‘It’s a matter of principle’, says the initiator of the petition, which went online just before the weekend. He calls himself ‘Culinaire Fijnproever’ (Culinary Connoisseur) and has been boycotting the soup Beijk is selling for 1.65 since 7 January. He won’t even eat the split pea soup, even though it’s his favourite. ‘It hurts me to forgo it. But I’ve been bringing my own lunch these days.’
It’s not that he can’t afford the 1.65 for the soup; it’s about how catering company Beijk is presenting the matter. ‘What they’re doing isn’t right. They’re saying it really is a different, fancier soup, but my taste buds disagree.’
‘I can’t taste the difference’
Several other soup-avoiding people at Theology and Religious Studies are sick of the matter, too.
Henk van Putten has already signed the petition and isn’t afraid to use his own name when airing his soup-related grievances. ‘Listen, I understand they had to raise prices because of the VAT situation’, he says. ‘But they’re saying the soup has “greatly improved” and that just gets my goat. I can’t taste the difference.’
Stuck
Van Putten is a fan of the split pea soup, too. But he’s also displeased that the smoothies went from 2.50 to 2.75. And then there’s the spotty information in the cafeterias: the lack of signage and the fact that it’s never quite clear when a product is vegetarian or not. ‘It would take so little to satisfy their customers.’
So is it time for a new caterer? Only, says Van Putten emphatically, if the current personnel can stay. Mr. Connoisseur realises that the situation isn’t likely to change any time soon, since the agreements between the RUG and Beijk means that the two are stuck with each other for the foreseeable future. ‘I think they’re trying to get everything out of the deal that they can. But raising the prices after all the criticism and negative reviews was a bad tactical move.’
By Wednesday morning over four hundred people had signed the petition. The faculty councils of both arts and social sciences expressed their dissatisfaction with the prices in the canteens.
Spokesperson Marcel de Boer from Beijk Catering says he doesn’t see any reason to respond to the situation or change anything. ‘We had contact with the RUG this morning and we’re going to discuss what we’ll do with them. So, to be continued.’
Do you want the one-euro soup back, too? You can sign the petition here.