Sustainable Food Choices on Campus

Through its campus food partnerships and retail offerings, the University contributes to healthier communities, more sustainable consumption practices, and a more inclusive campus experience. By providing accessible plant-based, dietary-specific and environmentally conscious food choices, the University enables students and staff to make everyday decisions that positively influence both personal wellbeing and environmental sustainability.

In 2025, the University supported sustainable food choices through a range of on-campus cafés, restaurants and food providers at Callaghan, Newcastle City and Central Coast. Vegetarian and vegan meals were among the options available, alongside locally sourced, seasonal food and catering that responded to different dietary requirements. The University’s 2025 function menu provides a dated example, identifying vegetarian, vegan, dairy-free and gluten-free offerings, including a falafel and grilled seasonal vegetable stack, vegetable spring rolls and roasted pumpkin salad.

2025 Key Highlights

Accessible and inclusive food choices

Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and other dietary-specific options are available across a number of campus food outlets, helping community members make food choices that align with their health, cultural, ethical and lifestyle preferences. A range of providers offers plant-based choices, from fully vegan street food to clearly identified vegetarian meals.

Supporting healthier eating habits

Campus retailers provide a wide range of fresh, nutritious meals and grab-and-go options, helping students and staff maintain wellbeing while balancing study, work and daily commitments. This includes salads, wraps, sandwiches and fresh produce available at campus cafés.

Reducing environmental impact

Many food providers are actively implementing sustainable practices, including reducing single-use plastics, increasing the use of compostable and recyclable packaging, minimising waste, and sourcing local ingredients where possible. These retailer initiatives complement the University’s approach to responsible procurement and support more considered daily food choices.

Promoting responsible consumption

Through partnerships with retailers that value sustainability, the University encourages food systems that support environmental stewardship while delivering high-quality and affordable dining experiences. The University’s Procurement Policy favours sustainably and ethically produced products, locally sourced goods and suppliers that minimise environmental impacts where practical; this is an institutional purchasing principle rather than proof that every outlet meets identical sourcing requirements.

Campus food choices

The University's food precincts offer a variety of dining experiences that combine convenience, nutrition and sustainability. The following examples show how food providers have broadened choice across University locations.

Callaghan Campus

Local Connections showcases seasonal produce and locally sourced ingredients, offering a menu that supports sustainable food systems while catering to diverse dietary needs, including vegetarian and vegan options. Located in the Shortland Building, this University-run restaurant works primarily with Hunter Region suppliers and uses fresh local ingredients in changing farm-to-table dishes.

Bar on the Hill provides casual dining with a range of vegetarian and plant-based menu items and a strong commitment to sustainable packaging practices. Its published menu includes a vegan beetroot burger, vegetarian pizzas and a roast pumpkin, quinoa and beetroot salad, illustrating the practical choices available alongside other meals.

Shortland Building Food Precinct brings together multiple food providers offering affordable, nutritious meals, plant-based options, allergy-friendly choices and initiatives to reduce packaging waste. Options include the University restaurant, sandwich and salad providers and vegetarian-friendly offerings within the building.

Cadre Coffee offers quality café-style food and beverages with convenient options for students and staff seeking fresh, on-the-go meals throughout the day, including toasties, wraps and salad rolls. Hive Café focuses on convenient, healthy eating through chef-prepared meals, salads, wraps and sandwiches that support nutrition, wellbeing and balanced lifestyles.

Other Callaghan outlets add further plant-based choice: Kumache Kitchen serves Venezuelan and South American-style vegan street food; Heart Art Café offers vegan and gluten-free selections; Hussy’s Kebabs offers falafel; and Sprout Café in the Auchmuty Library lists vegetarian and vegan meals. LC Deli, in the Callaghan Student Living precinct, provides locally sourced and sustainable food offerings in the spirit of Local Connections.

Newcastle City Campus

At NUspace, Newcastle Food and Flower Markets offers fresh produce, coffee and light meals with an emphasis on sustainability and eco-friendly living. Darks Coffee at Q Building also provides snacks, sandwiches and wraps made with fresh ingredients, giving students and staff convenient on-campus food options.

In 2025, nearby Civic Delights was highlighted as a choice for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal meals. The broader Hunter Street and Darby Street dining precincts complement on-campus food offerings with culturally diverse dining experiences, although these nearby businesses are separate from the food services provided within University premises.

Central Coast Campus

At Ourimbah, campus cafés offer salads, poke bowls, wraps, focaccias, sandwiches and hot meals, including vegetarian and vegan choices, with visiting food trucks providing further variety. Ganda Burung in the Student Amenities building is a dedicated campus meeting and dining space offering hot and cold meals, sweet treats and healthy food options. Food vendors operating across the campus are encouraged to align with University sustainability objectives by providing healthy and inclusive menu options, reducing environmental impacts and supporting community wellbeing.

Sustainable sourcing and food partnerships

The University’s procurement framework supports these food-service choices by favouring, where practical, ethical and sustainable production, local sourcing and suppliers with strong environmental practices. At Callaghan, Local Connections provides a tangible example: the restaurant’s changing menu is built around seasonal produce sourced primarily from the Hunter Region. On 28 March 2025, the venue also hosted a Chef’s Table event connecting diners with the people and suppliers behind its ingredients.

Through plant-based menus, seasonal local produce and more inclusive campus dining, the University continues to make everyday food choices more accessible to its campus communities. Its food partnerships also offer opportunities to support regional producers and reduce the environmental impacts associated with what we eat.

Toasties, wraps, sweets, coffee and cold drinks – Lc Deli is the ideal location to enjoy a quick bite to eat.

Lc Deli still pursues the ethos of the Local Connections restaurant: to provide locally sourced and sustainable food offerings for both staff and students on campus.