University Caterers Inspired by Chinese Dining Culture

Tuesday, 22 September 2015

Matthew White, the University’s Catering, Hotel and Conference Services Director, recently attended The University Catering Officers study tour of China. The trip was a chance to gain an overview of the complex cultural differences between the two countries and an insight into how food in China plays such an important role in daily life. Matthew and his team are keen to offer our Chinese student community authentic dishes and a great dining experience here on campus.

The group visited two universities in Beijing, Beijing Normal University and Peking University. The trip included visits to the food production areas, restaurants and student accommodation. Matthew found it fascinating to see many similarities to the services he manages here at Reading, but also to experience and learn about the many different ways Chinese students want to be catered for. One aspect was learning about the types and styles of cuisine Chinese students want to purchase at different meal times.

The Reading catering team are now focusing on the lessons that Matthew brought back and providing authentic dishes, products and services. They will be proactively engaging with our Chinese students, promoting the products and services we can offer to enhance their student experience and time in Reading.

Matthew said, “This trip was so interesting and has opened up a whole new world of dishes that I cannot wait to share with our teams and start delivering to our customers.”