Meals in Rosebery: Catered vs. Uncatered Hall

Does it make financial sense to live in a catered hall?

When I first got accepted to LSE, I was torn over whether to choose a catered vs. uncatered hall. I love to cook my own food, but the convenience of a hot meal every night is unmatched. Here are a few questions to ask yourself before making this decision.

1) Will you be in the hall during meal times?

Meals are served Sunday through Friday from 5:30pm to 8:30pm and on Saturday from 11am to 1pm. At times, I've found myself coming back to the hall specifically to eat dinner. The Saturday brunch is delicious - croissants, eggs, bacon, hash browns - but I've only gone to about half of them since I often have weekend plans. If you're someone with a busy evening calendar, perhaps catered dining isn't for you.

2) Do you enjoy the social aspect of communal dining?

One of the biggest benefits of catered halls is the built-in social experience. Many of the friends I've met, and even traveled with, are people I met in Rosebery, making catered halls a great option for first years and General Course students. 

3) Will you take advantage of leftovers?

Around 8:20pm there is a queue of students waiting to take leftovers, and the staff begins distributing it at 8:35pm. I store the leftover dinner in my floor kitchen and then warm it up at the LSE Student Salon to have for lunch the next day. Each meal also comes with two fruits (typically a banana, apple, or orange) and a yogurt, which can be saved for breakfast.

4) Are you a picky eater? 

I'm an exchange student from the US and our dining halls seem to be filled with endless choices. Rosebery has four different options for dinner each night, two of which are vegetarian. While the selection is smaller, I've found the quality of food to be noticeably higher than what I've experienced in US dining halls. There are also plenty of side dishes, in addition to the soup, salad, and bread served on a daily basis. 

Check out the reel below to see what Sofia Bella ate in a week at Bankside Hall!

5) Do you enjoy afternoon coffee?

The Rosebery coffee machine, which is free for all residents, opens at 2pm everyday and serves espresso, lattes, and steamed milk (dairy or oat). I always opt for a flat white, but many of my hall mates enjoy the hot chocolate. 

If you take full advantage of catered hall offerings, there is very little additional food you'll need to buy, making it well worth the cost.