Dining
at Merton
Low prices, top quality, and a tale about the chefs of the emperors of Japan - welcome to the College with some of the most affordable, delicious, and environmentally conscious food!
Come join the MCR’s experience!
Dining
Merton is known across Oxford for its phenomenal meals. The apocryphal story goes that when a member of the Japanese royal family (two of whom have studied at Merton: Naruhito, now the Reigning Emperor of Japan, and Princess Akiko of Mikasa) came to study at Merton, they brought their own chefs with them. But when they left, the chefs decided to stay with the College. Whether this tale is true or not, it is none the less believable due to the quality of food and dining experience in Hall.
Daily Meals
A typical Sunday brunch (with added Christmas tree!)
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All members of College are welcome to dine in Hall for any of the daily services. Breakfast and lunch are served everyday during term, except for Sunday where a full English breakfast is served for brunch. Lunch includes a hot entrée, sides, dessert and unlimited soup and salad.
Members must book for meals through the college intranet at http://epos.merton.ox.ac.uk. The deadline for booking is 10.30am for following day & by 10.30am on Friday for Saturday, Sunday and Monday. The numbers are restricted for Supper and Formal Hall.
The Hall offers two dinner services: Early Supper and Formal Hall. Early Supper, like with lunch and breakfast, is a canteen-style meal where you collect your meal before you are seated. Formal Hall, however, is a three-course meal served to you by the Hall staff. For Formal Hall, gowns must be worn and the dress code is smart casual. Unlike many colleges who have formal dinner once or twice a week if not once a term, Merton holds Formal Hall six nights a week (there is no Formal Hall on Saturday). This means that you will likely have ample opportunity to dine in Hall and invite friends.
With breakfast at £2.15, lunch at £4.46 and dinner (both Early Supper and Formal Hall) at £5.50, the value for money is incredible and you have a day’s worth of meals in Hall all for just under £12.
A complete list of meal times and prices can be found on the College website.
MCR Guest Nights
Every fortnight, the MCR hosts a Guest Night where graduate students are invited to bring friends and family to a special dinner service. While you are welcome to bring up to three guests to any meal in Hall, Guest Nights offer a unique experience. Preceding dinner is a drinks reception in the historic MCR to which all guests are invited. We then migrate to Hall, which has had the majority of places reserved for MCR members meaning that more graduates are able to have guests than at a normal Formal. After the meal in Hall, we return to the MCR for Second Desserts which involve a selection of port, whisky and dessert wine with cheese boards and chocolate.
MCR President Black Tie Dinners
Once a term, the President of the MCR hosts a lavish Black Tie Dinner in Hall to which all graduates are invited. It is always a highlight of the MCR’s Termcard, and is similarly bookended by drinks in the MCR.
High Table
Every night when there is Formal Hall, members of the SCR dine at a raised table at the head of the Hall named High Table. As graduates, we are granted to the right to dine with Fellows at High Table on certain days of the week. The food at High Table is of an even higher standard than that at Formal Hall and includes an impressive selection of wines.
After dinner, the Fellows including the MCR guests stand and retire to the SCR in Fellows’ Quad for Second Desserts. Dining at High Table offers unparalleled opportunities to get to know the College’s Senior Members and leading academics.
Each graduate is permitted to dine at High Table once per term, and spaces are allocated by a ballot. Information on balloting for High Table is distributed in advance by the Information and Returning Officer.
Sometimes you may be invited to attend special meals held in the SCR’s dining room.
Dietary Requirements and Allergies
The Hall staff is experienced with serving meals for a wide variety of dietary requirements and allergies. Vegetarian, vegan, kosher and halal meals are available at every meal, but require pre-booking for Formal Hall. When you book for Formal Hall online, you will have the option to select a broad array of dietary requirements and allergens. If you have any severe dietary requirements or allergies, do contact the College’s Graduate Officer as soon as possible to ensure that the necessary arrangements can be made.
