The food at the hilltop has been a long debated issue among the community. The largest criticism among the community is the healthiness of the food being at large, though the quality being unwell. Some Hackley faculty members speak of their discontent towards the warm food brought by FLIK, with the freshness of food being compromised over quality.

Since the start of the school year, chicken and rice has appeared 12 times on the Hackley lunch menu. Many members of the community were vocal about the quality of the meals too, with students stating that the pasta as a second option, is not the best either. 

Regarding the variety of foods on the menu, students’ number one answer was to add more variety among hot meals, and not just chicken and rice. 

Hackley faculty members have voiced concerns about the overall quality of food, noting a gradual decline over the years. Since the removal of sugary juices during lunch, Hackley has made efforts to transition towards a healthier meal plan. However, the multitude of chicken and rice as the primary offering raises questions about the school’s ability to provide a balanced diet. Meeting the goal of serving a healthy, nutritious meal for all students has become more challenging with such limited variety.

While the meal of chicken and rice accusing on the lunch line multiple times a week, many students aren’t eating a healthy balanced meal each lunch, a goal Hackley has had for many years. Instead of eating the provided FLIK lunch, students eat unhealthy foods such as Cup of Noodles, muffins, and donuts from the Tuck.

Another complaint amongst the community is the service of the food. The hotline during lunch can get to extreme lengths, measured during a slower lunch day, at around 16 minutes on the Upper School side line. People on the line also complained about how half the time the food is cold or room temperature due to the batches just sitting out, which means by the time you reach the bottom of the batch the food is often cold, a concern among the veggie sides and vegetarian option. 

However, the cold food doesn’t just apply to the vegetarian and sides, the main option is also often cold during the beginning of the lunch shifts. On Thursday, October 26th, 2023, the lunch was a Chicken and veggie rice bowl, where E-Pubs writers Raphael Saujet and Tyler Stern went in line to test how long the line was and if the food was hot, found how the food was just left out on plates ready to take, and was cold.

Hackley food has long been a debated issue among the community and the issues regarding lunch are clearly on many students’ minds across the community.