Grant Kuppenheimer investigates the disappearance of the beloved John’s Toastie Bar and the likelihood of its return.
Whether you are a fresher or finalist, you will probably have overheard something relating to a mysterious toastie bar that once was during your time at college. Indeed, St John’s used to have a second component to our college bar, located in the upstairs bar space adjacent to the post room ‘Dominique,’ where residents and guests alike could enjoy a toastie sandwich and a pint. If anyone has ventured to the University College (Castle) bar, you will discover the ever-popular toastie bar concept, which keeps students full and happy during a night out.
During the last SJCR presidential election, students will remember Ben Dickinson’s election manifesto where he promised: “As SJCR President, I would work with college and the bar to work out the logistics of reopening the toastie bar”. He continued that it will be important to “ensure that those legally responsible (SJCR Trustees) regularly check on the toastie bar, making sure that all rules and protocols are followed”. Yet for many who read this election pledge, the John’s toastie bar concept is distant at best. Many students have no idea how this enterprise used to be a highly coveted aspect of the Johns experience. Given student interest in such a concept remains high, it is curious to ask, what exactly happened to our toastie bar?
it becomes unclear if any citation was issued by either the Food Standards Agency or St John’s College.
While it remains unclear when the toastie bar closed, it was likely between 2013 and 2014 after researching any mention of it in SJCR publications and speaking with alumni who lived in college during this time. Indeed, one source commented how, in 2012, the toastie bar was extremely popular with Durham students and remained in much demand. The bar was run by a team of volunteers overseen by the SJCR services officer with a very interesting apparatus. To order a John’s toastie, a customer would go from the post room through to the Bailey room (via a now obstructed door), where someone would take your order. A volunteer would then run to 23 North Bailey, where the downstairs kitchen was staffed by two volunteer cooks who prepared the toasties. This bar was open every Wednesday and Saturday and continued to be popular among students.
So, why did it close if the bar was in high demand? As the ‘incident’ itself remains shrouded in mystery, there are two possible reasons for the closure: one: there was dwindling interest amongst volunteers, with a former toastie volunteer, Amber, motivated enough to keep it going, and this — combined with the enterprise not making a profit — brought it down. Or two: an incident relating to a health and safety violation that occurred due to a lack of protocols and staff training combined with meagre oversight. While it might have been a combination of the two, I find the second explanation far more plausible, given the evident popularity of this enterprise.
it is puzzling indeed why we still do not have a toastie bar in 2024.
Interestingly, after inquiring further about the nature of this alleged’ food safety violation’, it becomes unclear if any citation was issued by either the Food Standards Agency or St John’s College. Therefore, the ‘incident’ that forced the bar to close in 2014 appeared to be more of a threat of violation that the SJCR was unwilling to take responsibility for rather than a formal breach of regulations. Yet, whether an actual breach occurred still does not explain why the toastie bar remains closed a decade later. To better understand this mystery, I researched old copies of the SJCR This Week newsletter and past SJCR meeting minutes relating to the toastie bar. Such publications prove that the ‘incident’ occurred before 2015 as the newsletter references SJCR’s efforts to “bring back the toastie bar” and confirms continuous — yet unsuccessful — attempts by presidents and executive members alike to revamp this enterprise.
For example, in 2017, former president Tom Channon wrote in This Week, “I made further progress with the toastie bar. Having spoken to the College staff it is clear that there are many prerequisites to running a toastie bar, namely that it follows health and safety regs. I am in the process of looking at what food preparation training is required for the SJCR to run the toastie bar out of the Linton Bar”. Tom’s statement confirms that the ‘incident’ did involve a health and safety violation most likely through lack of training or oversight.
Additionally, in 2017, SJCR minutes confirm that two candidates for Services Officer included the desire to reopen the toastie bar in their manifestos, with Nicky Fernandez commenting, “Finally, I think it’s about time we got this John’s toastie bar sorted” and Aisha Omri “Vote me in for Services and Estates and I will work hard with college to organise the relevant Health and Safety training needed to bring back toasties to Linton Bar!” Lastly, Tom Channon’s successor, Jessica Rackham, also tried to reopen the bar and even released a report on the feasibility of doing so by using one of the college kitchens, but the report concluded that it was “not financially viable”, so no effort was taken. So, if efforts to try and rectify any fear of a food safety violation began in 2015, it is puzzling indeed why we still do not have a toastie bar in 2024.
One laments that such a prevalent initiative has remained in a decade-long limbo state with no clear path to addressing it.
Independent of the SJCR, the College bar team’s efforts prove that bringing foodstuffs back to John’s is possible and has been done before. Speaking to another alumni source who witnessed these efforts both before and during Covid-19, it is clear that the bar team opened a “food and snack bar” during events and on certain days in the upstairs bar adjacent to the postroom. While this space is used infrequently by the bar team, students will remember when it’s sometimes open for use as a cocktail bar and when the welfare team run ‘tea and toast’ during Fresher’s Week.
Student demand and interest in a foodstuffs bar have been consistent since the unfortunate closure in 2014, and the feasibility is easier than one would think. After all, the space used for University College’s toastie bar is roughly equal to that of our upstairs bar. One lament that such a prevalent initiative has remained in a decade-long limbo state with no clear path to addressing it.
If you are an alumni or were involved with the John’s toastie bar and wish to comment about your experience please contact the John’s Chronicle at johns.chronicle@durham.ac.uk
Photos by David Disponett and Mateusz Feliksik
John's Chronicle 