Students find Town House cafe too expensive

Town House cafeKingston Town House cafe. Photo: Wincent Hein

Students struggling with rising prices are turning away from the Town House café in search of cheaper options.

Students say prices in the café are noticeably more expensive than in other nearby local outlets.

Aqib Fazel, a pharmacology student who had just bought a sandwich and hot chocolate said: “I think it should be a bit cheaper.”

A sandwich at the Town House costs around £4 with the toasted sandwiches around £4.50.

A short walk away Sainsbury’s offers a meal deal at £3.50 with a sandwich, a snack and a drink for the price.

Local chains such as Greggs also offer similar kinds of sandwiches at prices ranging from two to three pounds.

Town House coffee is a similar price to chains such as Caffe Nero, however, unlike them Town House charges students extra for sometimes necessary changes such as having soya milk.

Students also perceive a lack of choice in what’s on offer.

One of the members of the Town House café staff agreed with this, saying that: “we shouldn’t be the same as everywhere else the kids should be offered something like a meal deal to make it cheaper for them.”

The advantage of the café has however is convenience.

Students agreed that the main reason they buy from the Town House café is because it is the closest business to where they are studying. Sofia Holod, a chemistry student said: “I often have classes nearby and I can buy and study on the second floor.”

But with increasing economic uncertainty and students having to save money wherever they can, is that going to be enough to tempt them to the café?

By Wincent Hein

Third-year Journalism and Media Student at Kingston University and current design and layout sub-editor for the River newspaper.