Let them eat fruit: Manchester United close staff canteen in latest cost-cutting

Sir Jim Ratcliffe is to close the staff canteen at Old Trafford and replace the free lunches currently on offer with fruit, the Guardian understands.

The club’s largest single minority shareholder is also set to implement a similar move at United’s Carrington training base, with only players receiving lunch as gratis. The remainder of staff there will be offered soup and bread.

The staff canteen at Old Trafford, which usually opens from 11.30am to 1.30pm, is expected to be shut down at the end of the week. Employees gain entry via a pass that allows free hot meals and tea and coffee, with some soft drinks needing to be paid for.

Instead of lunch, fruit will be available for free for those working at the stadium. Casual matchday employees will continue to receive a packed lunch.

The decisions by Ratcliffe are his latest cost-cutting moves as the billionaire owner of Ineos seeks to make United a leaner operation that can again compete at elite level. The Guardian previously reported that the club’s scouting department of around 80 is to be considerably reduced.

Ratcliffe is also to make up to 200 more redundancies. At an all-staff meeting at Old Trafford at 2.30pm on Monday, Omar Berrada, the chief executive, is expected to outline the plan for the club moving forward.

United lost £300m in the past three years and will have to sell players to be able to markedly strengthen Ruben Amorim’s squad in the summer.

Manchester United declined to comment.