Crossword Genius

Recent arrivals sadly eat in kitchen at first (6)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

intake

'recent arrivals' is the definition.
(eg the new intake at a school)

'sadly eat in kitchen at first' is the wordplay.
'sadly' indicates an anagram.
'at first' says to take the initial letters.
The first letter of 'kitchen' is 'k'.
'eat'+'in'+'k'='eatink'
'eatink' with letters rearranged gives 'INTAKE'.

(Other definitions for intake that I've seen before include "new kids?" , "Group of new students" , "Number of people or things accepted or received" , "Place where gas or water enters" , "Body of new pupils" .)

I've seen this clue in The Times.
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