Review: late-night takeaways

Gabi Gordon and Ellie Boyden discuss

If there is one area that students are resident experts in, it is thwarting regular eating habits. Late night snacks and midafternoon breakfastst are characteristic of this lifestyle, which parents may brand as unhealthy, but we prefer to think of as spontaneous, free from societal norms. But, arguably, the key feature of student food life is the takeaway.

The key feature of student food life is the takeaway

With nights out being a regular, even sometimes daily, occurrence for many students, it is not surprising that late-night takeaways attract flocks of hungry clubgoers in the early hours of the morning. It is a strange phenomenon that the money that students strive to save during the day is suddenly of no concern when standing before Paddy’s pizza menu, ready to seamlessly flush away substantial chunks of their loans.

When it hits club closing time at 2am, many people’s primary concern swiftly becomes scran. The subsequent swarm of students towards their chosen takeaways often results in queues and waiting times consistently passing the twenty-minute mark.

Why is it that club goers are so desperate for food after a night out? Scientists have partially explained the association between consuming alcohol and hunger, with ethanol directly a ecting the area of the brain, the hypothalamus, responsible for eating and desire. Thus, a long wait in a sweaty chippy may not be enough to deter drunken students, wishing the night to last that little bit longer.

We have observed that students often choose their takeaway location based upon fierce

Durham’s post-club food scene

think it well within our proficiency to impart our acquired knowledge; which Durham take-aways are worth the hype, wait-time, and price, and which should be avoided.

Why is it that club goers are so desperate for food after a night out?

loyalty, rather than logic. We have even seen this within our personal experience; one of us became genuinely angry (a rare occurrence we might add) when the other dared to suggest that Urban Oven’s cheesy chips rivalled those of Stanton’s, demonstrating how controversial the topic of takeaway food can be. So, what causes this intense patriotism?

Flush away substantial chunks of their loans

Preference of course also depends on your usual choice of food. Pizza fans may gravitate towards Paddy’s, cheesy chip lovers to Stantons, and chicken fanatics to Big Bird. However, we have tried to make some distinctions between these establishments based on various additional factors. As habitual post-clubbing takeaway fiends ourselves, we

As far as avoiding wait times and queuing, we find Claypath to be an e cient destination, as the queue is divided between the neighbouring takeaways, and you can assess which one has the shortest wait. Big Bird also has relatively speedy service, whereas the length of time in Paddy’s can sometimes feel like you’re sitting in some form of purgatory, not helped how steamy it is (and not in a good way).

The Stantons queue is also a place of utter anarchy; do not enter if you are not prepared to fight, with your elbows out, for your space – the lack of queue etiquette that some people display is simply shocking.

Price is also an important consideration, considering students’ income to debt ratio.

But finally, arguably the biggest factor in choosing your go-to takeaway is what scran they have to o er. Paddy’s objectively makes the best curly fries in Durham and is unbeatable in this respect. Both Stantons and Urban Oven make delicious chips and gravy, a combination that we wholeheartedly love and respect. Generally, the Claypath takeaways seem to o er greater variety on their menus, from staples such as pizzas and burgers to more niche options of jacket potatoes, so is maybe the place to go if you’re unsure of what you want and seek an impulse choice.