You can now order catering online!

Monday, 16 May 2011

An example of a delivered lunch

As part of the ongoing investment in catering at the University, Commercial Services are pleased to launch a brand new service, Eat Online, to take the hassle out of ordering delivered catering on campus. This coincides with the launch of a new, simplified version of the Fresh Thoughts menu.

For many members of staff, ordering catering for meetings and events is a regular part of their role, so the new online system aims to make the whole process quicker, easier and more user-friendly.

Both Eat Online and the new menu will be live from Monday 16 May meaning that the majority of catering orders will be able to be made online - replacing the old method of catering booking. University staff paying with internal charge codes can order food and beverages for meetings and events via the website, in an 'online shopping' format.

Visit Eat Online to make your catering order...

Once you are registered, Eat Online puts you in control of catering orders and enable you to:

• Add new orders with instant confirmation
• Change orders that need updating
• Cancel orders that are no longer required
• Keep track of current and past bookings online

There is also a time-saving 'repeat' feature which allows the user to automatically repeat catering for weekly or monthly meetings, without having to re-enter all of the information for each meeting.

Matthew White, Head of Catering, said: "We are very excited to introduce this new online system. It is another step towards improving the catering services we offer across the University, and we hope it will give our customers a more user-friendly experience when ordering delivered catering. The updated menu has been simplified, and will change seasonally to ensure there is more variety on offer."

Eat Online is supported by a comprehensive user guide and the Customer Service Team in Commercial Services are operating a helpdesk (x8427) to provide assistance for those getting to grips with the new system.

A permanent link to Eat Online will be added to the Staff Portal in the bottom left hand corner. There will also be links in the A-Z section to the portal, user guide and menu.

There are some cases where staff will still need to contact Commercial Services directly via c.bookings@reading.ac.uk as these bookings cannot be made through Eat Online:

• Vouchers (for visit days etc.)
• External customers (including external companies on campus, e.g. SUPC)
• Booking a table at Blandford's restaurant
• Small and large private dining room bookings
• Events which require canapés
• Weekend/out of hours bookings
• Bookings for 50+ people

Larger bookings and those in the private dining rooms and Blandford's often require more attention to detail, so contacting the team directly will enable them to provide a more bespoke service.

You can register and begin using Eat Online now.