Tag Archive for: refectory

13.May2026

From family recipes to hotpot: These dishes have won the refectory competition

Preisübergabe vor der Mensa Wilhelmstraße, von links nach rechts: Philipp Fritz (Mensaleiter), Dongye Chen, Christina Michels , Johannes Feuchter, Dalma Zsigrai, Edith Hein (Stuwe Geschäftsführerin) & Shubman Raheja

Tübingen/Hohenheim. Lots of creative recipe ideas, enthusiastic students in the kitchen and plenty of delicious food: the Studierendenwerk’s recipe competition was a resounding success. Following a special campaign week, the four winning dishes have now been chosen.

More than 100 students responded to our call and submitted their favourite meat-free dishes between November and December 2025. From the numerous entries, a jury of canteen managers selected eight recipes at the start of the year that are particularly well suited for preparation in a commercial kitchen. All finalists were awarded a refectory voucher worth 75 euros.
At the start of the summer term, the competition entered its decisive phase: from 27 to 30 April, the eight finalists took charge of the cooking themselves as part of a special promotional week (‘Canteen Takeover’). Together with the kitchen teams, they prepared their dishes and some even manned the serving counters.

The submitted recipes also reflected the cultural diversity of the student body: the culinary range of the entries spanned from North German-inspired classics to Hungarian influences and Chinese family recipes. Many participants brought personal stories, family traditions and international taste experiences to the competition.

The recipes submitted also reflected the cultural diversity of the student body: the culinary range of entries spanned everything from classics inspired by northern Germany to Hungarian influences and Chinese family recipes. Many participants brought personal stories, family traditions and international culinary experiences to the competition.
The dishes were sampled and judged by guests at the event. Based on this feedback, the four winning dishes that proved most popular with the guests have now been decided:

1st place: Peanut and sweet potato hotpot (Luis Schuster, University of Hohenheim)
2nd place: Knipp – a vegan version of a North German grützwurst (Emma Feller, University of Tübingen)
3rd place: Chinese stew based on a family recipe (Dongye Chen, University of Tübingen)
4th place: Peanut Udon Noodles (Maria Windmöller, University of Hohenheim)

Edith Hein, Managing Director of the Student Services Organisation, was also present during the event days. She congratulated the finalists in person and discussed with them how their dishes came about:
“I was delighted by the many creative entries and the students’ great enthusiasm. My thanks go to all the participants and to our canteen teams, who supported the budding chefs on site. The recipe competition shows just how many good ideas there are within the student community – and how these can enrich our refectories.”

We are currently gathering final feedback from all those involved and looking into how the winning dishes can be included on the menus on a regular basis in future.

The following photo gallery shows impressions from the event days in the refectories.

Gewinner*innen des Rezeptwettbewerbs erhalten einen Mensagutschein
Gewinner*innen des Rezeptwettbewerbs erhalten einen Mensagutschein
Fleischloses Nudelgericht aus dem Rezeptwettbewerb
Fleischloses Nudelgericht aus dem Rezeptwettbewerb
Studierende kocht ihr Gericht aus dem Rezeptwettbewerb
Studierende kocht ihr Gericht aus dem Rezeptwettbewerb
Studierende präsentiert ihr Gericht aus dem Rezeptwettbewerb
Studierende präsentiert ihr Gericht aus dem Rezeptwettbewerb
Studentisches Küchenteam präsentiert Gericht aus dem Rezeptwettbewerb
Studentisches Küchenteam präsentiert Gericht aus dem Rezeptwettbewerb
Studierende präsentiert ihr gekochtes Essen aus dem Rezeptwettbewerb
Studierende präsentiert ihr gekochtes Essen aus dem Rezeptwettbewerb
20.Apr2026

New furniture upgrades the university refectory in Albstadt

Dr. Ingeborg Mühldorfer, Edith Hein und Bernadette Boden bei der Einweihungsfeier der neu möblierten Mensa am Campus Albstadt

Albstadt/Sigmaringen. Eating, learning, feeling at ease: Guided by this principle, Hochschule Albstadt-Sigmaringen and Studierendenwerk Tübingen-Hohenheim have newly furnished the dining area of the Albstadt refectory. “Our aim was to further develop the open space into an attractive place to spend time and study for students and staff,” says Bernadette Boden, Chancellor of the university. The two partners recently celebrated the successful completion of the carefully planned refurnishing with a joint inauguration event.

In addition to classic dining areas with both high and low seating, the newly designed refectory now also offers a modern lounge area as well as window seats with excellent views. Most of the procurement costs were covered by the university, with a smaller share contributed by the Studierendenwerk.

At the inauguration event, Ingeborg Mühldorfer, President of the university, and Edith Hein, Managing Director of the Studierendenwerk, tested the new seating together with project participants, representatives of the student body, and Antje Schärer from the university’s support association.

“Thanks to the redesign, the refectory now offers clearly structured areas for different uses. This visibly enhances its role as a central meeting place on campus,” Edith Hein emphasized in her remarks. “The fact that the university made this project possible in economically challenging times cannot be taken for granted.”

Ingeborg Mühldorfer also highlighted the development of the space into a modern environment for learning and communication: “A contemporary refectory is far more than a place to eat. It provides space for exchange, collaborative learning, and student life. The redesign makes an important contribution here and strengthens the long-term attractiveness of our Albstadt campus.”

That the new furniture meets users’ needs is evident in everyday practice: students and staff make extensive use of the various seating options from the manufacturer Brunner and enjoy spending time there even outside regular meal hours.


Edith Hein und Dr. Ingeborg Mühldorfer bei der Einweihung der neu möblierten Mensa am Campus Albstadt im Gespräch an einem Stehtisch.
Edith Hein und Dr. Ingeborg Mühldorfer bei der Einweihung der neu möblierten Mensa am Campus Albstadt im Gespräch an einem Stehtisch.
Außenansicht der Mensa am Campus Albstadt der Hochschule Albstadt-Sigmaringen
Außenansicht der Mensa am Campus Albstadt der Hochschule Albstadt-Sigmaringen
Neu möblierter Innenbereich der Mensa am Campus Albstadt mit weißen Tischen, Stühlen und großen Fensterflächen
Neu möblierter Innenbereich der Mensa am Campus Albstadt mit weißen Tischen, Stühlen und großen Fensterflächen
Neue Loungesessel der Mensa am Campus Albstadt in violett-beiger Polsterung
Neue Loungesessel der Mensa am Campus Albstadt in violett-beiger Polsterung
Neue Hochlehnsessel mit integrierten Beistelltischen in der Mensa am Campus Albstadt
Neue Hochlehnsessel mit integrierten Beistelltischen in der Mensa am Campus Albstadt
Edith Hein und Dr. Ingeborg Mühldorfer im Gespräch mit Studierenden in der Mensa am Campus Albstadt
Edith Hein und Dr. Ingeborg Mühldorfer im Gespräch mit Studierenden in der Mensa am Campus Albstadt
Vertreterinnen und Vertreter des AStA testen neue Hochlehnsessel in der Mensa am Campus Albstadt
Vertreterinnen und Vertreter des AStA testen neue Hochlehnsessel in der Mensa am Campus Albstadt


18.Dec2025

Adjustments in Campus Catering Effective 1 January 2026

Anpassungen

The Studierendenwerk hereby informs you of the following changes to the university catering services effective 1 January 2026:

The taxable benefit-in-kind value for a lunch increases from €4.15 to €4.60 as of 1 January 2026. At the same time, the canteen subsidy for employees (KAO) will be reduced in accordance with the prescribed calculation key from €2.90 to €2.70. For a meal price of €7.30, the subsidy will be applied in full; for lower prices, the subsidy will be adjusted accordingly in order to avoid a taxable benefit.

This adjustment affects the daily menus and choice meals. Prices for side dishes and desserts remain unchanged. As the guest price serves as the reference price, the increase also leads to a corresponding adjustment of prices for employees. The reason for these adjustments continues to be rising personnel and food costs.

Prices for students currently remain unchanged. The Studierendenwerk has therefore deliberately decided against imposing an additional burden on students following significant price increases and semester fee increases in 2025.

The measures outlined above are necessary to ensure the long-term stability of university catering while complying with legal requirements.

01.Nov2025

Information for pupils on the study information day

,
Studierende in der Mensa

We invite all pupils to our refectory for the study information day on 19th November. However, payment is only possible without cash.

Pupils from all over Baden-Württemberg have the opportunity to get a taste of university life for the first time.

Studies and refectory, they belong together. That’s why the Studierendenwerk invites all pupils interested in studying to eat in the refectory at a special student price on this day. Please note that payment is only possible without cash! Payment transactions in the refectory and cafeterias of the Studierendenwerk were completely converted to card payments some time ago. Payments for external guests are therefore only possible with EC and credit cards as well as via Apple and Google Pay.

20.Oct2025

50 years Morgenstelle refectory

mensa morgenstelle 1

Tübingen – The Morgenstelle refectory is celebrating its 50th anniversary this autumn.

On 2 October 1975, it was ceremoniously handed over by the city of Tübingen to the then Tübingen Student Services Organisation – since then, it has catered for generations of students, teachers and staff and quickly developed into a central meeting place on the Berg Campus.

With 1,150 seats in the large dining room and another 250 seats in the buffet hall, the canteen was originally designed to serve up to 6,000 meals a day. In the early years, an average of 2,000 regular meals and 700 buffet meals were served per day, with another 200 meals added in the evening. An in-house butcher’s shop with four butchers produced sausage products, two confectioners provided guests with cakes and pastries, and a large potato store with a conveyor system held up to 1,000 hundredweight. On 13 October 1975, the first dishes were on the menu – including gypsy schnitzel with spaetzle and salad, as well as an inexpensive pea stew.

But from the very beginning, the cafeteria was more than just a place to eat: over the decades, its two floors hosted dance balls, Turkish weddings and flea markets. Concerts also shaped the history of the cafeteria. Performances by ELO, Barclay James Harvest, Nina Hagen, The Cure, Hannes Wader, Konstantin Wecker and many other artists made the cafeteria famous far beyond the university.

Anniversary week with retro meals

To mark its 50th anniversary, the Tübingen-Hohenheim Student Services Association is inviting all students, university staff and guests to celebrate from 21 to 23 October 2025. From Tuesday to Thursday, a special dish from the 1970s will be offered at a price of €2.85 for students and €6.85 for university staff and guests.

‘Congratulations to the entire team at the Morgenstelle cafeteria! Many colleagues have been part of the institution for decades – your commitment and experience have made the cafeteria what it is today,’ congratulates Edith Hein, Managing Director of the Tübingen-Hohenheim Student Services Association. ‘The cafeteria is an indispensable meeting place at Morgenstelle: it provides daily meals and creates spaces for people to meet, especially since there are no bakeries, butchers or bistros in the immediate vicinity. This anniversary is a thank you to everyone who ensures that the campus on the hill remains lively.’

Speisesaal Mensa Morgenstelle
Speisesaal Mensa Morgenstelle
Warteschlange Mensa Morgenstelle
Warteschlange Mensa Morgenstelle
10.Oct2025

Meat-Free Action Week in the Reutlingen Refectory

Fleischlose Aktionswoche Mensa Reutlingen

From 13 to 17 October, our Reutlingen Refectory will be all about colourful, varied and truly delicious meat-free cuisine.

Every day you can look forward to one vegan and one vegetarian main dish – complemented by our fresh salad buffet.

Enjoy these tasty specialities:

Monday, 13 October 2025:

  • Colourful chickpea curry with bread roll & leaf salad (vegan)
  • Zucchini piccata Milanese with linguine & lemon sauce (vegetarian)

 

Tuesday, 14 October 2025:

  • Tabouleh & falafel with hummus (vegan)
  • Gnocchi with tomatoes and rocket, herb sauce & salad (vegetarian)

 

Wednesday, 15 October 2025:

  • Cucumber pappardelle with lemon dressing and salt-baked beetroot (vegan)
  • Homemade vegetable patty with beetroot croquettes & seasonal salad (vegetarian)

 

Thursday, 16 October 2025:

  • Shakshuka with naan bread & leaf salad (vegan)
  • Pearl barley risotto with courgette boats & seasonal salad (vegetarian)

 

Friday, 17 October 2025:

  • Mille-feuille of Mediterranean vegetables with tagliatelle & tomato sauce (vegan)
  • Stuffed peppers with butter rice & seasonal salad (vegetarian)

 

Dishes are available only while stocks last.
Please note that short-term changes to the menu may occur.

06.Oct2025

Temporary Closure of the Refectory Prinz Karl

Warnstreik

The Prinz Karl refectory, located in Tübingen’s Old Town (Hafengasse), will be temporarily closed starting 13 October 2025.

“This decision was not an easy one for us, as we know how popular this refectory — with its special focus on meat-free dishes — is among many guests in Tübingen,” explains Edith Hein, Managing Director of the Studierendenwerk Tübingen-Hohenheim. “However, technical work is required in the building, which cannot be carried out while operations continue.” The Refectory Prinz Karl is expected to reopen no earlier than the beginning of 2026.

Alternative and Replacement Options

At the Refectory Wilhelmstraße, the Studierendenwerk is introducing a revised serving concept to accommodate additional guests from the Refectory Prinz Karl. A newly colour-coded guidance system, clearly positioned information stands, a restructuring of the serving areas, and the introduction of modern visual till systems are all intended to significantly improve guest flow in the future.
“Especially during the busy winter semester, we expect this to bring noticeable relief. Short queues at peak times cannot be entirely avoided, but they will be much easier to manage,” Hein adds.

In addition, during the course of the winter semester, the range of meals offered at the Cafeteria Wilhelmstraße will be expanded. The cafeterias at the GeiWi, the University Library, and the Theologicum will also remain open, offering a wide selection of snacks and light meals.

The Studierendenwerk will provide timely updates on the progress of the work and the reopening date of the Refectory Prinz Karl.

10.Oct2024

Opening week in the Wilhelmstraße refectory

Gewinnrad Mensa

On 30 September, we reopened the Wilhelmstraße refectory to guests for the first time. The work in the building has not yet been fully completed, so the meal plan is currently still somewhat limited. We ask for your understanding, as many processes are being optimised step by step.

We want to celebrate the return of Mensa Wilhelmstraße with you at the start of lectures. From 14 to 18 October, you can expect a special food offer under the motto ‘Leckeres aus’m Ländle’ as well as many great activities in the foyer. Here is an overview of the programme:

Monday, 14 October 2024 (11 a.m. to 2 p.m.)

Look forward to a Swabian lentil dish, Flädle with creamed vegetables, Gaisburger Marsch, vegan Maultaschen with potato salad and leaf salad as well as Swabian roast beef.

You can also sample freshly roasted coffee from COFYMI for free in the foyer and take part in our Stuwe competition. The main prize is tickets to Europapark!

Tuesday, 15 October 2024 (11 a.m. to 2 p.m.)

The menu includes Maultaschen in broth with potato salad and endive salad, homemade Swabian cheese spaetzle with roasted onions and leaf salad, Swabian apple cakes with vanilla sauce and meat loaf with onion sauce and fried egg.

There will be free lemonades and teas from ChariTea to try in the foyer.

Wednesday, 16 October 2024 (11 a.m. to 2 p.m.)

Today you can expect Swabian dishes with cream sauce, potato salad and endive salad, homemade lentil lasagne, Swabian cabbage fritters with leaf salad and vegetable scrambled eggs with herb sour cream.

The university big band will provide musical entertainment at lunchtime!

Thursday, 17 October 2024 (11 a.m. to 2 p.m.)

Our refectory team will be serving Swabian sauerbraten with red cabbage and potato dumplings, vegan meatballs with creamed savoy cabbage and boiled potatoes, Swabian sausage salad with roast potatoes and roast pork shoulder with sauerkraut and mashed potatoes.

A free photo box is available in the foyer – perfect for capturing fun memories with your fellow students. The Tübingen cinemas will also be on site with a wheel of fortune – there are lots of great prizes to be won.

Friday, 18 October 2024 (11 a.m. to 2 p.m.)

To round off Swabian Week, we are offering ham noodles with egg in a herb and tomato sauce and leaf salad. For the vegetarian guests we offer cabbage noodles.

We look forward to your visit!

09.Jul2024

No more gut feeling

Smartphone mit Speiseplan und CO2 Label

Tübingen. One third of global greenhouse gas emissions are generated in the food supply chain. Our decisions in favour of or against certain foods therefore contribute to climate protection. As part of a pilot project, the Studierendenwerk Tübingen-Hohenheim has therefore introduced CO2 labelling of its food offerings in the Morgenstelle refectory in Tübingen. “Students no longer have to rely on their gut feeling to assess how climate-friendly dishes are,” explains Philipp Mang, press spokesperson for the Studierendenwerk. “By indicating the carbon footprint, we are also making it easier for our guests to make a consciously sustainable choice in their eating behaviour.”

This is made possible by linking the entire merchandise management system and meal planning with the services of an external service provider. On behalf of the Studierendenwerk, the company Eaternity has calculated the emissions generated for each product and recipe on the menu and converted them into scientifically substantiated CO2 equivalents (CO₂e). This process is automated and runs on a daily basis.

The calculation takes into account the entire life cycle of a food product, from agricultural production and further processing through to packaging, preservation and transport – the journey “from farm to fork”, so to speak. These are average or approximate values. Emissions generated during cooling and processing in the refectory are not included.

The calculations are based on the Eaternity database. It is currently the largest and most comprehensive database for calculating climate-relevant emissions from meals and food products. It currently contains more than 550 ingredients. The database is maintained and further developed by scientists from the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW), the University of Zurich (UZH), the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH Zurich), the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), Quantis and other institutions.

With this project, the Studierendenwerk is creating more transparency in terms of sustainability. In future, the labelling will be extended to other refectories.

28.Jun2024

Relocation coming soon

Mensa Shedhalle

Mensa returns from the Shedhalle to Wilhelmstraße

Tübingen. Studierendenwerk Tübingen-Hohenheim will reopen the landmarked refectory in Wilhelmstraße in the winter semester 2024/25. The existing refectory has been extensively renovated and modernised in recent years. The kitchen and operations building was also rebuilt. This means that operations in the temporary refectory in the Shedhalle will end on 26 July 2024.

Edith Hein, Managing Director of the Studierendenwerk, explains: “The Wilhelmstraße refectory is our central supply and service facility on the Valley Campus. We are therefore very pleased to be returning to the original location for the coming winter semester. In future, we will be offering our guests a wide range of culinary delights in the Wilhelmstraße refectory. The refectory not only offers our guests a place to eat, but also plenty of space for socialising, personal encounters and a good learning environment. A varied cafeteria offer and a modern coffee bar will be available to students and university employees until the evening hours. We would like to thank everyone who has made a diversion to the Shedhalle in recent years.”

Saying goodbye to the Shedhalle’s interim solution

On 26 July 2024, the kettles in the Shedhalle will be fired up for the last time. To bring this chapter to a fitting close, we are inviting all guests to  special days of events from 22 to 23 July 2024. Once again, popular refectory classics such as lentils with spaetzle or currywurst with chips will be on the menu. Those who have the right spin on the wheel of fortune can also look forward to exclusive refectory vouchers.

Relocation and changeover phase

The move from the Shedhalle to the new buildings will start on 29 July 2024. It will take a few weeks until everything is set up in the Wilhelmstraße refectory.

During this time, the University Library cafeteria and the Prinz Karl refectory will be open for students and staff. Unlike in previous years, the popular refectory in the old town will not be taking a break this summer.

At the end of the summer semester, we will also be saying goodbye to the Clubhaus cafeteria. It will also open for the last time on 26 July 2024 under the management of the Studierendenwerk. In future, the cafeteria will be run by the student body.

Information on the reopening

We will inform you about the exact opening date of the renovated Wilhelmstraße refectory and details of the new operating concept before the start of the winter semester 24/25.

 

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