Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy describes how Speciality Cooking Supplies Limited ("Sous Chef," "we," "us") collects, uses, and shares your Personal Information when you visit or make a purchase from www.souschef.co.uk (the “Site”).

1. Our Privacy Principles

We are committed to protecting your privacy in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

  • Transparency: We process data fairly, lawfully, and transparently.

  • Purpose: We only collect data for specific, explicit, and legitimate purposes.

  • Minimisation: We only collect what is necessary.

  • Accuracy: We keep your data up to date.

  • Retention: We do not keep data longer than the 7-year period required for commercial and tax compliance.

  • Security: We use industry-standard security (SSL, Shopify Plus) to protect your information.

2. Personal Information We Collect

We collect information through three primary channels:

  • Device Information: Collected automatically via cookies (managed by Pandectes), log files, and pixels. This includes your IP address, browser type, and how you interact with the Site.

  • Order Information: When you make a purchase, we collect your name, billing/shipping address, email, and phone number.

  • Verification Data: For restricted items (e.g., knives), we collect data required to verify your age via AgeChecked.

Note on Payments: We do not store credit card details. Payments are processed securely via Shopify Payments, PayPal, ApplePay, or ShopPay.

3. How We Use Your Personal Information

We use Order Information & Verification Data to:

  • Fulfill orders: Shipping, invoices, order confirmations, and screening for fraud risk.

  • Legal Compliance: Verify your age for restricted goods (knives).

  • Marketing: When in line with the preferences you have shared with us, provide you with information or advertising relating to our products or services.

  • Communicate with you: Provide customer service support and assistance.

We use the Device Information that we collect to

  • Improve and Optimize Our Site by generating analytics about how our customers browse and interact with the Site; improve search result accuracy; personalise on site product suggestions

  • Marketing: Provide personalised product recommendations on the website and, if you have consented to this, via email; Assess the performance of our marketing campaigns; Provide tailored advertising on other websites based on your activity on our website.

3. Sharing Your Personal Information

We share your data with essential third-party "Processors" to run our business:

  • Logistics & Operations Platform: Shopify Plus. Warehousing: Rhenus Warehousing Solutions. Couriers: DPD, EVRi, DHL. Backups: Rewind. 

  • Marketing & Analytics Email/SMS: Klaviyo (with your explicit consent). Analytics: Google Analytics, Triple Whale, Convert.com. 

  • Loyalty/Reviews: Smile.io, Yotpo, Google Reviews.

  • Advertising: Meta (Facebook/Instagram), TikTok, X, Google Ads, Pinterest, Bing, PostPilot.

  • AI Automation: We use YumaAI to assist in responding to customer queries efficiently. While AI helps draft responses, you always have the right to request human intervention for any customer service issue.

  • Search & UX Search: Klevu, Product Recommendations: Frequently Bought With

  • Order Management: OrderEditing.

  • Customer Support & AI Support Desk: Gorgias & YumaAI.

Automated Processing Disclosure: We use YumaAI to process customer support inquiries. This involves automated analysis of your message content to provide faster resolutions. We do not use AI to make "legal" or "significantly impactful" decisions about you without the opportunity for human intervention. In accordance with UK GDPR, you have the right to contest any automated response and request a manual review by emailing hello@souschef.co.uk.

5. International Data Transfers

As we use global providers (such as Shopify and Klaviyo), your data may be transferred to and stored in the United States. We ensure your data remains protected by:

  • The UK-US Data Bridge: Using US providers certified under the UK Extension to the Data Privacy Framework.

  • Contractual Clauses: Using the UK International Data Transfer Agreement (IDTA) where required.

6. Retention Periods

We maintain a strict data retention policy:

  • Active Accounts: Data is kept while your account is active.

  • Inactive Accounts: We delete or anonymise customer account data after 7 years of total inactivity (no logins or purchases), in line with UK HMRC tax record requirements.

  • Marketing Data: Held until you withdraw consent or unsubscribe.

7. Your Rights

You have certain rights with respect to your Personal Information, including those set out below. .

Under UK law, you have the following rights:

  • Access: Request a copy of the data we hold.

  • Rectification: Correct inaccurate data.

  • Erasure: Request we delete your data (subject to legal retention requirements).

  • Object/Restrict: Object to processing based on "Legitimate Interests" or restrict processing.

  • Withdraw Consent: Unsubscribe from marketing at any time.

To exercise these rights, contact us at hello@souschef.co.uk.

Please note there are certain circumstances in which we cannot fully comply with your request, such as if it is frivolous or extremely impractical, if it jeopardizes the rights of others, or if it is not required by law, but in those circumstances, we will still respond to notify you of such a decision. In some cases, we may also need to you to provide us with additional information, which may include Personal Information, if necessary to verify your identity and the nature of your request.

8. Children’s Privacy & Age-Restricted Sales

Our Site is not intended for use by individuals under the age of 16. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children.

  • Age-Restricted Products: In compliance with the Offensive Weapons Act, we sell products (such as kitchen knives) that are restricted to persons over the age of 18.

  • Verification Data: When you purchase an age-restricted item, we share your data with AgeChecked to verify your age. If the system identifies a user as under 18 during a restricted sale, the transaction is cancelled. Any data processed during a failed verification is handled strictly to prevent unauthorised access to restricted goods and is not used for marketing.

  • Parental Rights: If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with Personal Information without your consent, please contact us at hello@souschef.co.uk. We will take immediate steps to delete such information from our systems.

9. Cookie Policy

We use cookies and similar technologies (pixels, beacons, and SDKs) to recognize your browser, analyze site traffic, and provide a personalized shopping experience. Our full list of cookies is shared in our Cookies Declaration.  

How we use Cookies:

  • Essential Cookies: Necessary for the website to function (e.g., Shopify’s shopping cart and security features). These cannot be switched off.

  • Performance & Analytics We use Google Analytics and Triple Whale to understand how customers use Sous Chef so we can improve the experience.

  • Marketing & Retargeting: These cookies (including those from Klaviyo, Meta, and TikTok) allow us to show you relevant products and ads on other websites.

  • Functional Cookies: These remember your preferences, such as items left in your basket.

Managing Your Consent: We use the Pandectes Consent Management Platform to give you full control over your privacy. When you first visit our site, you can choose to "Accept All," "Reject All," or "Manage Preferences." You can change your mind at any time by clicking the [Cookies Settings] link in our footer. Additionally, most web browsers allow you to block cookies via their internal settings. To find our more information about Cookies, including information about how to manage and delete Cookies, please visit https://ico.org.uk/for-the-public/online/cookies/.

You can also opt out of targeted advertising from all advertisers here: Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/settings/?tab=ads; Google - https://www.google.com/settings/ads/anonymous Bing - https://advertise.bingads.microsoft.com/en-us/resources/policies/personalized-ads 

10. Marketing Communications

We want to keep you updated on our latest ingredients and cookware through various channels. Our legal basis for doing so depends on the channel:

Email & SMS

  • Email: We use Klaviyo to send newsletters and offers. We use "Soft Opt-in" for customers who have purchased from us, provided they were given the chance to opt-out at the point of sale.

  • SMS: We only send SMS marketing if you have explicitly provided your mobile number and opted-in for this service.

  • Opting Out: You can unsubscribe from emails by clicking the "Unsubscribe" link in any footer. For SMS, you can opt-out by replying "STOP" to any message we send. Your opt-out will be processed immediately.

Print Marketing

  • Postal Marketing (Print): We have a Legitimate Interest in sending our catalogs and postcards to customers who have shopped with us. We share limited data (Name and Address) with our print partners, such as PostPilot, to facilitate this.

  • Your Right to Opt-Out of Print: You do not need to be an email subscriber to receive our print marketing, and you have the right to opt-out of physical mail at any time. To stop receiving print marketing, please email hello@souschef.co.uk with your name and address, or use the contact details provided in our mailings. We will process your request immediately, though please note that mailings already "in-flight" may still arrive within 21 days.

11. Legal Organisation Details

Speciality Cooking Supplies Limited (T/A Sous Chef) Access Storage Building, 15 Tottenham Lane, London N8 9DJ Company No: 7733151 | VAT No: 119 9376 77 Supervisory Authority: Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

12. Amendments

We may update this privacy policy from time to time in order to reflect, for example, changes to our practices or for other operational, legal or regulatory reasons. Last updated January 2026.