Lunches
We pride ourselves in serving the best meals possible to our students, offering them the best value for money around.
Our catering offer is managed by Taylor Shaw.
Every day we offer:
- a selection of hot meals. The menu changes each day
- a selection of fresh sandwiches and salads
- marinated halal chicken wraps
- pizza slices
- pasta with a selection of hot sauces
- fresh fruit
- a range of healthy drinks
All our meals are nutritionally analysed to help our students make informed choices about healthy eating.
Halal meals are cooked separately to avoid contamination and are clearly labelled on the menu.
A vegetarian main meal and a vegetarian pasta choice are available every day, as well as a selection of vegetarian sandwiches.
Great Value Meal Deal
We offer three meal deals:
Main meal deal - £2.60 - includes 3 items: hot dish of the day, cookie, and a bottle of water / 125ml Radnor fruits.
Pizza meal deal - £2.55 - includes a slice of pizza, cookie and 125ml Radnor fruits.
Sandwich meal deal - £2.41 - includes a simple sandwich, cookie and 125ml Radnor fruits
Healthy Eating Promotion
Eatuitive is our wellness initiative designed to help students make informed food choices that support healthier, more fulfilling lives. It provides engaging information and video content created by Registered Dietitians, ensuring students receive accurate, trustworthy advice, avoiding reliance on misleading information often found on social media.
Theme Days
Keep an eye out for our regular Theme Days and Global Kitchen Pop-Ups, featuring exciting flavours from around the world.
Allergen Management
At Taylor Shaw, all our colleagues are trained and up to date with allergen procedures and will provide accurate allergen information to your child. If your child has allergies, we would ask that they speak to our server for information so that they can be provided with the information they need to make an informed and safe choice.
Eating a School Lunch is Better for Your Child
Did you know only 2% of packed lunches meet the nutritional standards that currently apply to school food? Five reasons school lunches are better;
1. They save time and money
2. They’re nutritionally better than a packed lunch
3. They promote a varied diet and encourages new tastes
4. They support inclusivity, dining with friends
5. They help academic attainment by being linked to improved concentration
Meal times
Breakfast is available to students before the start of their school day, for any students who wish to join us.
Students will then have a 20 minute break time (where they can purchase drinks and snacks) and a 40 minute lunch time.
How to pay
Lunch transactions are recorded electronically. Parents and carers are able to see their child’s balance and transactions using Arbor. Arbor also allows parents and carers to top up their child’s account using online payments.
Please note: Co-op Academy Manchester became a cashless site from Easter 2025. All lunch payments need to be made via Arbor.
Web portal ➡️ coopmanchester.uk.arbor.sc or
Download the app for iOS (Apple/iPhone) | download the app for Android (Google Play Store)
Where a child is entitled to Free School Meals, their allowance is added each day and must be used that day. The allowance is sufficient for a meal deal at lunchtime and a snack or a small drink at break time.
Please note that it is possible for children on Free School Meals to exceed their allowance and purchase additional items. Parents and carers are welcome to add additional funds to their child’s account to supplement the Free School Meals allowance.
Parents & carers are responsible for any debts incurred for break / lunch food items purchased. They are expected to ensure that student accounts have adequate funds to purchase food on a daily basis. If you do not want us to give food items to your child if they have insufficient funds, please contact us on manc-lunches@coopmanchester.co.uk .
It parents & carers' responsibility to teach financial responsibility to their child. We advise that parents and carers set clear expectations on how their child should buy items in the diner.
The academy maintains the right to implement a zero debt policy at a later date.
If you have any queries about the charges on your Arbor pay account regarding student meals please contact manc-lunches@coopmanchester.co.uk
Free dinners
Your child may be able to get free school meals if you get any of the following:
- Income Support
- income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
- the guaranteed element of Pension Credit
- Child Tax Credit (provided you’re not also entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190)
- Working Tax Credit run-on - paid for 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit
- Universal Credit - if you apply on or after 1 April 2018 your household income must be less than £7,400 a year (after tax and not including any benefits you get)
Children who get paid these benefits directly, instead of through a parent or guardian, can also get free school meals.
If your child is entitled to free school meals, you first need to apply for this.
Not currently receiving free school meals for all/any of your children?
If you have a child who is not currently receiving Free School Meals who you think may be eligible please use the following link to make an online claim: pps.lgfl.org.uk/
Your application will be checked by the national Eligibility Checking System (ECS) and you will receive an instant online decision. When completing your application please remember to enter a valid e-mail address and/or telephone number so that any queries can be resolved quickly.
Free School Meals eligibility starts from the date that you are notified by the ECS. Until that time, you will need to provide your child(ren) with a packed lunch or add money to their catering account.
Due to the transitional protection, younger children starting school after 1 April 2018 will not automatically qualify for Free School Meals just because their older siblings are receiving Free School Meals. A new application will need to be made for any children not currently on Free School Meals. More than one child can be included in each application.
Further information regarding Free School Meal eligibility can be found on the Manchester City Council website here: Free school meals | Free School Meals | Manchester City Council
What are the benefits of claiming free school meals?
School meals are a good way to ensure that your child eats well at lunchtime, and they can also save you time and money.
Claiming free school meals also helps the school. We get extra funding, known as the ‘pupil premium’, for every eligible pupil who is registered.
Providing feedback on our catering service
Our catering offer is managed by Taylor Shaw.
If you have any feedback on our catering service, we would really like to hear from you. If you would like a response to your feedback, don't forget to include your email address.