The Dining Hall, available to all students, provides breakfast, lunch and informal dinners, with brunch at the weekends. In addition, St Peter's hosts lively formal dinners on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, with special menus for themed dinners such as Thanksgiving and Burns Night.
College Catering can make provision for many different dietary requirements and students are encouraged to liaise with the Catering team about any specific dietary requirements. Vegan and gluten-free options are routinely provided.
View sample menus at the links below.
Sample lunch menu Sample dinner menu Sample Formal Hall menu
Learn more about our meal times, prepayment costs and access frequently asked questions below.
Student meals begin at dinner on Sunday of Week 0 and end after breakfast on Saturday of Week 8 each term. They are normally served in the Dining Hall at the times indicated below.
Breakfast - Monday to Friday 8am - 9am (full English cooked breakfast on Wednesdays)
Lunch - Tuesday and Thursday 12noon - 2pm
Informal Dinner - Monday, Wednesday and Friday 6pm - 7.30pm; Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday 5.30pm - 6.30pm, Sunday 6pm - 7.30pm
Brunch - Saturday and Sunday 11am - 1pm
Please let us know of your specific dietary needs and requirements. College Catering can make provision for many different dietary requirements and offers vegan and gluten-free options at every meal.
Upay is our system for meal payments. Top-up or check your balance at the link below.
A variably priced menu is available for all meals except Formal Hall. the cost of a meal depends on your particular choices of food. In 2021-22, average meal costs were approximately:
Breakfast: £3.08
Lunch: £4.00
Dinner (informal): £4.12
From 2021-22 (and future years) undergraduate Freshers are being charged a pre-pay sum of £316 for Michaelmas term (the Autumn term) and £288 for each subsequent term of their first year. The higher sum for Michaelmas term additionally covers a number of introductory meals laid on during Freshers’ Week.
This pre-payment is credited to their individual uPay account at the start of each term. The credited sum can then be spent down gradually in the Dining Hall across the course of the term on breakfasts, lunches and dinners. It can be spent on Informal and/or on Formal Halls and, if a student chooses, it can also be used to pay for guests they might like to bring into Hall with them.
The pre-pay charge represents a minimum spend; students can eat in more than this across the course of the term if they wish. At or before the point at which their pre-paid credit expires, students will need to top up their uPay credit and then they will then simply continue be charged for meals in Hall on a pay-as-you-go basis.
At the end of each term, any unspent sums from the original pre-payment amount (not any top-up amounts) will be removed from uPay balances. Students are therefore encouraged to use up their pre-pay credit during each term.
From 2022-23, a minimum termly spend will also apply to Y2+ undergraduate students. The level of pre-pay will vary according to where undergraduate students are living. Those living on the main College site will be subject to a prepay charge of £288 per term; those living in College annexes, to a prepay charge of £108 per term; those living out of College, to a prepay charge of £36 per term.
An exemption from the pre-pay scheme can be requested for those whose dietary requirements cannot be met by College Catering.
Contact the Domestic Bursar to request an exemption.
Each time you come to Hall, the cost of the meal you eat will be deducted from your pre-pay credit.
When you have used up your pre-pay credit for the term, you can continue to eat in Hall by topping up the balance on your Upay account. Pay-as-you-go meals will be charged at exactly the same rate as meals on the pre-payment plan.
From Michaelmas term 2021 undergraduate Freshers are paying £288 each term. The prepay sums will remain the same in academic year 2022-23 and will be reviewed annually thereafter. There will be an additional charge of £28 through battels for some Freshers' Week meals.
From Michaelmas term 2022 onwards, 2nd year undergraduates living out will pay £36 per term for their pre-pay plan.
From Michaelmas term 2022 onwards, those living on the main College site will be subject to a pre-pay charge of £288 per term; while those living in College annexes will be subject to a pre-pay charge of £108 per term. Undergraduate students living out of College will have a pre-pay charge of £36 per term. Graduate students will only be subject to the pre-pay charge if they are living in College accommodation.
To encourage all to use the Hall during term, all remaining balances on the token in the Upay app will expire at the start of 0th week of the following term. Your battels will be debited, and a new token issued, in time for the new term.
Once your Upay account is activated, you attach a payment (credit/debit) card to it that is used to add credit. You can top up Upay as frequently as you wish via a web browser or the mobile Upay app.
Never. Unused credit will always be returned to you. Only unused value on the pre-pay token will be extinguished.
The pre-pay will include all students living on the main site (not just freshers) all undergraduates living out and all students (undergraduates, visiting students and graduates) living in the annexes. Specific pre-pay rates are as given above.
All graduate students (e.g., PGR, PGT and GEM) not living in SPC accommodation are exempt.
Yes. The token can be used on any event set up on Upay that requires payment, including formal halls and/or special dinners.
Yes. The token can be used for guests and/ or for yourself at any college meal at which guests are allowed.
Yes.
The token balance can be seen on the Upay app and on your Upay account and is shown separately from any top up balance.
The token will always be used first before any cash or voucher balances.
Yes.
Adjustments will be made for those who leave or are absent from College for long periods, as a result of, for example, medical, disciplinary, or welfare reasons.
