Spuds, glorious spuds: a Fresher's perspective on dining hall delights

Although I’ve always been fond of food, I was interested to see how I would adjust to ‘the Grey way’ of eating. Coming from a house­hold where none of the ‘chefs’ were Michelin-star cooks and a ready-meal was quite common (sorry Mum and Dad!) I was excited to experience some­thing new.

One of the greatest changes I found was adjust­ing to Grey’s Saturday brunch. Initially, I was defi­nitely not a fan of having breakfast at lunchtime, but I enjoyed it more the second time around be­cause I missed having a proper breakfast (it may be the most important meal of the day, but Freshers’ Week significantly impacted my eating pattern!). The cooking of the breakfast itself cannot be fault­ed; the thought of a full English breakfast acts as ex­cellent motivation during the week to get up early, and the porridge gave me plenty of energy for my first lecture (at nine o’clock Monday morning – ex­cuse me?).

However, it is lunch that has most consistently been my favourite meal of the day. It makes an ex­citing change from routine packed lunches. Stan­douts have been the pork wrap and the ham and mushroom pizza. My heart has a hole that only pizza can fill.

Another of the highlights has to be the roast din­ner on Sunday, as this was one of the things I knew I was going to miss from home; my parents’ cooking skills do stretch to an excellent Sunday roast. The pork was cooked to perfection, and what’s more, came complete with my favourite: Yorkshire pud­dings.

The pasta-based meals have also become a staple. the Bolognese cannelloni and lasagne are particu­larly tasty. None of the food has ever been bland; if anything, the flavours can occasionally be a bit overpowering. Despite this, none of the meals have been unpalatable.

Spotting the occasional item of food disguised as something new a couple of days in a row doesn’t make it feel repetitive. Rather, I see it as a great chance to have a second helping of that pudding you really enjoyed the night before. The desserts are on the whole fantastic, partic­ularly when I can get my daily chocolate fix from them. The doughnut days are divine – Krispy Kreme, eat your heart out!

As for the potatoes, well, where do we begin? I was warned by a Fresher representative that I would get to know many different varieties throughout my time here. I now scoff at my former disbelief with equal amounts of humility and mashed potato. The curly fries are infamous throughout Grey and when I eventually got to try them I was not dis­appointed.

What I particularly enjoy is the variety of meals we are offered. I never expected that coming to uni­versity would broaden my palate, but I can safely say it has! With the exciting and time-consuming challenges of being a Fresher, I am certainly grate­ful that one less task – foraging for food – requires my attention.

Original article: Palatinate - Food and Drink