Keeping Kosher on Campus
WORDS BY TAHLIA DILBEROVIC.
In late March, a post popped up on Overheard decrying the lack of halal and kosher food options available on campus. The Empire Times Team did some digging, and this is what we found regarding the dietary options available on the Bedford Park Campus.
The Tavern
The Tav has halal options that are listed on the menu. However, the Tav does not offer kosher options, although their meat is likely to be.
Bakmi Lim
Bakmi Lim’s entire menu is halal, however they are not officially certified and thus do not advertise this. As with the Tav, Bakmi Lim does not have kosher options.
Toly
Toly does not have halal or kosher options.
Alere
Alere’s a’ la carte menu consists entirely of halal meats. The only items that are not are the cold meats kept in the display fridge.
As for kosher, Alere does not offer any options, and the café manager explained to ET why this is so, stating, ‘It’s not something we can do in a commercial kitchen […] we can’t separate utensils and food which would be classified as contaminated’. However, the manager does state that for those who are not strict in their observance there are vegan options.
Bon Voyage
Bon Voyage does not have halal or kosher options, but some vegan or vegetarian options may be suitable.
UPCO
UPCO does have some halal options, but these are stored in same fridge as pork. We received no indication as to whether they have kosher options, but our best guess would be no.
Subway
Subway does not explicitly offer halal or kosher options however some vegan or vegetarian options may be suitable.
Zamberos
Zamberos is not a halal approved restaurant (nor kosher). However, some of the vegetarian or vegan options may be suitable.
Grind & Press
Grind and Press does not have halal or kosher certified options, but some of the vegetarian or vegan options may be suitable.
So, what’s the verdict?
Finding kosher-certified food on campus seems to be virtually impossible, depending on the strictness of your observance. The availability of halal options seems to be much higher.
What can be done?
Unfortunately, this situation is unlikely to change. The strict separation of food and utensils needed to ensure food is kosher presents logistical challenges that are essentially unsurmountable for Flinders’ retailers. These challenges, compounded by a lack of demand, with many retailers stating they had not been asked about kosher options since opening in 2016, and the financial devastation brought on by COVID-19, leaves both retailers, staff and students in a bind.
In semester 2, Flinders University will be releasing a retail survey to allow students to provide feedback on their experiences and assist in creating a long-term strategy to improve retail on campus. If the lack of kosher options is an issue for you, this would be the optimal place to address these concerns.
EDITORIAL NOTE: This article has been reuploaded and was originally published in 2022.