Oh, dear - things aren’t looking too bright for those bright sparks at Oxford - at least at Magdalen College. Not when it comes to getting fed and watered, at any rate. In fact, they're going all out to avoid college catering altogether. That's because at present they pay for each meal when they sit down and eat it, but from next year things are going to change. Catering charges are going to be fixed, meaning that even if a student doesn't turn up for a meal, it will still go on their bill, adding to their £9,000 tuition fees and around £1,500 a term accommodation charges. So they're boycotting the college canteen - en masse.
However, in every cloud, there's a silver lining, and in this case it's Magdalen College's Junior Common Room Soup Kitchen, offering students the chance to learn how to be a chef as they practise cooking for each other instead of heading for the canteen at mealtimes. It might not be cordon bleu dining, but some rowing-team wags are bound to start calling it Oxford Blue cuisine. 
The big question is - How to be a chef?[/caption] Student James Carter says: "I won't be able to afford to go here without help from the college itself or from the university which could pose a problem and put off students from applying." A Magdalen College spokesperson said that the college did offer financial assistance because of its commitment to "attracting and supporting the best students regardless of background", but didn't predict how many students learning how to be a chef in their own time would go on to a successful career in catering.
