This Wednesday, 21st January 2015 saw the first meatless day at the College, with students and staff being offered two vegetarian options for lunch and dinner. The move to offering one veggie only day per week came as the result of a ballot headed by Regent’s Park PPE finalist Will Yates in Michaelmas 2014. The College will continue to go meat free one day per week for the duration of Hilary term, at which point a decision will be made as to whether or not to keep the meat free day permanently.
The Meat Free Monday campaign, which has received support from the likes of Sir Paul McCartney and Jamie Oliver, aims to help people improve their own health as well as the health of the planet by promoting sustainability and healthy, nutritious choices.
Regent’s Park College will be the third Oxford College to adopt a meat free day, alongside Wadham and Queens. Balliol, Brasenose, Lincoln and Oriel are also promoting non-meat options.
During the Michaelmas ballot, students and staff were asked to provide their preferred meat free day, highlighting Wednesdays as their preferred choice, instead of the suggested Monday. This has led to a bout of discussion on twitter as to the appropriate moniker for the Regent’s campaign, with students and staff jokingly suggesting ‘Wheaty Wednesdays’, ‘Veggie Vednesdays’, or ‘Vegdnesday’, or the slightly more sensible ‘Meat Free Midweek’.
More information about the campaign, as well as a news article with quotes from key Regent’s Park advocates, can be found on the Meat Free Monday website.