Photo Shutterstock The campus restaurant menus are the cause of regular debates. Is meat still an option in this day and age? Should the menu be entirely plant-based? Or doesn’t it matter as long as the prices go down? There are as many opinions as there are people. Wageningen Dialogues aims to discuss the various perspectives on the campus cafeterias.
This discussion will take place during an event on 4 April named the Bitterbal Dialogue. A nice-sounding title, which is not entirely fitting. ‘The dialogue was originally planned for 27 March, coinciding with the national Bitterbal Day’, student Emma Oosterink explains. She and programme manager Simone Ritzer are the organisers of the meeting in Impulse for Wageningen Dialogues.
Bieterbal
Although the date was pushed back by a week, the name stuck. ‘It’s a nice title, which we hope will induce people to come. Not just those who hold strong opinions on the WUR restaurants’ menus, but also those who enjoy a good bitterbal.’ The latter will certainly be able to eat their fill of the wide range of bitterbals that will be offered, including the bieterbal (beet-filled bitterbal).
The campus restaurants make it to the news on a regular basis. Not too long ago, Resource reported that the soup on Wageningen Campus is the most expensive in the Dutch academic world. The communist youth association protested against the high prices. Activists called for an exclusively plant-based menu last month.
Perhaps some points will be made from which the caterers or Facilities and Services can benefit
Emma Oosterink, Wageningen Dialogues
‘There are many different views on what a university cafeteria should be’, Oosterink says. ‘We want to merge these perspectives in a dialogue. It is an orientation, but perhaps some points will be made from which the caterers or Facilities and Services can benefit. Our goal is the dialogue. We bring the topic to the table. That is our role.’
Caterers
The dialogue is specifically not organised by Facilities and Services, which develops the catering policies. Their view was defined in the vision for Food & Beverage three years ago. Representatives from Facilities and Services and the caterers will be present at the event.
