Eating, drinking and events

The Buttery, found in the centre of the College in Clough, serves a wide selection of hot, cold, vegetarian and vegan food.

The Buttery is open Monday to Friday for Lunch (12:30 – 13:45) and Dinner (18:00 – 19:15) and Brunch on Saturday (9:30 – 13.30).

If you have any favourite meals that you would like the College Chefs to create, email the Executive Head Chef and ask!  Email chef@newn.cam.ac.uk

The Iris Café/Bar is located in the Dorothy Garrod Building, offering a selection of barista coffee, hot and cold breakfast options, speciality teas, smoothies, “grab and go” food, cakes, pastries and savoury snacks.  The Iris Café is open Monday to Sunday.

Contact Details – getting in touch with the Catering Team:

The Catering Operations Manager is Daniel Rabaca: catman@newn.cam.ac.uk
The Deputy Catering Manager is Ash Catley: cat@newn.cam.ac.uk
The Executive Head Chef  is Rob King: chef@newn.cam.ac.uk
The Café Manager is Ilaria Harrison: Ilaria.harrison@newn.cam.ac.uk

The Buttery and Iris Café are open all the year round except for short periods of closure at Christmas and Easter, and a short period during the Long Vacation. Opening and closure times are advertised in advance.

Please see our Food Procurement and Sustainability Policy

Food labelling and allergies:

In the Buttery food is labelled on menus and at the point of sale. In the Iris Café, individual items are not labelled, and you are reminded to ask about any ingredients before purchasing any items.

The College Food Allergen Policy can be found here

Please remember to carry your medication (Adrenaline Auto-Injectors) if you have a food allergy and inform the College Nurse. 

Please do not remove crockery or cutlery from the Buttery or Iris Café.

There are student communal kitchens on each floor in each hall (and in each postgraduate house) equipped with a cooker, microwave, hob, fridge, sink, kettle, toaster and rice-cooker (so do NOT bring these items with you). There are freezers provided in the postgraduate houses.

The postgraduate houses are provided with both fridges and freezers.

Each student bedroom in College is placed into a ‘household’ group to which specific kitchens are allocated. There are local notices posted on all kitchens to inform you which kitchen facilities you should use.

Please bring your own crockery, cutlery, pots and pans and tea-towels.

No cooking is allowed in the student rooms, this includes the use of a toaster (which is likely to set the smoke alarm off), portable hobs / burners, rice cookers, sandwich toasters, portable electric grill unit and deep fat fryers (this is not an exhaustive list).

There is an electric BBQ cook top on the edge of the sportsfield. This is bookable via the Conference Office. Tokens are required to operate the BBQ.

The overall safety of the event rests with the “Responsible Person” who booked the BBQ and is hosting the event. They must ensure the rules are followed and all appropriate procedures are in place.

• The Responsible Person should collect one tokens from the Porters Lodge along with the BBQ key (which opens the cabinet to insert the tokens). The tokens will turn the power to the cook top on.
• The Responsible Person will need to remain at the BBQ throughout the event, and until the BBQ cook top has cooled down sufficiently to be thoroughly cleaned and all the rubbish removed to the external bin areas.
• Up to 12 people (including the Newnham student who made the booking) can attend each ad-hoc BBQ session. This reduces to 6 during the exam term. If the BBQ is being used as part of a larger event, for example a Garden Party, then more than 12 people can attend but a separate “Event Risk Assessment” must be completed and returned to the Conference Office before the BBQ takes place.
• Hours of use are between 12noon and 8pm or dusk, whichever is earlier.
• The Sportsfield must be cleared by 8.30pm or 30 minutes after sunset, respectively.
• All rubbish should be taken with you and disposed appropriately; the nearest bin store in located in the Coach House courtyard (behind Old Hall).
• No glassware is to be used. This is important for health and safety reasons – broken glass and sports activities on the Sportsfield do not mix.
• Loud music that would disturb the local residents must not be played on the Sportsfield.
• The Garden Team to check and clean the grease trap on a weekly basis.
• Any damage or faults with the equipment must be reported to the Porters’ Lodge

The College Bar is located in the centre of the Dorothy Garrod Building, on the ground floor close to the main entrance and Porters’ Lodge on Sidgwick Avenue.

During the daytime (08.00am until 6.00pm) the space operates as the Iris Café for all members of the College, guests, visitors and members of the public to use.

The College Bar during term time is run by members of the JCR and MCR who receive training in the sale and service of alcohol via the College Designated Premises Supervisor (the College Domestic Bursar).

Out of term the Bar may be hired for private events, please contact the College Conference Office [conference@newn.cam.ac.uk].

See the attached Bar and Party Room Rules which provide more information on the opening hours and operational side of the Bar.

The College has Fairtrade College Status and a Fairtrade Policy.

The Catering Department promotes Fairtrade produce and tries to source as much daily produce as possible locally, subject to reasonable availability.

Where at all practical, we actively encourage the use of fresh seasonal ingredients.

The intention of the Catering Department is to encourage social responsibility and to demonstrate our genuine commitment to the use of Fairtrade, sustainable and local produce.

All areas of the Catering Department currently offer a daily provision of Fairtrade coffee, tea, hot chocolate, orange & apple juice as well as Divine Chocolate Bars, Geo Health Bars and bananas.

The Catering Department will also organise Fairtrade Buttery events and holds Fairtrade Formal Hall each term (currently cancelled due to COVID-19) – watch the notice boards for more information.

The College Food Allergen Policy can be viewed here

The Freshers’ Feast

This is an event for new undergraduates and takes place in College Hall at 7.30 pm during the first week of Full Michaelmas Term. Freshers will meet their Directors of Studies beforehand at a drinks party starting at 6.30 pm. There is a sung grace before the meal. Gowns must be worn. Guests may not be invited to this event (but there are plenty of other events to which you can invite guests).

The Postgraduate Matriculation Feast
This is an event for new postgraduates and takes place in College Hall at 7.30 pm during the second week of Full Michaelmas Term. The MCR Committee and Graduate award holders are also invited. A pre-dinner drinks party is held from 6.30 pm. There is a sung grace before the meal. Gowns must be worn. Guests may not be invited to this event (but there are plenty of other events to which you can invite guests).

Formal Halls and Subject Formal Halls
Formal Halls and Subject Formal Halls are held throughout each term. Watch out for more information when you arrive. Gowns are worn. Guests may be invited to Formal Halls but cannot attend Subject Formal Halls. One bottle of wine may be taken into the Hall per two people. If you wish to sit with a group you must arrive by 7.00 pm to ensure seating, the doors close at 7.30 pm and guests cannot enter late or without their host. No drinking games are allowed.

Formal Hall Ticket Policy

Governing Body Dinner
Junior members who attend Governing Body are invited to the dinner following the meetings. Gowns are worn. Guests may not be invited.

Postgraduate Supper
Postgraduate suppers are informal and taken on a self-service basis in College Hall on some Tuesday evenings in Full Term. The dates are announced in advance. All members of the MCR may attend Tuesday suppers (postgraduates; affiliates of the MCR; affiliated and mature undergraduates). Members of the MCR who are paying a fee (College or affiliation fee) may take supper without payment. Postgraduate beyond their terms (and who no longer pay the College fee) and ERASMUS students (who may be affiliated to the MCR without paying a fee) will be billed for the meals they take in a termly bill. There is a charge for supper for these members. Gowns are not worn. MCR members may invite guests but must sign them in and will be billed for their guests’ meals.

Commem – Commemoration of Benefactors
Commem, which normally takes place during the Easter vacation, is the main formal occasion for Roll Members (former students of the College) to be invited back to the College. Special invitations are sent to those 10, 25 and 50 years from matriculation. Members of the JCR and MCR Committees are invited. At the end of the dinner there are speeches, introduced by the President of the JCR proposing a toast to the King

Gowns are worn. Guests may not be invited.

Halfway Hall
At Halfway Hall, second years, and appropriate affiliated students, mark the midpoint of their undergraduate career. Undergraduates on four-year courses are also invited; although technically they are not at the midway point, many of their friends will be. Gowns are worn. Guests may not be invited.

Pudding Seminars
Pudding seminars are short, friendly talks given by members of the College about their research. They are held on most Fridays during Full Term; they start at 1.15pm and finish by 2pm. Coffee, tea and cake is served. No gowns are worn. All members of the College may attend.

Some of the College’s work towards sustainability, including our energy efficiency and eco-friendly policies, is explored in our Sustainability Map.

This includes work from the Catering Department, the Maintenance Department / Buildings Committee and the Gardening Department.