“It Really Sucks”: Freshers Fed Raw Chicken and Mouldy Eggs in VUW Halls of Residence

Words by Ethan Manera (he/him)

Food provided in Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington halls of residence is once again causing a stir as freshers are served kai of questionable quality, posing significant risks to health and safety.

In previous years, Salient has reported on slugs, mould, maggots, hairs, and feathers making an appearance in meals, an experience now being shared by new residents in 2023.

On Instagram, @kathyjcuisine has been documenting some of Katharine Jermyn Hall’s culinary misadventures since 2018. This year, the account has posted images of mouldy cheese, raw chicken, and boiled eggs with a patchy green hue. 

Katherine Jermyn Hall costs residents $494 per week, a situation one resident calls “quite shit”.

Ethan, who moved into KJ in February, told Salient he’s had “way too many experiences [of] partially cooked huge clumps of mince [...] in an ambiguous liquid.”

“I think the quality is far too inconsistent for the amount we’re paying. It's not uncommon that I end up buying food from out of the hall to deal with it. It really sucks having to spend that much when I'm already paying thousands for food,” he said.

Another first-year student from Weir House was recently served a completely raw chicken tender. “I’m not sure how they managed to come out with something completely raw like that [...] a lot of times things are cooked unevenly,” they said. 

“I couldn't really complain apart from a few random instances, but my standards might just be a bit low.”

The resident also said they had been served “spoiled yoghurt”.

Compass Catering operates the food service in seven of VUW’s thirteen halls. Describing themselves as “the world’s leading food and support services company”, their 2022 annual return detailed an operating profit equaling NZD $2.9 billion. 

When approached for comment by Salient, VUW’s Acting Chief Operating Officer Simon Johnson said, “Accommodation Service works closely with Compass Group to ensure the catering this company provides is of a high quality.”

“For the large part, the food served in our halls is well received and enjoyed by our residents.”

“We urge our residents to let us know of any concerns about the food they are served. Residents can provide live feedback to the kitchen via their Time2Eat app or speak to a member of staff,” they said.