Catering

Three female students talking over lunch

Mealtimes are an important part of life at St John’s: a chance to pause, catch up with friends and enjoy good food together.

Our in-house Catering team prepares fresh meals every day throughout term.

Meals in College

We provide fully catered meals during term time in Haughton Dining Room, with breakfast, lunch and dinner served daily, with brunch on weekends. Hot and cold options are available at every meal, alongside soups, a salad bar at lunch and “grab bags” for students with busy schedules.

Students living out

Students living out can purchase subsidised meal tickets at Reception, or queue up for “seconds”, subject to availability.

Postgraduates living in

Postgraduates living in College accommodation enjoy full catering during term time and are self-catered outside term.

Dietary needs

We cater for a wide range of dietary needs, including vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, and halal options.

Meal times

Weekdays

Breakfast : 8:30 – 10:00am
Lunch: 11:45 – 1:30pm
Dinner: 5:15 – 7:15pm

Weekends

Breakfast : 8:30 – 10:00am
Brunch: 10:00 – 1:30pm
Dinner: 5:15 – 7:15pm

Seconds: Available 1:30 – 1:45pm and 7:00 – 7:15pm.
All John’s students living out are welcome to take seconds without a meal ticket, subject to availability.

Formals at John's

Open to students living both in and out of College, formals are an opportunity to dress up, wear your gown and enjoy a delicious three-course meal with friends.

They are a chance to pause, catch up with the wider College community and enjoy an evening together. Every formal is prepared and served by our in-house Catering team, working closely with the student-led Formals team.

Explore formals

Who knew having three meals a day with people could bring you all so close together?

Residents Survey 2026

Catering means I don’t have to worry about cooking when I’m busy. It’s helped me find my footing at university without sacrificing my wellbeing.

Residents Survey 2025

Meeting a college friend for a “John’s coffee” is a true mainstay of my college experience – long may it remain a fixture here!

Residents Survey 2026

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed community mealtimes – sitting with friends, other peers or staff members means there’s always varied conversation and it creates a nice social break in a work day that might otherwise be spent studying alone.

Residents Survey 2026

It’s such a lovely experience to sit down with other people to eat every day.

Residents Survey 2026

Did you know?

St John’s is renowned for its potatoes. With seventeen varieties (and counting), they’re often blamed for any term-time weight gain! Every Johnian has a favourite, from the famous dauphinoise potatoes at formals to a classic jacket potato or curly fries. Here they’re illustrated by John’s student, Maddie.