The end of beans on toast

Any idiot can eat cheaply. Beans on toast, Ginsters pasties, Iceland frozen food; we live in a time where amassing large amounts of very cheap, very rubbish food is easily done. This, my friends, is not the aim of this investigation into student eating. What I intend to do is share various routes to eat well inexpensively (and yes, at times, for free). Eat the best you can, for the least you can: this shall be our mantra.

Fall in love with Asian food

The basis of Indian curry is ginger, chilli, garlic. With these staples, an onion and some rice, a savoury and filling meal is yours with store cupboard leftovers. Literally. Chickpeas plus the above? Channa masala. Spinach and old potato? Saag aloo. Merely a handful of lentils and a tomato? Delicious dhal. Add culinary glamour: collect cheap and cheerful chutneys from local corner stores – cauliflower, lime, mango, and you’ll be able to present your very own thali with a selection of curries and tasty morsels. A scoop of a few kinds of veggie curry, pickles and some yoghurt, and you have a thali of some repute. Invite friends, play Bollywood music, light incense and enjoy a night of Mumbai decadence.

"Family want to leave student-ville feeling they have done something helpful, so ensure cupboards are empty and look peaky and under-nourished"

Please note that this rule of thumb applies to many Asian dishes –
Thai broth is notable. A pot of tom yum paste is key (£2-£3 in all supermarkets), add hot water and you have the staple. Now add leftovers – cherry toms lurking? Check. Half a punnet of mushrooms? Check. Scraps of leftover chicken? Check. A boiled egg? Slice and throw it in. Add noodles if you have them. A squeeze of lime/chopped coriander/fish sauce/chillies are optional extras for added flavour.

For girls and girly boys – please also note that the above suggestions are healthy and very low in fat.

Use trips home and relatives wisely

Encourage visitors to bring cake, take you out for lunch and stock up cupboards. Most friends and family want to leave student-ville feeling they have done something helpful (a bit like when public school students visit the third world), so ensure cupboards are empty and try and look peaky and under-nourished. Soon, your kitchen will be brimming with the contents of Tesco (or Waitrose/M and S/Farmer’s Market if they’re feeling particularly flush/guilty) and they can leave feeling they have done something virtuous. Everyone’s a winner. Just be sure to write thank-you notes and enthuse joyfully about how delicious anything home-made was. If you want a repeat of the above, that is.

Lastly, use trips home to ‘source local ingredients’. Wheels of cheese that the ‘rents don’t need all of; spices that mum’s happy to share; roast beef leftovers they won’t be using – hunt and gather. Avoid the bulky and cheap. Do not accept sacks of potatoes, boxes of cereal or loaves of bread. You can buy these inexpensive carbs at uni – it’s not worth the back strain. Seriously.

Work experience

If you are a foodie who misses being around good grub and if you need extra cash, a fun and worthwhile solution is to work in a restaurant you love. Local restaurants can allow you to learn about food, be around fellow foodies, and will also open up eating avenues. Restaurants often allow staff to eat there, take leftovers home, sample menus and eat out at a reduction. Be nice to the chef and fois gras, chocolate fondants and duck confit could fuel you throughout your student days.

NB: Never take without asking – and please remember aforementioned generosity very rarely extends to alcohol.

Lunch deals

Many good restaurants do set lunches. Places where you would pay £40-50 a head offer around three courses in the daytime for around £15. For Londoners, or those on visits to the capital, the acclaimed Arbutus and Wild Honey do three courses of Michelin starred food for £15. Even at the luxe end of the market, value at lunch can be breathtaking – Gordon Ramsey’s notoriously pricey Claridges restaurant does three courses at £30.

Regionally, some of the best include:

• Brighton: Funky, award winning and loved by reviewers. – Sevendials (www.sevendialsrestaurant.co.uk)
• Edinburgh: Acclaimed and achingly trendy - Atrium (www.atriumrestaurant.co.uk);
• Cardiff: Beautiful food and warm service - Le Gallois (www.legallois-ycymro.com)
• Leeds: World famous, chefs trained at El Bulli – Anthony’s (www.anthonysrestaurant.co.uk)
• Oxford: Very genteel - Gees (www.gees-restaurant.co.uk).
• Birmingham: Intricate Michelin starred cooking - Simpsons (www.simpsons.co.uk)
• Newcastle: Observer Food mag award winner – Blackfriars (www.blackfriarsrestaurant.co.uk)

Most people are working during these hours, so can only gaze mournfully at these delicious offerings whilst paying 25 quid for roast partridge (without sides). Admittedly it’s not something one can afford to do every day, but rather than throwing away cash on Subway, or greasy student breakfasts, splash out once a fortnight. You will have some culinary experiences you’ll never forget.