We tried the £2 lunch from Cardiff Uni’s SU and compared prices with supermarkets

One of the initiatives which Cardiff Uni has undertaken in order to tackle the cost of living crisis is the introduction of £2 meals, served between 1 pm and 3 pm in the SU. So we thought we’d try it out on Friday and their special that day was a cheese and beans jacket potato.

The portion seemed a reasonable size for the price, it was filling and very cheesy. A vegan option of the meal was also available too.

Other meals throughout the week include hot dogs, steak slice and mash and bacon pasta bake, there are vegan alternatives for all meals as well.

So we thought we would compare prices to see if the £2 lunch was worth the money.

In order to make the meal you’d need one baking potato, half a tin of baked beans and cheddar cheese (we didn’t include seasoning or butter, as to keep the price low).

According to Asda’s website the cheapest options for a tin of beans is from Asda’s Essentials at 25p for two portions, a block of Asda’s Essentials cheddar cheese comes around £3.65 and a bag of 2.5 kg potatoes is £1.25. If you are following serving suggestions, the cost for one portion only would be a total of 41.4p.

As for Lidl the total cost for all ingredients would be £6.01 which makes it 46.7p per portion.

However, electricity and water also need to be included in the total price which will increase the cost. Also, these were the prices of two of the cheaper stores available in Cardiff. Prices in other local supermarkets throughout the city can vary for the same ingredients.

The £2 meal is definitely a cheap option if you need some lunch whilst at the SU. It’s important, however, to consider whether the price is worth it for your daily lunch if you are able to make the same thing at home.

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• Cardiff University senior staff have claimed over £43,000 in expenses since 2020