Catered Meal Packages

When you arrive and register at the University, you will receive an email to sign up to our Essex Food Rewards App to access your weekly meal allowance

You will be able to use your weekly allowance of £60 per week to purchase food and drink in any of our participating Essex Food outlets Monday to Friday.

You will have the freedom to choose what meals you would like to eat and when it is most convenient to you. This includes breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks.

The Accommodation Catered Meal allowance renews each week. Any unused balance from the previous week cannot be refunded or carried over to the next week

The Accommodation Catered Meal Package is loaded automatically onto your Essex Food Rewards App. When purchasing your meal simply scan your App at the till point and your allowance will be deducted.

If your purchase goes over your weekly allowance you will need to pay the remaining difference at the point of purchase

Please note: Essex is a cashless campus. We are unable to accept banknotes or coins. The meal allowance shown on your Essex Food Rewards App cannot be exchanged for cash/change. We accept debit/credit card, Google Pay, Apple Pay,

You will be able to use your meal allowance in the following restaurants and cafes

• Canteen
• Buffalo Joe’s
• Fusion
• Lakeside Theatre
• Zest
• Crumbs
• Bonds 

Opening hours for each outlet can be found on the catering webpage.

Opening hours are indicative only and are subject to change. Any changes to opening hours during term time will be published on the university Food and Drink page, social media and notice boards in the catering outlets wherever possible

Good to note: When using the Accommodation Catered Meal package, you must present your Essex Food Rewards App for every purchase.

The Accommodation Catered Meal Package is valid Monday to Friday during term time and excludes winter, spring and summer vacation.

• Autumn Term: 6 October 2025  – 12 December 2025
• Spring Term: 12 January 2026 – 20 March 2026
• Summer Term: 20 April 2026 – 26 June 2026

The value of missed weekly allowances cannot be refunded, transferred or rolled over to a different week.

The University will not refund the cash total of missed allowances if you buy the Accommodation Catered Meal Package after the first date of start of term or any subsequent missed tokens after that.

You may cancel your Accommodation Catered Package at any time within the 14-day cooling off period. During the 14 days, you can cancel for any reason and get your money back for any unused tokens. Your cooling-off period begins the day after you start using the Accommodation Catered Package.

Cancellations after the 14-day cooling-off period will be at the discretion of the Head of Catering and Events and each case will be reviewed individually.

In order to exercise your right of cancellation you will need to give notice in writing by emailing us at efood@essex.ac.uk

Refunds will be processed via the same method used by you to purchase the Accommodation Catered Meal Package.

Please note: The University is not responsible or in breach of service if unable to provide meal services in any catering outlets due to force majeure or any other circumstances beyond the University’s control. In these situations, the University will not refund the value of the lost meals. Wherever practical, meals will be provided in another unaffected outlet or an alternative will be provided.