to make it back to residence for lunch, there is a meal voucher system in place. A meal voucher can be taken instead of lunch and spent at the vendors that operate on campus. A lunch pack can also be arranged instead of taking a meal voucher.
Meal times
Meal times on weekdays during term time:
Breakfast: 07h00 to 08h30
Lunch: 12h00 to 14h00
Dinner: 17h30 to 20h00
Breakfast times over the weekend are from 08h00 to 09h30, and during study week from 07h00 to 09h00, should the students opt for this.
Students are required to leave the dining hall fifteen minutes after service times end to facilitate cleaning and setting up the dining hall for the next meal. The catering service is currently outsourced to Fedics - Food Services.
Other information
Comments, complaints, suggestions and any catering-related matters are dealt with on a monthly basis through each Food Committee.
An elected food representative who is a House Committee member represents students on the committee. The UCT catering manager chairs the meeting, which is also attended by the Fedics - Food Services project manager and the catering manager of the specific kitchen.
Minutes of these meetings are sent to the director of Student Housing and the respective wardens of the residence concerned.
Students can use the comments book as the channel to voice their concerns or compliments daily. Items identified are taken seriously and form part of the management of the contract.