School Catering
Cucina (pronounced "Cuchina") provide the catering service at Hampton College. Cucina have a unique and exciting approach to catering in school and offer an extensive choice of food of which 90% is freshly prepared on site every day. Students are able to see dishes being prepared in the open kitchen including homemade pizza served fresh from the pizza oven, fresh bread made on the premises daily and a wide variety of freshly prepared main meals, salads, sandwiches, fruit pots and desserts as well as mouth watering homemade muesli bars, cakes and muffins.
Following Natasha's Law, all wrapped products in the canteen are clearly labelled with a full list of ingredients and allergens. Allergen matrixes of allergens are held for all main meals and 'hand held' food items on request from Cucina staff.
Please find below links to our menus (on a three week cycle). In addition to the main menu offerings, there are also a range of promotions and special menus on offer throughout the year.
Cucina Tariff - September 2026
Meal Deal 2025 & Meal Deal 2025
Our excellent kitchen provider, Cucina, regularly produce some mouth watering dishes, which are enjoyed on a daily basis by both students and staff alike. A selection of the excellent food they offer can be found HERE.
Paying for School Meals
At Hampton College we operate a Cashless Catering service which allows students to purchase all food in our restaurant using a biometric system which will link to their own account. Funds can be added to student's accounts by using our Online Payment system, Wisepay.
To pay for your child's school meals using our Online Payments system, please click here
A guide on how to use Wisepay can be found HERE.
Students can also add cash to their accounts using one of the Cash Loaders which are located outside the Dining Hall. Cheques are also accepted and should be made payable to 'Cucina Restaurants Ltd'.
All student accounts are set with a Daily Spend Limit of £8. If you wish for this limit to be reduced, please email accounts@hamptonacademiestrust.org.uk providing your child's full name, tutor group and stating your preferred Daily Limit.
Wisepay App
Wisepay App FAQs - August 2021
Wisepay App User Guide - August 2021
Free School Meals
Cucina provide a varied and broad offering and are keen to provide a healthy, balanced meal for all students entitled to a Free School Meal. Their approach is to offer all those entitled to a Free School Meal the choice of any two items on the menu regardless of the cost even if this does exceed the daily Free School Meal allocation. There are some restrictions to this offer to ensure that students have a healthy meal for example they will not be able to have two cakes. Students will also be able to purchase the Meal Deals available daily using their allowance.
The purpose of the Free School Meal allocation is to provide a healthy balanced meal but we do know that some of our students choose to purchase their lunch at Break Time (for example when they have a lunchtime club). Students eligible for Free School Meals can therefore use their Free School Meal offering of any two items can be used at Break or Lunchtime.
All students will have a Cashless Catering account and students who are eligible for Free School Meals are able to add money to their account if they wish to buy additional items. Students can either purchase additional items in a separate transaction to their Free School Meal allocation or if three items or more are chosen together the most expensive two will be covered by their Free School Meal allocation and the cheapest item(s) will be charged to the students account. The Free School Meal allocation cannot be used across Break and Lunch; two items must be chosen together.
Free School Meal allowance menu guidance.
As of September 2026, the DfE are making changes to Free School Meals guidance. Transitional protections will end 31st August 2026.
Every family will have to be re-checked under the 2 new criteria for FSM entitlement. If your child has been receiving free school meals at their primary school, you will need to re-apply for Free School Meals (FSM) when they move to secondary school. From September 2026 onwards, to qualify for Free School Meals your household must be receiving Universal Credit to be entitled, regardless of the household income. There will be two types of Free School Meals:
· Targeted Free School Meals – for families under current £7,400 income threshold. This also helps schools receive extra funding (Pupil Premium).
· Expanded Free School Meals – for families receiving Universal Credit above the threshold. Children will still receive a free meal, but schools will not receive additional funding.
More information about how to apply will be sent by the school to parents’ week commencing 3rd August 2026. Please remember to check your junk folders in case it is recognised as a spam email.
Special Menu Theme Days
As well as offering the normal menu items, Cucina regularly put on special menu theme days which fit in with events happening in the world or things that are of interest to the students (Chinese New Year, American Independence Day, Pancake Day, Harry Potter, Fernando's). Cucina also involve themselves in curriculum events and will again put on special menu's to compliment these.
Foodie Group
The Foodie Group is made up of a small group of students from each year who meet at least once a term with Chef. Students are responsible for representing the rest of their year group and feeding back updates from the meetings. We discuss current offer, what students would like to see introduced and whether this is achievable while maintaining healthy eating and high standards and what other alternatives are available.
