We are aware of the concerns raised by Kent Students’ Union (KSU) and have been, and will continue to, engage with them and our wider student body to address these.

Throughout the process of exploring the future of our catering provision, we worked hard to ensure that our key stakeholders, including KSU, were engaged.

We held a supplier showcase and worked in partnership with KSU to ensure that a diverse range of staff and students were invited to this. This included the opportunity to gather feedback from our wider community about the options on offer.

We also ensured that there were student and staff representation on the procurement panel – with the then KSU president being part of this. This collaboration of diverse viewpoints helped shape the future catering strategy and partnership with Chartwells Universities – and embedded the concept of choice.

The decision to offer branded experiences – including Costa Coffee and Starbucks – on campus is part of this focus on giving students more choice and variety when it comes to catering. We know our students look for different options when deciding what to eat and drink.

These new offers mean students have an even wider variety of options than ever before including Social Impact Coffee, local provider Garage Coffee as well as the Library Café and Caffè Nero.

The introduction of “We Proudly Serve” Starbucks coffee means that staff, students and visitors can enjoy Starbucks coffee on our Canterbury campus, served by our Chartwells catering staff. This outlet is not a franchise model. The coffee bean is supplied by Nestle and the staff are Chartwells employees not Starbucks employees, working under University/Chartwells’ terms, conditions and receive Chartwells staff benefits. This outlet is subject to the University’s high sustainability and ethical working standards.

This work is alongside our continued efforts around the cost of living and supporting our students with food insecurity. From the start of the new academic year, our Savour Range at the Canterbury campus will be available with prices ranging from £3.50 – £4.00, and will be available at more outlets across campus, giving students greater choice and convenience.

We will continue to listen to and engage with our students as they return to campus, as well as our staff.