Fellows: Meals in College

Eating in College is an important part of being a member of the Fellowship, and enhances the academic community of the College. Lunch in College is informal, and provides an opportunity for Fellows to chat with colleagues.  By contrast, dining at Formal Hall is a traditional and very popular part of College life. This is attended by both students and Fellows and is seen as part of the classic Cambridge experience. Several of the Formal Halls are themed around religious holidays, cultural events and student groups.

Meals are served in the Dome Dining Hall (‘the Dome’) – the centrepiece of our iconic College, designed by Chamberlin, Powell and Bon in 1962-64 as a manifesto for the education of women.

It is essential that you sign in for meals to ensure  there is sufficient food for everyone, and that food waste is kept to a minimum.  

The College Administrator will write at the beginning of each academic year to confirm your dining rights and charges for the year.

Meal Booking

Use your CRSid and Raven password to log in to the online meal booking system. Please note there are deadlines by when you need to sign up for meals.  

Art Café

Fellows have three options when making purchases in the Art café:
 
a)      Personally, using personal card/cash
b)      Fellow’s personal allowance using your College/University card
c)      or, again using your College/University card, but this time charging to College hospitality when this is the case . 
 
When ordering your selection, please advise the member of staff taking your order of the charging arrangement. 

Fellows will not be charged for tea/coffee in the Art café.
 

Fellow's Personal Allowance
 
Meals, snacks and drinks in the Art café are priced individually.  If Fellows exceed their allowance of £7.25 per day (for example, having already eaten in the Dome), they will be personally charged for items taken in the Art café.  Charges for meals, snacks and drinks (other than tea/coffee) in excess of a Fellow’s allowance will, as is currently the case, be transferred to a Fellow’s personal account at the end of the quarter. Fellows will receive a bill for such sums at the end of the relevant quarter.
 
College Hospitality

Fellows may entertain guests, visitors or colleagues on College business in the same way as they invite guests to lunch. These amounts will be charged to the College.
 

Full Term

Our famous brunch is available on Saturday and Sunday from 11.30-13.30.  Please book in online or sign in at the till so the meal can be included in your allowance.  We recommended  you arrive early as this an extremely popular service; we have been voted the best brunch in Cambridge!  There is no lunch service at the weekend.

Lunch (self-service) is available at High Table in the Dome on weekdays from 12:45-13:45. Lunch must be booked by 10.00 on the day. If you are hosting a College guest at lunch, please indicate when booking; you will not then be charged.

Dinner is available from the Dome between 18.00 and 19.00 through the main servery. Dinner must be booked by 14.00 on that day.

Out of Full Term

Meals should be booked online in the usual way. Lunch and dinner service continues in the Dome. On days where there are fewer than five Fellows, plated meals for those Fellows will be left in the fridge in the Fellows’ Pantry. No catering is provided at weekends.

The Catering Team will email any changes to service to all Fellows.

Fine Dining in Full Term

Formal Hall is held every Tuesday and some Fridays (depending on other College events). Fellows and their guests are invited to meet for pre-dinner drinks in the SCR (Senior Combination Room) from 18.45, with dinner being served at 19.15 in the Dome. Wine is available at special Fellows’ rates (the wine list available from the download on the right).  Coffee, wine and port are served after dinner in the SCR.  Gowns should be worn to Formal Hall.  

You are welcome to bring guests to Formal Hall.  You and your guests must be booked into each Formal Hall via the Meal Booking System by 14.00 on the preceding day for all Formal Halls. Fellows with Category 1 dining rights are entitled to two free guest places for Formal Hall per term.

Signing for wines and spirits

There is a flat charge for table wine at Formal Hall. At Formal Hall you should sign on the sheet provided for all your own and your guests’ drinks. If you or your guest do not require alcohol then please write ‘T.T’ on the sheet provided or you will be charged the flat rate by default. The sheet is located to the right of High Table at Formal Hall.

Fellows' Wine Cellar

The process for buying wines from the Fellows' wine cellar is as follows:

1. The Fellows' Steward will circulate an up-to-date list of wines for sale to Fellows once a term; see also the list in the menu for this page.
2. Fellows wishing to purchase from the cellar should email their request to Catering.
3. Wine will be available to pick up from the Porters Lodge within 24-48h of the email request being submitted.
4. Purchases will be invoiced via the usual College accounts system.

Fellows’ Pantry

Located opposite the SCR, the Fellows’ Pantry offers good quality tea, herbal tea and bean to cup coffee making facilities. Please return cups to the Pantry when you have finished with them. If supplies run down, please email the Front of House team.

Also provided in the Pantry are a microwave, washing machine and tumble-drier, intended primarily for use by resident Fellows.

In addition, there are drinks and snacks available in the fridge in the SCR.

Subject dinners & Dinner Parties

Subject Dinners

If you host a subject dinner in another room on the same night as Formal Hall, the Formal Hall menu will be available at the Formal Hall price but additional staff costs will be charged to College Entertainment or individual Fellows’ accounts, as indicated below. These dinners should be booked separately from the online meal booking system, through the Events office.

Subject dinners on non-Formal Hall nights are available from £18.20 per person, with a supplement of £4.68 per person for Saturdays and Sundays and must be paid for using your entertainment allowance.

Other events such as end of term drinks with students receive discounted catering and can be charged to your entertainment allowance.

Dinner Parties

In addition to bringing guests to High Table, Fellows may arrange dinner parties for undergraduates or postgraduates in the Fellows’ Dining Room, Council Room, Dome or Long Room on any evening during Term (subject to availability).

Special rates are offered to College members and menus and prices are available from the Events team. Costs will be charged directly to Fellows’ entertainment allowances where sufficient funds are available; any charges to your College entertainment allowance should be signed for at the time of booking.

To make a booking for a dinner party, please contact the Events team.

Current Charges

Fellows’ meals in excess of entitlement / Fellows’ guest at lunch or dinner	£12.40
Fellows’ meal at Formal Hall in excess of entitlement / Fellows’ guest at Formal Hall	£18.00
Wine at Formal Hall, including pre-dinner drinks	£7.95 flat charge