Food and Formals

College Food

All living-in members of Trevelyan are on a let of 38 weeks with 29 weeks of room and food. Catering in Trevs is for three meals a day, every day. You can get a hot breakfast every weekday, and a hot lunch and dinner every day. At the weekends, continental breakfast and brunch is served.

There’s usually at least two meat options and 2 vegan/vegetarian options for lunch and dinner, or fresh sandwiches/wraps – alongside a salad bar, soup, fruit and pudding. The food is great – you won’t stave! There’s also plenty of potatoes in various forms to keep you big and strong. 

If you have any dietary requirements, then tell college and they’ll work something out – if they know you can’t eat what’s on any particular day then they’ll make you something special. The best person to contact is Dawn Purdy, the food manager. All of the catering staff are lovely, be nice to them for some great queue chat.

Formals

Formal dinners are special nights in Trevs. Students wear formal clothes and gowns (which you will buy when you arrive), or black tie on special occasions, and fill the dining hall for a three course meal. We have a ‘high table’ where our Principal, Senior Tutor and other college staff sit, and long tables for students up to a capacity of 280 (which is nearly always full!). The formal lasts about an hour, including a number of respectful traditions.

For the meal itself you may take alcohol in, and most people buy this from the bar – which opens an hour before formals. You may bring your own drinks not from the bar, but you have to pay corkage on these – so you’re better off buying from in Trevs. We have regular formals throughout term (roughly every 2 weeks) – they are sometimes themed, are often before our events (Informal Ball/Trevs Night/Summer Ball) with extra-long ones at the end of each term (Christmas, Handover and End of Session).

After formal the bar is open, the furniture is cleared to create a large dance floor and the music begins, either from a band or a student DJ. People mostly stay in the bar until it closes and then a big group will go to town to finish the night in style.\

A Few Rules

  • You cannot stand up until formal ends! If you need to leave for any reason, you can’t come back in.
  • No phones
  • No flash photography
  • While high table are sitting, a level of decorum is expected