By Maria van Wijnen
“Our time has come to make our canteen more AFFORDABLE & SUSTAINABLE!” 🍽️💜 — These words, shared on the AUC Student Council (AUC StuCO) Instagram, mark the beginning of an exciting new chapter for the Amsterdam University College community. A new collaboration between AUC and De Nieuwe Mensa aims to transform the on-campus dining experience into something more accessible, ethical, and entirely student-driven.
De Nieuwe Mensa, known for its mission to provide affordable, vegan food “by students, for students,” has already found success at the UvA Roeterseiland campus. Now, the movement is extending its reach to AUC. The initiative builds on ideas proposed in 2024-25 Student Council action plans, to establish a functional, student-led canteen by the end of the academic year. Second-year Science students and members of AUC StuCO, Catherine Lebiedzinska and Malou Sass Petersen, have been working especially hard to set up the initiative with the help of De Nieuwe Mensa. Lebiedzinska acknowledges the challenges they have faced — particularly regarding funding and long-term continuity and calls the initiative a “work in progress”. However, she says that “everyone is excited, including the candidates for next year’s StuCO”, which is promising for the future of this initiative.
One of the key student leaders behind the AUC launch is third-year Social Science student Cecile Breuss, who alongside third-year Science student Crystalia Evelyn Lia, serves as co-chair of the new committee. Cecile’s journey into food activism is rooted in personal passion. From participating as an AUChef in her first year to volunteering at De Sering — a community kitchen known for its affordable vegan meals — she has developed a deep understanding of how food can be a bridge between sustainability, community, and accessibility. “There is a huge demand for change. The idea of serving a full, high-quality meal at fair prices resonates with so many of us,” Breuss states. Second-year Social Science major Stefania Mironeau, one of the chefs on the new board, shares a strong commitment to making food more affordable for AUC students. She added that the board is currently in discussions with De Nieuwe Mensa and participating in training sessions as they prepare to launch the initiative, which they hope to roll out by the end of the year.
While the team continues working behind the scenes, stay alert for more updates on schoolwide group chats, try some of De Nieuwe Mensa’s food at Roetersieland, and most importantly – get excited! This is just the beginning. A new kind of student canteen is on its way to AUC — one that’s greener, fairer, and full of flavor.
The Herring 