Teviot have raised the price of the Halloumi Burger from £5 to £5.70 and enough is enough

Edinburgh Uni has undergone some major changes since I was in first year. With Bristo Square finally reopening, to Appleton Tower no longer being the ugliest building in Western Europe, it seems like things can only get better in our beloved George Square.

But, if any of you have stepped foot into Teviot in the last month you’ll see that there is a spectre haunting Edinburgh Uni – the spectre of fucking rising Teviot prices.

Imagine my horror when I sat down at the Library Bar after my first day of uni and saw that not only had pint prices risen from £2.50 for a Tennent’s to three pounds, but they’ve taken away the sweet potato burger, a staple in my diet (where else can you get three carbs in one meal?), risen the price of a halloumi burger from approx £5 to £5.70, and the price of a plain nachos from £3.50 to £4.10!

NINE POUNDS STERLING

Perhaps, I thought, Teviot had gained a few Michelin stars over the summer? Maybe it had turned into a gastropub over the Fringe, or maybe there was an Insider Food video about the chilli nachos or the fact that the building is like old as fuck or something. But, no. Everything about it was exactly the same except for the prices.

Sure, they’ve introduced a brand spanking new Goat Cheese and Portobello Mushroom burger (which comes in at a whopping £5.90) and they’ve added a few more snazzy pizza options, but they’ve taken away the two for one pizza and half-priced nacho deals as well – further example that they’re basically making a mug of the entire student body.

When I reached out to a friend of mine who works at Teviot and asked if she could source copies of past menus she replied that they had thrown them all out, obliterating any evidence that the same exact food used to be cheaper just a few months ago. When I reached out to EUSA asking for a copy of Teviot menus from 2015 – 2016 they refused to comment.

Not having it

Isn’t the point of a Student Union to make food and drink affordable for students, not to try and make money off of them? But with these prices, Teviot has turned from a casual lunch spot to somewhere I would only go to when my parents come visit – right up there with the fourth floor of Harvey Nicks, and basically every other restaurant on George Street.

We can’t just stand by and take this – If you’re in first year, by the time you graduate uni you’re better off going to Tigerlily for a cocktail than to Teviot for a pint. There’s plently of other places around campus to go for a pint and a solid meal – Peartree perhaps? Or maybe literally any other restaurant that will charge you less than £5.70 for a cheese sandwich.

#OCCUPYTEVIOT