At the heart of GORSE Kitchen is a simple ambition: to provide good-quality, nutritious food that students enjoy, served by catering teams who are an important part of our academy communities.

We know that good food matters. It supports our students through a busy academy day and provides an important opportunity to come together, enjoy a meal and make positive choices.

Our menus have been developed to offer choice, variety and value, balancing nutritious meals with familiar favourites. Students will be able to choose from hot meals, lighter dishes and convenient grab-and-go options, alongside vegetarian and plant-based choices.

GORSE Kitchen launched in September 2026. Listening to our students and using their feedback to help shape future menus and the wider catering offer is a key commitment.

Our aim is for GORSE Kitchen to provide high-quality, nutritious food that represents good value for families.

The daily allowance for students entitled to free school meals is £2.66 a day.

We are a cashless academy and Parent Pay is the only accepted method of payment.

ParentPay is easy to use and will offer you the freedom to make online payments whenever and where ever you like, safe in the knowledge that the technology uses the highest internet security available and that funds reach school safely.

To activate your account please login to www.parentpay.com.

Students who are eligible for Free School Meals will continue to be able to access their entitlement through GORSE Kitchen. If you think your child may be eligible for Free School Meals, further information about eligibility and how to apply can be found here.

The Ruth Gorse Academy is proud to be in partnership with Magic Breakfast, providing healthy breakfasts to our pupils so that they are settled and ready to learn.

Magic Breakfast provides The Ruth Gorse Academy with nutritious breakfast food to ensure children start their school day in the best possible way. Breakfast gives children the energy needed for the busy school morning, enabling them to focus on their lessons.

Here at The Ruth Gorse Academy we have made a commitment to ensuring no child is too hungry to learn.

The safety of our students is fundamental to GORSE Kitchen. We have clear procedures in place to support the safe management of food allergies and dietary requirements. Each of our dishes is clearly labelled with its allergen content, and a full allergen matrix will be displayed at every service point. If you have a food allergy, intolerance or dietary requirement, please speak to a member of our catering team before making your selection. They will be happy to provide further information and help you make an informed and safe choice. If you are unsure, please always ask – never assume.

We recognise that some students have more complex allergies, intolerances or medical dietary requirements. Where a specialist diet is required, we will work with families and academy colleagues to understand the student’s individual requirements and determine the appropriate arrangements.

Families have an important role to play and must ensure that the academy holds complete and up-to-date information about their child’s allergies or dietary requirements. Any changes should be shared with the academy promptly.

To tell us about an allergy, intolerance or medical dietary requirement, please contact: [email protected]

Students with food allergies should never take a risk if they are unsure whether a particular item is suitable for them. Our catering colleagues are there to help and students should always ask before making their selection.