In 2015 Masaryk University was the first Czech university to join the f-regiony® project run by the Anete company and backed by the Ministry of the Agriculture. “The goal of the project was to open the dining segment to regional producers. While this has been a success, it is still complicated to manage the entire logistics chain of getting the produce to storage rooms of the canteens in the necessary quantities and timeframe. Typically small regional producers are unable to get their goods and produce to our storage on a daily basis,” said ACS’s head of purchasing Veronika Hrozková.
Ultimately large distributors have joined the project, such as Bidfood Czech Republic s.r.o., Bikos CZ s.r.o. or Exver Food s.r.o., by starting to purchase goods and produce from local producers and distributing them. “Ninety-one percent of ingredients in our storage facilities are of Czech origin. Our long-term suppliers include Jatka Ivančice s.r.o., Makovec a.s. (meat); Kroutil s.r.o. (eggs and oils); Mlékárna Olešnice a.s. (milk and milk products); BSHB s.r.o. (potatoes) or Exrudo Bečice s.r.o. (corn meal). Due to the scale of our operations we also use larger suppliers like MAKRO who have also joined the sustainability project,” Hrozková added.
“Daily tender”
The ingredients for the preparation of meals are chosen on a daily basis based on a “tender” among suppliers. Every day ACS specifies its demand for milk products, meat and other groceries for the next day.
“This procedure takes place on a daily basis via the FirstBuySale (FBS) purchasing portal. Any new supplier can log in and offer their goods and produce for next day’s meals. Every day after noon we select the supplier with the best price,” Hrozková explains, adding that the Czech origin of produce is a mandatory condition for special seasonal events and menus offered by the university (pumpkin, asparagus or game menus).
Price of meals affected by increasing prices of ingredients
Canteens set the prices of their meals based on formulas reflecting the developments in the prices of ingredients. As a result, meals may be more expensive or cheaper based on these developments.
“Over the last year prices of ingredients went up by 50 percent or more. At the same time operating costs and overheads did not, even though the prices of utilities, services, maintenance or salaries have also increased. If we want to focus on sustainability and the use of local goods and produce, it will affect the prices of meals. The prices of local ingredients are typically higher, CZK 5–8 per portion, than those of foreign origin,” says ACS canteen manager Tomáš Kala.
The students’ habits have also changed due to the rising prices and after the pandemic. “We are seeing a major drop in demand. In 2019 the average number of meals sold per day was 2,472; but in 2023 it was only 804. Students learned to cook for themselves during lockdown, and many stopped coming to our canteens altogether. This behaviour reflects that of the society in general,” Kala added.
Fried cheese still number one
SKM evaluates the most favourite meals sold on a quarterly basis. The customers’ preferences have also shifted since the pandemic.
“Traditionally breaded cutlet and sirloin are among the most favourite dishes, but fried cheese has remained the biggest hit in ACS canteens. That being said this favourite meal was most affected by the increasing prices of ingredients. Even in restaurants this meal can now cost almost 200 crowns. Our aim is to offer different sorts of cheese; not just Edam but also Gouda or Emmentaler,” Kala explains.
Interestingly, different meals are sought for at various faculties. “Students of the Faculty of Law used to love beef, now they like chicken the most, just like their colleagues at the Faculty of Science. Students of the Faculty of Education prefer lighter vegetarian meals. Instead of fried cheese they will choose Ceasar salad with bits of chicken,” Kala says.
All nine canteens offer at least one vegan meal every day. In September 2017 “Veggie bar” opened at the Academic Canteen at Moravské náměstí. “Back then it was the first self-service university canteen specialising in vegetarian and low-calorie dishes. It offers two soups every day, along with vegetarian dishes, dishes without any animal products for vegans, as well as baked or cold desserts. Unfortunately it now sees fewer than 40 students a day, which means it has become very expensive to run,” Kala says.
ESDW: vegetarian and vegan meals
ACS promoted vegetarian and vegan meals on a larger scale in September – by joining the European Sustainable Development Week initiative. For an entire week canteens offered three to five vegan meals; while the Academic Canteen and its Veggie bar would offer as many as eleven different dishes.
“I cannot say this event was a success. Its outcomes reflect the average circumstances over the rest of the year, which I think was a disappointment. Only 10 percent of students ordered vegan meals; 63 percent went with meat dishes; 15 percent had the fried cheese and the remaining 12 percent of orders were sweet dishes, like apricot dumplings with gingerbread powder,” Kala explains.
The goal of the ESDW event was to promote the Webkredit and MobilKredit which students use to order their meals in advance. “This could be the best way to ensure sustainability and minimise waste. But so far we have been unable to convince students to use the apps more regularly. Even during the ESDW event less than 10 percent of students actually used it. Going forward we want to focus on more effective operation of the canteens, which may include cooking fewer meals. This may help reduce prices of some of the dishes served,” Tomáš Kala says, adding that the issue of sustainable dining is now the topic of pages on the ACS website.