Written by Saumya Singh
Where Nostalgia Meets Budget: Why Are LSE Students Swapping Coffee For SKVP’s Chai and Vada Pav?
A cup of soothing chai is home in a cup. For me, finding the flavours I grew up with makes the exhausting process of finding your footing at LSE just a little easier. When the term started last September, I felt like a first-year all over again, minus the energy and my companion chai.
In India, my undergraduate college was made bearable by this companion, infused with cinnamon, cardamom, and karak chaipatti (robust tea leaves). But at LSE, everything was new — from the country to the education system and even food choices. For two months, I relied on coffee because authentic chai was nowhere to be found. And it isn’t the same as ‘English Tea’: chai is a nuanced soul, where milk, spices, and tea are boiled together into one concoction.
Homesickness was setting in, and chai — omnipresent in India but nowhere on campus — only added to the impending sadness. It was on Student Hub that I one day came across the news that Shree Krishna Vada Pav (SKVP) was opening in the basement of the Garrick. A friend and I finally gave it a try last December. I ordered my first cup of chai at SKVP. Homesickness feels a bit less heavy with that warm cup in the cold weather of London, and the mornings when I started my classes without my cup of chai are officially over.
A taste of home on a budget
The vegetarian chain SKVP is the latest addition to LSE’s food scene, marking one of two new outlets to open on campus. For students already living on a tight budget, it is often cumbersome to find food options that don’t burn a hole in your pocket and at the same time have flavourful finesse to send you down memory lane.
“I used to go to Beaver’s Brew, where a coffee and snack would easily cost over six pounds. Now I have SKVP where the seating is better and the atmosphere is always lively with music and chatter,” Remi Kanji, a master’s student at LSE, tells The Beaver.
Skye* pointed out that scholarship students often operate under far stricter budgets than those who self-fund their studies.
“I have a daily budget of 20 pounds. Before SKVP, I used to bring lunch from home and if I forgot, I’d just have coffee because meals wouldn’t fit in my budget. Now, I can still get a homely Vada Pav or a bhaji plate on campus for under five quid,” Skye added.
The opening of the LSE branch in November 2025 was a calculated move by SKVP to grow its presence within university communities. Amrinder Singh, the branch manager, explains that the idea originated from hearing that students were vocal about wanting more budget-friendly food options on campus. Given the success of their other two university outlets, LSE was the natural next step for the brand.
“Children of owners’ friends have studied at LSE. They told us that the students often talked about how they wished there could be a place where they could get affordable fast-food options,” notes Amrinder. “We saw an opportunity and approached LSE and that’s how this outlet happened.”
From Chai to Dosa: India’s Street-side Food Meets the World
There is something infectious about the energy in the Garrick basement right now. Between the Bollywood beats and the smell of spices, the ‘Indian college canteen’ vibe is drawing in everyone and not just those who grew up with it. It’s turned a quick lunch break into a space where people stumble upon new favourites they didn’t know they were missing.
Mandavi, a master’s student in the Department of Sociology, laments that having a diverse range of food options plays a major role in catering to the global crowd on campus. “LSE Foods, understanding the needs of the student community and bringing in various restaurants on campus, often becomes a starting point where one can learn about various cultures and foods from around the world.”
For Danai Miserocchi, a Master’s Human Rights student, the discovery of SKVP happened during a twenty-minute lecture break. A friend mentioned she was going to get some chai. While Danai initially assumed she meant a standard chai latte, she realised her friend was heading to SKVP for authentic masala chai. “I didn’t know that we could get masala chai on campus! Since it is all vegetarian, I will definitely try other dishes.”
LSE alumni also seem to be finding SKVP a place where they can now bond with their group. Marc highlighted the value for money. “In Spanish, we have a phrase ‘Bueno, bonito y barato’ which means nice, pretty and cheap — that is what I’ll say for this place. And we are having a dosa!” says Marc, LSE Media and Communications alumnus.
Between lectures and deadlines, lunch time is where students find a breather and time to bond while having their meals. For me, it was the feeling of belongingness and nostalgia, but it is clear that amid rising living costs and academic pressure, a restaurant becomes appealing when it can be affordable without compromising flavour. The steady flow of students drawn to SKVP perhaps reflects a wider concern echoed across campus: price matters. While SKVP offers comfort through familiar tastes, it also prompted me to ponder a larger question: should other LSE cafés begin rethinking their pricing to better reflect the financial realities of student life?
*Names have been changed to preserve anonymity.
