Did you know all University of Sheffield bars, cafes and restaurants are open to everyone?
This means that regardless of whether you're a student looking for a bite to eat before your next lecture or a local that wants a hot drink and cake whilst catching up with friends, the whole community can benefit from the options available.
Each building is unique, but warmly welcoming, and there's always an incredible selection available to choose from for all dietary requirements.
And for climate-conscious foodies, you're in for a real treat.
The University of Sheffield puts the planet at the forefront of its plans, and minimises its environmental impact wherever possible with its 'think local, act global' initiative.
The idea is that as many ingredients as possible are sourced from local butchers, greengrocers, coffee roasters and even dairy farms.
Our Cow Molly is a prime example of this. The local farm is located in Dungworth (S6), and sees their milk go from cow to coffee in as little as three hours. The locality of the business means that delivery emissions are reduced, local people are given jobs within the production line and customers like you and I get fresh free-range milk, served in giant 20 pints churns to minimise plastic wastage.
Now of course it's impossible to source everything from Sheffield but when the university is looking for products like coffee beans for instance, the supply chain is reduced as much as possible to ensure farmers and suppliers have their pay potential maximised.
The development of Roastology, the local supplier UOS uses for its coffee, is currently partnered with researchers from the University of Sheffield to support the development of the co-operative and work to solve problems within the global industry.
Food waste accounts for 9.5 million tonnes per year, but the University of Sheffield is ensuring that not only is all food wastage minimised, but that it goes to a deserving cause.
If there's any sandwiches, veggies or even cake left over at the end of the day, it is placed inside the community fridges at UOS accommodation sites Endcliffe and Ranmoor for students and members of the community to help themselves, completely free of charge. This is saving an average of twenty tonnes of food each year alone.
There's murals all around the cafe documenting the different initiatives across the university campus, encouraging locals to find out more about the reusable cups, electric delivery vehicles and even a 'Save our Sandwiches' campaign that minimises food waste and supports vulnerable people in Sheffield.
Need any more stats to get you thinking? This academic year, across the University of Sheffield, over 100,000 fewer single-use cups will be used across campus.
To find out more about the University of Sheffield's sustainability initiatives, you can visit the WithUS website.
All images - Benjamin Elliott via Unsplash
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Sheffield sisters open second matcha cafe just months after launching their first
There's just no stopping these sisters, as The Matcha Spot announces second site.
Yes, it's another matcha story but we've got to say, we're very excited about this one.
Let's back track to last year when The Matcha Spot popped up in The Moor and made a name for themselves for selling the most wonderful green creations in the city.
Fast forward to February, they opened up their first permanent spot in the city centre on Campo Lane which was a resounding success.
Images: The Sheff
Their focus is serving good quality matcha in all shapes and sizes, our personal favourite being the blondie matcha that is the perfect afternoon pick me up.
It's become such a success, that The Matcha Spot sisters are now opening a second site in Sheffield just months after opening their first.
The Matcha Spot 2.0 will be located on Ecclesall Road and will be opening next month, so we really don't have long to wait.
Image: The Sheff
Announcing the very exciting news to Instagram, The Matcha Spot said: "Our second home is here! Thank you SO much for all your support!! We’re so excited to be opening our second location for you to get your matcha fix…..
"281 Ecclesall Road. Coming soon."
We couldn't be happier for the girls, and we couldn't think of anyone more deserving of the success. We'll see you on the opening date ready and raring to get our hands on a white chocolate and raspberry matcha.
Sheffield has been crowned the best city in the UK for students
Clementine Hall
It's good news for students in Sheffield, as the city has been crowned the very best in the UK for university life.
I mean, we can't say we're exactly surprised.
The news comes from a new report by Edumentors that reveals which UK cities offer new students cheap rent, safety, and quality teaching.
The research examined 40 UK cities to find which offer the best university life, tracking monthly rent rates from SpareRoom's data, crime rates from government records, and entertainment costs.
It also looked at how easy it is to get around and what students think of their teaching based on the National Student Survey. Each city received scores from 0 to 100 across all categories, with higher scores indicating a better student experience.
Sheffield got the coveted top spot, undergrads here can find dorm rooms and shared flats for around £500, about £300 less than what students pay in Oxford or Cambridge.
Teaching quality also came up trumps, with nearly 9 out of 10 students saying they're happy with their courses at the University of Sheffield.
Coming in second place was Sunderland followed by Lancaster, Coventry and Aberdeen.
The higher education expert from Edumentors commented on the study: "It's not just Oxford and Cambridge ranking low; London and Edinburgh finish at the bottom too, despite having some of the world's most famous universities.
"But UK universities in general offer quality teaching across the board, so opting for budget cities is actually smarter for most students. You get a similar education while having money left over for a proper flat, going out with friends, and enjoying actual student life."
Sophie Smith -
15th December 2023 
