The University of Birmingham has had its fair share of unusual student societies—including The Cheese Society and the Bad Film Society—but none of them has taken off in popularity like this one: UoB’s Meal Deal Society, dedicated to the nation’s humble favourite supermarket lunch.
The Meal Deal
It’s been a while since I was a student, but I don’t think I would’ve survived without a meal deal. Back then, it was just £3 for a sandwich, a packet of crisps and a drink, but even in this price-inflated landscape, it’s one of the best lunch deals you can find. And as always, what you choose says so much about you as a person.
The meal deal’s place as a modern-day zodiac chart or Myers-Briggs test cannot be denied: Are you an Innocent Smoothie or a Monster Energy? Walkers Ready Salted or a fruit pot? Sushi or just a ham sandwich? Combine its grip on the zeitgeist with its accessible price point, and it’s easy to see why students are obsessed.
Meal Deal Society
Are you surprised then that hundreds have now signed up to join the University of Birmingham’s Meal Deal Society? For the price of a meal deal (£3.85, and it even includes a free meal deal), UoB students can now become members and meet other like-minded meal deal lovers.
Meet-ups have already become a viral sensation. The first event drew more than 60 students to a Tesco in Selly Oak to discuss their preferred combos, but TikTok videos of the trip have attracted millions of views. The next event is this Thursday (October 29, 2026), and we’re expecting it to attract a lot more than that.
But from picnics to pub crawls, quizzes to scavenger hunts, and even collaborations with other societies, the Meal Deal Society isn’t just about bewildering local supermarket workers. It’s a relaxed society—taking any shape its members want it to be—and all about just bringing people together who “love a good deal”.
