A Fresh Start: Discover the ESI Café’s New Sustainability-Driven Menu

October 16, 2025

The ESI Café has reopened this academic year with a bold new menu that’s big on flavour — and driven by sustainability!

Led by Michael Connor, Head of Hospitality and Retail at FX Plus, the café has been refreshed. It now serves a vibrant, ever-changing menu that champions fresh, seasonal ingredients while reducing food waste.

The menu evolves daily based on what’s available, embracing a creative and conscious approach to dining. Each dish is a celebration of upcycled ingredients and inventive cooking. Picture this: surplus heritage tomatoes transformed into a roasted tomato and caramelised onion quiche; a hearty ham hock terrine reimagined as golden sausage rolls; or a leafy salad whipped up into a zesty dressing. It’s food with purpose — delicious, imaginative and planet-friendly.

But the transformation doesn’t stop at the food. In collaboration with design studio Perch & Ponder, the café space has also been redesigned with sustainability in mind, featuring recycled wood finishes and a calming, earthy colour palette.

Michael Connor shared:

“We set out to refresh the café offering so that it that reflects what matters most to those who use it, both from an environmental and sustainability perspective but also to be conscious of individuals’ dietary requirements.

“Knowing how important this was to everyone, I wanted to create for them a unique food destination that students, staff, and visitors could all enjoy and was different to anywhere else on campus.”

The relaunch was shaped through consultation with key stakeholders at the University of Exeter, and Michael is keen to hear your thoughts. Share your feedback by emailing foodanddrink@fxplus.ac.uk.

You can explore the example menu, special offers, and opening times here.