UCD Vegetarians?

Victoria.

My plan is to go to UCD next year and I'm wondering is there an active vegetarian/vegan society there? It would be fantastic if there was. I hope so since there seems to be one for just about everybody else.

Anyone have any experience with food availability in UCD? Would I be better buying food elsewhere and bringing it with me? I won't be staying in the campus so it would be mainly a decent place to have lunch.
Any advice greatly appreciated

entropi

As far as I know, Sweet Rasmus (a forum moderator here) set one up during the last college year and it is going well, and that there'll be a stand for it there next semester when you get to sign up for clubs/socs:)

I'm sure she'll fill you in with more, and better information than I:)

Breezer

There is, and she did. I plan on actually doing something in it this year so I'll probably see you there!

As regards vegetarian food, UCD has tons of places to eat and veggie food is available in all of them. Unfortunately many of them are awful/expensive/both. Having said that, I put up with it for 4 years till my course moved me off campus, and I'm still alive. Here's a post I wrote a few years back giving my gourmet review of everywhere on campus - I don't specifically mention veggie food but I was veggie at the time, so everything was based on that, intentionally or otherwise

Good luck with the LC results (or interviews or whatever your entry process is!)

sweet-rasmus

Thanks MoN and Breezer Just a quick note before I got to bed: Veg Soc will have a stand in the Freshers tent (most likely Monday 20th to Friday 24th September). Can be found on Facebook with a small bit of info as "VegSoc UCD". I will look out for a Victoria next year!

As regards to buying food on campus; it depends are you looking for vegetarian or vegan food in particular. The selection on campus is always increasing, but as a vegan I've always found it easier to bring my own lunch, which I make at home. Availability is something I want to tackle with the restaurants on campus anyhow. Oh, and soya milk is available in a few of the coffe/tea places

Edit: Very informative post about the restaurants in UCD Breezer! Great job! I guess the Student Centre do a slightly better range now then just chipper food, but I couldn't tell you what it tastes like. And to note, I think the restaurant usually do a vegan/coeliac main, but I am going to check this out, hopefully later this summer, in detail.

Breezer

Ha, thanks! It's a bit old now but most of those places are still the same I think.

sweet-rasmus wrote: »

I guess the Student Centre do a slightly better range now then just chipper food, but I couldn't tell you what it tastes like.

Does it? What kind of stuff? I was only in Belfield for 3 weeks last December, it didn't appear to be doing anything extra then, but maybe I just didn't notice. It's gonna be a similar story this year, although I will try make it to Freshers' Week!

sweet-rasmus

Erm, there were noodles and similar type take-away stuff. I *think* it appeared in the new year there. I won't try to describe the dishes I saw on other people's plates, but something along the lines of noodles, soy sauce... and other sides. Yes, I am useless!

Victoria.

Breezer wrote: »

There is, and she did. I plan on actually doing something in it this year so I'll probably see you there!

As regards vegetarian food, UCD has tons of places to eat and veggie food is available in all of them. Unfortunately many of them are awful/expensive/both. Having said that, I put up with it for 4 years till my course moved me off campus, and I'm still alive. Here's a post I wrote a few years back giving my gourmet review of everywhere on campus - I don't specifically mention veggie food but I was veggie at the time, so everything was based on that, intentionally or otherwise

Good luck with the LC results (or interviews or whatever your entry process is!)

Sounds good thanks for taking the time to post
I read your other post which was really helpful and gave me a good idea of what's on offer. Some of the stuff sounds good so I'll try searching for those particular places when I get there.

Thanks for the luck with the LC, I may need it :pac:
Yep it will just be CAO so the big day this year is Aug 18th for results agh

Victoria.

sweet-rasmus wrote: »

Thanks MoN and Breezer Just a quick note before I got to bed: Veg Soc will have a stand in the Freshers tent (most likely Monday 20th to Friday 24th September). Can be found on Facebook with a small bit of info as "VegSoc UCD". I will look out for a Victoria next year!

As regards to buying food on campus; it depends are you looking for vegetarian or vegan food in particular. The selection on campus is always increasing, but as a vegan I've always found it easier to bring my own lunch, which I make at home. Availability is something I want to tackle with the restaurants on campus anyhow. Oh, and soya milk is available in a few of the coffe/tea places

That's fantastic
So happy to know that there is a society in UCD. Yep look out for me I'll be the one walking around aimlessly with a confused expression but I guess that will be most people at freshers week :pac: For once I'll blend in.

Sounds good about the food, so at least there is something available. I'm just vegetarian but if there is vegan on offer I may go for that. Hopefully I won't have too much trouble. I don't know the area around UCD that well but isn't there a shopping centre kind of by Vincent's Hospital? Pretty sure I was there before so would that be the closest one?

Breezer

Victoria. wrote: »

That's fantastic
So happy to know that there is a society in UCD. Yep look out for me I'll be the one walking around aimlessly with a confused expression but I guess that will be most people at freshers week :pac: For once I'll blend in.

I walked around holding a map of the campus in front of me for about a week

Sounds good about the food, so at least there is something available. I'm just vegetarian but if there is vegan on offer I may go for that. Hopefully I won't have too much trouble. I don't know the area around UCD that well but isn't there a shopping centre kind of by Vincent's Hospital? Pretty sure I was there before so would that be the closest one?

Merrion Centre is just opposite Vincent's. It has a big-ish Tesco and a health food shop has just opened there too, although I haven't been in it yet. Donnybrook is also close by, on the way into town, and is directly accessible from UCD by a more frequent bus (46a or 145). If you're living the other side of UCD there's Stillorgan, which has a Tesco and a Dunnes, among other things. And UCD is only about half an hour from Dublin City Centre on the bus anyway.

rantyface

There isn't anywhere to get decent, healthy vegetarian food in UCD. It's generally a normal meal minus the meat. So proteinless. You can get decent soup though, so if you can sort out something to supplement that you're grand.

I used to nip out to the mosque in Clonskeagh, but they had posters up about "martyrs", so I stopped going.

Breezer

rantyface wrote: »

There isn't anywhere to get decent, healthy vegetarian food in UCD. It's generally a normal meal minus the meat. So proteinless. You can get decent soup though, so if you can sort out something to supplement that you're grand.

I'd dispute that tbh. 'Decent' might be pushing it alright, but the comments I made above notwithstanding, I wouldn't think the veggie food in UCD is any worse than the food containing meat. Regarding protein, there's loads of places to get sandwiches with egg, cheese, etc. I'm pretty sure I've had bean wraps, and I've definitely had bean curries and bean salads in the main restaurant. I've been there five years and I've yet to waste away

rantyface

Breezer wrote: »

I'd dispute that tbh. 'Decent' might be pushing it alright, but the comments I made above notwithstanding, I wouldn't think the veggie food in UCD is any worse than the food containing meat. Regarding protein, there's loads of places to get sandwiches with egg, cheese, etc. I'm pretty sure I've had bean wraps, and I've definitely had bean curries and bean salads in the main restaurant. I've been there five years and I've yet to waste away

I forgot about sandwiches! Yes the Grind in the student centre is excellent, you can get a lovely cheese, salad and relish roll there for €3. Sandwiches get boring very quickly unfortunately.

In the restaurant they used to replace the meat with beans in curries, but now they seem to replace it with courgettes! If they do put beans in, they're few and far between. I do eat the eggs there quite often, but they're very oily and often have blood spots and bits of shell, which disgusts me but I force it down. I keep an eye out for the spanish tortilla which I like. Their salads are lovely but wouldn't be a meal on their own, I normally have them with eggs.

I think it's fine for one meal a day but you'd need to make your own dinner when possible. I started to put on weight and feel a bit under the weather when I started eating dinner there too for a month. You can't beat home cooking and that's just that.

sweet-rasmus

If you aren't happy with the services in UCD do something about it! Grumbling that they switched the beans for courgettes won't get those beans back. Have you talked to the chef at all?

rantyface

Of course I have! I also contacted the student's union about it (and UCD food in general, and since then we got soup in the SU shops which is brilliant compared to before) and I've complained to Elements a LOT, and the manager knows me now and always gives me free cakes and pastries!

I don't want to come across as too fussy or cranky because I really like the chefs and the manager in Elements. I'd prefer if it was done through a society/SU because then it would seem more like a movement than one fusspot. I suppose supplying them with a list of balanced veggie meals would be a good idea.

Anyway, it's fine for one meal a day, and even two meals a day occasionally.

Breezer

Ok, to be fair I haven't been around much in the last year so I didn't know about the courgette thing. I also rarely ate two meals a day there. I don't know a huge amount of people who did either though, it becomes too expensive I reckon!