Cafeteria Prices

Fayah Estrand (G7)

Opinion

Published Issue 5 2022-2023

Have you ever stopped to think about the prices of the food you are purchasing from the cafeteria? Or why are food prices that high? There are many reasons why the cafeteria prices are the way they are, but the main one to keep in mind is that the prices are not under Mulgrave’s control. Mulgrave has signed a contract agreeing to the prices of food depending on where they get it in the first place. “Mulgrave has a say in it, the company we have a contact with has to come to us when they want to change prices.”, says Ms. Plottel. While Mulgrave might have some say in the prices, there is no full control of food costs. 

Increasing food prices at Mulgrave and other schools is not helping the further increase in inflation. And since Mulgrave buys the products to make the food, they sell at the cafeteria, inflation will affect the cost of the food Mulgrave members buy.  Not only is inflation making food more expensive in the cafeteria but so is shipping(depending on where Mulgrave buys the food the prices change). The farther away from Vancouver, the more expensive. Specific foods are more expensive than others as well. For example, the cost of shipping vegetables has increased dramatically. 

Why doesn’t Mulgrave buy locally if shipping is such a big issue? Mulgrave does try to buy local food as often as possible but there are issues with that too, like the food not being fresh or the prices being too high.  This means they don’t always choose where they buy from they have options but they want to buy the freshest food, they want to buy the food that will be best for the food that ends up being consumed. Many students and parents are concerned about the prices of food at the cafeteria. One might wonder what happens when there is an issue with the prices– the cafeteria is always open to different suggestions about the prices or even the food that they are currently selling. And while Mulgrave does have a contract with the companies they get food from, they still slightly change things about the items they have at the cafeteria. The only thing that stops that from fully controlling the food they sell is that the Ministry of Education says that Mulgrave must sell around 30% veggies and 40% protein. 

The environmental impact, specifically the pollution that is bound to happen when it comes to bringing food to Mulgrave, is one of the main reasons Mulgrave tries to buy local food as much as possible. But, pollution can never fully be avoided. 

Not only does shipping affect the environment but also the amount of cutlery and food thrown out. While Mulgrave does use mostly sustainable cutlery, cups and plates are often thrown out incorrectly, which is why the climate action club is planning to start creating reusable cutlery and bowls so there will be less waste. Until then, remember to check where items are to be disposed of.  

Email the cafeteria about any suggestions at caf@mulgrave.com.