Food & Drink

Yes. If you are studying at the University of Bonn, you need the Mensa Card for copying at the public copiers of the University of Bonn. 

If you are studying at the University of Applied Sciences Bonn-Rhein-Sieg, you can easily use your student ID as a Mensa Card. The second wallet on the card is set to function as a Mensa Card. All further information about the Mensa-Card given here is therefore valid for your card.

1. Please send us an e-mail with your official signature to: mensa-card(at)studierendenwerk-bonn.de [Keyword: Mensa-Card, Bediensteter]. In addition to a certificate from your superior, we accept your official e-mail address and signature as proof of eligibility as an employee of the University of Bonn or the University of Applied Sciences Bonn-Rhein-Sieg. 
2. You will receive a reply via e-mail from the info.point of the Studierendenwerk Bonn including the form "Mensa Card: Ausgabe"; please fill out this form.
3. Please hand in the completed form, the certificate from your superior and info.point's reply e-mail at the cash register specified beforehand.
4. For a deposit of € 5.00, you will then receive an employee Mensa Card.

Almost 40 years ago, the 12 Studierendenwerke of NRW joined forces for a cooperation on joint shopping for university gastronomy. The goals then and today were to reduce costs and at the same time modernise and further develop the purchasing process. Thanks to a bundled demand quantity, more favourable purchase prices and framework agreements with suppliers can be realised. Only suppliers who supply all Studierendenwerke in NRW on identical terms are taken into consideration. The quality of purchased goods is strictly controlled at regular tastings.

For some food items, framework agreements cannot be agreed upon in accordance with the above conditions of the NRW Purchasing Cooperation. In these cases, individual Studierendenwerke become active on their own and give notice of a call for tenders. This defines the product requirements, such as quality and quantity. In addition, a bill of quantities is drawn up and criteria are defined according to which the ingredients to be purchased are selected. Finally, all received offers are viewed and tasted and the supplier that best meets the conditions of the tender is selected. The result is a joint contract lasting between six months and several years.

First, the goods are processed and delivered according to the defined and legally required quality characteristics. Regarding perishable goods, for example, this means they are cooled and the refrigeration chain is not interrupted. Before the Studierendenwerk Bonn accepts such goods, inspections are carried out: The employees at the goods receiving department check whether the temperature in the delivery van meets the requirements. If this is not the case, acceptance is refused. The next step is to ensure that the quality requirements for processing in our university canteens are met - e.g. prompt preparation and compliance with HACCP regulations, such as temperature specifications.

We voluntarily create reserve samples of all food produced. This means that managers or cooks in the individual canteens take samples of all dishes and keep them at -18° C for at least seven days. This enables us to prove the impeccable quality of our products in case of doubt.

Gastronomic establishments must comply with certain standards that must be observed. Our establishments are regularly inspected by the TÜV SÜD Food Safety Institute GmbH and the Health Department. Compliance with hygiene standards is checked and certified. The HACCP concept as well as personnel, environment, equipment and product hygiene are also reviewed. Microbiological tests are also carried out. Last but not least, we are also inspected by the Health Department.

The so-called HACCP is a quality tool that was designed for the production and handling of foods. The acronym stands for Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points. These are measures that are defined and followed in order to avoid illnesses and injuries among consumers.

Hygiene standards in catering establishments are based on the Hygiene Regulation (EG) Br.852/2004, the Food Hygiene Regulation Art. 1 (LMHV) and the so-called "Good Hygiene Practice".

When purchasing our ingredients and products, we take care to avoid additives and allergens as much as possible. We also cooperate with sustainable initiatives and brands. These include, for example, Fairtrade International e.V., Charitea and Lemonaid, which ensure fair cultivation conditions for their suppliers and support them with a part of the proceeds. For this reason, in some of our facilities, for example, we offer the start-up Neue Werte banana bread, which produces its product from bananas that are not sold because of their shape, colour or ripeness.

Our to go cup LogiCUP is an innovative reusable cup. The LogiCUP is issued for a deposit of 50 cents. The return of these resuable cups is then carried out conveniently at return machines, similar to returnable bottles using a barcode. The collectors are set up in a student-friendly manner at highly frequented locations on campus (canteen, lecture hall, library). The cup can withstand several hundred rinsing cycles and is also 100% recyclable thanks its composition made up of pure polypropylene.

Every day an average of 7,000 people eat with us. With such production quantities, it makes a decisive difference whether and how much waste is produced and how resources are conserved.

In order to avoid waste as much as possible, we use various methods. On the one hand, the majority of dishes are produced using the "cook and chill" process. This means they are offered for consumption "just in time" depending on demand. If there are meals left over at the end of the day, they do not end up in the garbage but are stored for up to three days without any loss of quality. However, remaining food which cannot or should not be frozen cannot be completely avoided at the end of the day. We therefore donate them to food savers for distribution. During the preparation of meals, considerable amounts of water are saved by, for example, using gentle preparation methods in convection ovens (combi steamers). We also offer as seasonal as possible.

When investing in new kitchen appliances, for example, we pay attention to their energy efficiency and use reusable systems such as LogiCUP wherever possible to save energy and other raw materials. We also have our goods delivered at regular intervals to prevent spoilage.

If you feel like tuna, you will not find any at our establishments. Studierendenwerk Bonn has decided against offering tuna altogether. There are many reasons for this: The hunt for tuna endangers other fish species that also end up in the net, including dolphins. In addition, our oceans are overfished and stocks have declined drastically. In addition, tuna is not native here and must be imported from overseas.

In all our establishments, we offer Farfalle, Fusilli, Penne, Spaghetti and Tagliatelle exclusively in organic quality. In addition, we only serve organic coffee from our partner Fairtrade and have fairly produced sweets and tea in our assortment. The ChariTea and Lemonaid drinks are also made from organically grown ingredients.

The financing of Studierendenwerk Bonn is essentially based on three pillars:

• Revenues generated by the student union itself, i.e. sales revenues in the canteens and cafeterias as well as rental income in the dormitories,
• Students' social contributions and
• state subsidies.

The state subsidies are divided into:
        

• General state subsidies for the ongoing operation of the canteens,
• Other subsidies for the operation of child daycare facilities, and
• an expense reimbursement for the grant administration.

The students' social contribution is 97 Euro per semester (as of 2018).

No. Studierendenwerk Bonn is an institution under public law and is recognised as a non-profit organisation. Our basis for acting is the Studierendenwerkgesetz NRW. According to this law (§ 1 StwG NRW), we provide students with services in the social and economic fields, in particular through the establishment, provision and maintenance of economic and social facilities. These are essentially canteens, cafeterias and dormitories. All income generated by us serves this purpose.

According to §11 paragraph 1 StwG NRW, the economic management and the accounting of the Studierendenwerke are determined according to commercial principles. Business enterprises and dormitories are to be managed in such a way that the income (§ 12 Paragraph 1) covers the total costs, taking into account the principles of economic efficiency in the case of profit; an appropriate reserve is to be formed.

No. Even after the price increases (in 18/19 and 2022/23), the income from university gastronomy does not by any means cover the incurred costs for personnel, the use of goods, buildings, energy, maintenance, etc. Politically, this is not intended. The continuing deficit is offset by other income, including social contributions from students.

The increased and still rising prices for food and energy over the course of 2022, driven first by the Corona pandemic and now intensified by the Russian war of aggression on Ukraine, make it necessary to adjust the prices in the canteens and cafés.

In its meeting on 20^th of June 2022, the Board of Directors & Management of the Studierendenwerk Bonn decided by mutual agreement to price in part of the massive increase in costs, starting in the winter semester 2022/2023.

All product categories in the canteens and cafés are affected, as well as all price groups: students, staff and external guests.

The main components, for example, will increase between 25 and 45 cents, the side dishes by 15 cents.

As a result, the price for an average lunch (one main component + two side dishes) will increase by about 60 cents for students and by about 70 cents for staff.

Exception: stew: still for 1,- euro!

Nevertheless, an important message is: the price for the stew is deliberately left low, so that every student can still afford a hot meal for one euro (for staff: 1.80 euros).

No, with regard to the subsidised prices for the students, they continue to only cover the cost of the goods and a small part of the preparation costs. The majority of the preparation costs are covered by the general state subsidy and students' social contributions.

No extra state funding

Separate funding by the state of NRW to relieve the Student Service Organizations (Studierendenwerke) and avoid price increases is not known at the moment and is probably not planned.

Costs, especially for personnel, are continuously rising every year. Between 2011 and 2017 alone, personnel costs at Studierendenwerk Bonn rose by around 28 percent (TVöD - Tarifvertrag öffentlicher Dienst). State subsidies for the canteen, on the other hand, have remained unchanged for more than 20 years. After three years of extensive price stability (only the components were adjusted in 2015), it was time to evaluate and adjust the overall price structure.

For students, the main components have been increased by about 10 - 20 Cents each. We have increased the side dishes by 10 Cents each. This means that on average, students pay 40 Cents more per day for a menu - depending on the individual selection. However, the price for the stew remains unchanged and will continue to cost students only € 1.00. On average, staff members will contribute 70 Cents more per day to the increased costs.