The coffee machine is working - BRING YOUR OWN MUG!

After a series of service engineers failed to show up, I spent most of this afternoon trying to repair the coffee machine myself  - and I'm pleased to report that it's working again, just in time to fuel your term 3 revision sessions!

Sadly, hundreds of cups and milk pots were stolen last term. These are paid for out of your £30/year Residents' Club subscription. Proper financial stewardship of the Club dictates that we have to take action to prevent funds being wasted like this, so from now on, the coffee machine will operate on a BYOM basis (bring your own mug). Whitener powder replaces milk pots, as this is only half the price of milk and, I hope, less likely to be stolen anyway.

Check the signs below to remind yourself of the speciality "combination" drinks menu and compare nutritional info and caffeine content for the different drinks available. Remember, we do have caffeine-free options too.

Milk theft

Unfortunately, theft of milk and sugar from the new coffee machine has proved to be a problem already.

In the last 48 hours, 34 drinks have been sold - many were hot chocolate or fruit teas which do not require milk.

In the same period, 60 milk portions have been taken.

The drink prices on the machine are set just to cover our costs on the optimistic assumption that nothing would be stolen. We cannot afford to subsidise this level of milk theft. We have to do something: the options are (a) the restrict the supply of milk; (b) to increase the cost of drinks to factor in the losses due to theft; or (c) acknowledge that the Club has to subsidise this cost and use our money on milk instead of parties, televisions, newspapers, sports, and games.

I have replaced milk with powder whitener in the hope that this is perhaps slightly less likely to be stolen, and because whitener sachets are less expensive than milk, so our losses will be smaller. If this does not work, then milk will be placed behind reception and one tube of milk given upon request after a drink has been purchased from the machine.

I am sorry this has been necessary.

Freshly filtered / brewed hot drinks in reception

Staying in Hall this holiday season?

Try our new speciality Flavia hot drinks machine in reception: fresh brewed tea, coffee, Galaxy hot chocolate, and herbal infusions.

Introductory price 30p for standard teas, coffees, chocolate (50p for cappuccino / latte / caramel swirl hot chocolate, which use 2 sachets). Introductory prices available until 6 January.

The machine is owned & operated by the Residents’ Club.

We have set our prices to just cover the actual cost of the machine and drinks; any small profit that might be made will be put directly back into social, sports, and entertainment events, or improving the common rooms in Hall.

Any losses due to theft or damage will also be borne by the Club and will reduce the money available for events, recreational facilities, and parties. We have installed this machine as a service and benefit for you. Please take care of it.

Please only take milk and cups to use for drinks purchased from the machine.
The drinks sachets are designed only to work with the high-pressure system inside the machine: they cannot be cut open and used to make drinks without the machine.

16 different drinks are available now, with more coming soon!

The selection so far:

"Light & smooth" smooth roast coffee

"Light & smooth" medium roast coffee

"Medium & balanced" Colombia coffee

"Medium & bright" Papua New Guinea coffee

"Dark & intense" Sumatra coffee

Smooth roast decaffeinated coffee

Galaxy hot chocolate

Any of the above can be combined with either a cappuccino/latte swirl or a Mars caramel swirl.

English breakfast tea

Strong English breakfast tea

Earl Grey tea

Lemon herbal infusion

Peppermint herbal infusion

Select green tea

Coming soon: Espresso roast coffee, hazelnut flavoured coffee, "medium & bright" Ethiopia coffee, raspberry herbal infusion, decaffeinated English breakfast tea, and gree tea with jasmine.