Privacy Policy

Last Updated: June 2025

At The Chef Stage, we are committed to protecting your privacy. This policy explains how we collect, use, and protect your personal information when you visit our website, interact with our content, or purchase our products and services.

1. Who We Are

The Chef Stage is a Scottish food media platform that connects food lovers with the best of Scotland’s culinary culture through recipes, stories, videos, and online cooking courses. We are passionate about quality, sustainability, and supporting small food businesses.

2. What Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide Voluntarily

Name, email address, and contact information when you:
- Sign up for our newsletter
- Purchase a course or product
- Fill out a form or questionnaire
- Enter a competition or giveaway
- Submit feedback or testimonials

2.2 Payment Information

When you make a purchase, we collect billing details. Payments are securely processed by a third-party payment providers, and we do not store your full payment card details.

2.3 Technical Data

Information collected automatically when you visit our site:
- IP address
- Browser type
- Device information
- Pages visited and time spent on the site

We use cookies and similar tracking tools for analytics, performance, and functionality (see our Cookie Policy).

3. How We Use Your Information

We use your data to:

Deliver and improve our services and website
Process orders and provide customer support
Send newsletters, course updates, and relevant offers (with your consent)
Feature your business in content, if you opt in to a Spotlight Feature
Understand usage trends and improve user experience
Comply with legal obligations

4. Legal Basis for Processing

We process your personal data under the following legal bases:

Consent – for newsletters, offers, and marketing communications
Contract – to provide services you've purchased or signed up for
Legitimate Interests – to improve our services, analyse user behaviour, and grow our business
Legal Obligation – to comply with tax and other regulatory requirements

5. Sharing Your Information

We will never sell your data. We may share your information with trusted third parties, including:

Service providers (e.g. email newsletter software, payment processors)
Video platform hosts and course delivery tools
Marketing and analytics providers (e.g. Google Analytics, Meta)
Legal or regulatory authorities if required by law

6. Data Retention

We only keep your data for as long as necessary:

Email and marketing preferences are reviewed annually
Purchase data is retained for 6 years for tax compliance
Course access data is kept while your subscription or account is active

You can request deletion at any time unless we are legally required to retain it.

7. Your Rights

Under UK GDPR, you have the right to:

Access your data
Correct inaccurate information
Request deletion of your data
Object to or restrict processing
Withdraw consent at any time
Lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO)

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at hello@thechefstage.com

8. Marketing Preferences

We’ll only send marketing emails if you’ve opted in. You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in our emails or emailing us directly.

9. Data Security

We use secure servers, encryption, and industry-standard protections to safeguard your data. However, no online transmission is 100% secure, so we encourage strong password use and cautious sharing of personal data.

10. International Data Transfers

We may use providers outside the UK (such as US-based email platforms). When we do, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, such as Standard Contractual Clauses.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy from time to time. The latest version will always be published on this page with the updated date. Please review it periodically.

12. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this policy or how we handle your data, please contact us at:

Website: www.thechefstage.com/contact