Students cooking for the Student Lunch Corner. Own photo By student editor Arohi Natu, Master’s student Food Technology
For international students stepping onto Wageningen University’s campus, the thrill of a new academic chapter is often coupled with a yearning for the comforts of home, especially home-cooked meals. Recognizing this, Joel Calve, a master’s student in Biology from Switzerland, launched a platform that allows student chefs to share affordable, comforting meals inspired by diverse cuisines: the Student Lunch Corner (SLC).
The idea emerged from a campus food survey conducted by Calve. Over 250 students, both Dutch and international, participated. ‘I find the food is expensive and not nourishing enough. To eat properly on campusmeans spending at least 10 euros a meal. And I thought since people have to cook at home anyways, why not cook more to sell the surplus?’
Together with a group of like-minded students, Calve created two WhatsApp groups: one group connects student chefs, while the other allows students to place orders. Meals are prepared based on these orders every Wednesday and delivered on Thursdays. Meanwhile, around thirty students a week buy their meals from the Student Lunch Corner, and 350 students are members of the WhatsApp group (for diners).
On-site
Since last summer, the initiative has a permanent space at the Global Lounge near Campus Plaza for collecting meals. Calve: ‘Students can collect their meals, enjoy them on-site, or take them home in tiffin boxes. Team members from SLC are present to serve the meals.’
The menu, curated weekly by student chefs, features diverse dishes and desserts. Each meal is priced at 5 euros or less, and the desserts cost between 2 and 4 euros. Sharvari, student Urban Environmental Management, visited the lunch corner several times: ‘I’ve ordered food around five times and mostly enjoyed it. It’s a great alternative to the WUR cafeteria in terms of value for money, variety and quantity. Plus, it supports student cooks directly. The menu often features a good variety of Indian and Asian dishes, which I personally appreciate.’
Homely
Marina, student Biotechnology, is also happy with the initiative: ‘I’ve ordered around ten times. The portions are usually good for the price, especially for lunch. I order when a friend is cooking or to try something new. It’s also a great way to catch up with friends in a cosy, homely environment compared to larger buildings like Forum or Orion.’
Calve has meanwhile finished his studies in Wageningen and handed over the baton to Lakshmi Prabha, Master’s student Food Technology, and Vandiyathevan Selvarevathi Jayabal, Master’s student Plant Sciences. They have plans to expand the platform. Prabha: ‘We aim to expand the menu to make it more international, encouraging chefs to create versatile options to attract a wider range of customers.’ All SLC profits are reinvested to improve the platform. Selvarevathi Jayabal: ‘We want a second serving day and maybe we will hold workshops and other events. The Student Lunch Corner is not just about food. It’s about making Wageningen feel a little more like home, one dish at a time.’
The app group can be accessed via Instagram slc.wur.
