Research revealed that Gen Z had four motivating factors when making food and drinks purchases, including taste, speed, convenience and choice.
The agreement with Swansea University provides a blend of Chartwells Universities’ own brands, such as Hollo Pollo, Bamboo, and Liberty Grill, alongside a number of high street favourites, including Subway, Greggs, and Tortilla, which will operate under franchise agreements.
The development plan will see the University’s Refectory space on Singleton Campus converted into a new social hub by the end of 2022, which will be renamed the Swansea Social Hideaway. A second social hub will be created on Bay Campus in place of the current Core catering outlet. These will be multifunctional, tech-enabled social spaces, offering students and staff alike space to meet, work, socialise, eat and drink.
Kerry Ford, managing director, Chartwells Universities, said: “This tender submission was the culmination of a significant period of development that we believe will fundamentally change the way students view and engage with the food and beverage offer across Universities. Every element of the offer is deep-rooted in insight and has been specifically moulded around the wants and needs of students.
“We truly believe this is a significant evolution in University catering, moving away from trying to compete with the high street, and bringing in leading technology, brands and trends to create an attractive offer that meets the needs of today’s students.
“We’re passionate about providing a fantastic experience to support students’ time at university, but also investing in the communities we operate. This model allows us to provide employment and career opportunities, while also enriching the delivery options available to the surrounding community around campus.”
Chartwells has introduced an app that allows students and staff to place food and drink orders for collection or delivery at locations across campus. Chartwells university research found the takeaway market experienced a 46% increase throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.
Students will also be able to access educational nutritional content, book in for cooking classes, give back to their local community via volunteering opportunities and book tickets for events across campus.
Ben Lucas, associate director of commercial services at Swansea University, added: “The bid from Chartwells Universities really stood out due to its truly innovative format. Clearly, a lot of thinking has gone into understanding what trends are shaping consumer behaviours amongst Gen Z customers, before pulling together disparate trends and pieces of technology into one coherent operating model.
“Convenience, quality and value are clearly incredibly important to our students, but, what really stood out in the approach was the additional added value, educational and CSR initiatives, such as the digital cookery classes, regional procurement and cook-at-home delivery boxes, which will enrich the overall student experience and provide guidance and support during their time in Swansea.”