A petition for the University to reverse its decision to end a trial of a fully plant-based menu at the Whale Café, in the Museum of Zoology, has obtained over 2,000 signatures.

The campaigning group Plant Based Cambridge (PBC) launched the petition in November, claiming that the decision to end the trial was based on incorrect data.

The trial took place between October and November 2024, and in May 2025 the Estates Technical Sub-committee recommended the menu not be made permanent.

PBC claims that the Sub-committee compared sales data from October 2023 and October 2024 when making its decision. The resulting report shows that cafe sales declined by £1,100, but that there was “insufficient financial data” to determine the long-term viability of an exclusively plant-based menu.

The Sub-committee also states that new plant-based options developed during the trial will continue to be served, and that a fully vegan menu is still a possibility once the current supplier’s contract ends.

PBC argues that the Sub-committee was wrong to exclude from its calculations the first week of November, which saw the highest weekly sales that term, while including the first week of October, before term had started. The group claims that if the Sub-committee had used a different time frame, the results would have shown an increase in sales.

They also told Varsity: “Despite problems in the menu design, such as an over-reliance on ‘fake meats’, a clear majority of survey respondents, especially those that were students, preferred the fully plant-based menu.”

Survey data shows that of 173 respondents, 58% liked the menu, 36% did not, and 6% could not tell the difference.

The group claims that Director of Estates Graham Matthews responded to their analysis by stating: “We will not be opening this up for further discussion.”

PBC is the Cambridge branch of an international network present at 60 universities across Europe. The umbrella organisation, Plant Based Universities, was founded in 2021 at three UK universities, with the goal of turning the catering provision at these establishments 100% vegan.

PBC argues that transitioning to plant-based food would reduce greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural production and free up farmland for rewilding. In an open letter signed by 54 Cambridge academics last February, the group also cited the dangers of antibiotic resistance and zoonotic diseases as reasons for their campaign.

The petition follows the SU’s decision in October not to renew its support for transitioning to 100% plant-based provision across the University Catering Service, which operates cafés on Cambridge campuses. The SU instead voted to aim for 75% plant-based provision while prioritising more “important” sustainability issues.

The initial motion to support the campaign was passed in 2023 with the backing of 55% of the Student Council. In 2024, the SU decided by a single vote to transition to 100% plant-based food at its meetings and events.

Fergus Kirman, the undergraduate president at the time, urged members to oppose this second motion, arguing that the nutritional rules were “probably not supported by the majority of people we are supposed to serve”. The SU’s disability campaign also expressed concerns that a 100% plant-based menu would not be accessible to those with autism, sensory issues, or eating disorders.

Reacting to the petition, a spokesperson for the SU said: “The Whale Cafe trial was clearly flawed in a number of respects, but it still demonstrated the clear demand for plant-based options from students and staff across the University. We’re campaigning alongside Plant-Based Cambridge for a sustainable food system that works for everyone. As we move forward, our priority is ensuring that new environmental initiatives are fully accessible and leave no student behind.”

Regarding the SU’s decision, PBC commented: “All SU motions last three years, so the motion passed in February 2023 to support 100% plant-based catering naturally ended. Even with one fully plant-based venue, the University’s total proportion of plant-based foods would not be close to 75%, so there’s a lot of work to do.

“Accessibility has always been central to our campaign, which is why we passed a motion in 2023 specifically about ensuring the accessibility of any transition to plant-based menus. This was developed alongside what used to be the Cambridge SU Ethical Affairs Campaign.”

The group also rejects claims that operating a fully plant-based service would harm profits, noting that the Whale Café loses £40,000 a year with its current menu.

Anna, an MPhil student at Darwin who signed the petition, told Varsity: “It is a real shame that such a prestigious university, one that supposedly prides itself on its commitment to carbon reduction to achieve their goal of becoming ‘carbon zero’ by 2048, would decide to axe a fully plant-based menu […] Change takes time, and this menu would have been the start of a great change in attitudes towards plant-based foods within a university environment.”

The University of Cambridge was contacted for comment.