Refund, Returns & Cancellation Policy

Freshly prepared, chilled, frozen and other perishable food products are not eligible for change-of-mind returns, exchanges or refunds.

Once an order has entered preparation, been completed or dispatched, the sale will generally be considered final.

This applies to products including:

• ready meals;
• meal-prep products;
• family and catering meals;
• cooked meat, poultry, fish and seafood;
• roti and other freshly prepared breads;
• prepared rice, sides and sauces;
• chilled and frozen foods; and
• other products that are liable to deteriorate or expire rapidly.

We do not provide refunds or exchanges where a customer:

• changes their mind;
• orders the wrong item;
• no longer requires the order;
• orders more food than required;
• does not personally enjoy the taste, seasoning, texture or spice level of a dish;
• is unavailable to receive the delivery; or
• fails to follow the storage, refrigeration, freezing, reheating or consumption instructions provided.

This does not affect your rights where goods are faulty, damaged, unsafe, incorrectly supplied or otherwise do not meet the requirements of applicable consumer law.

Some non-perishable products may be subject to statutory cancellation rights for online purchases.

Where these rights apply, customers must notify us within the legally permitted cancellation period.

Products that have been opened, used, consumed or had a protective seal removed may not be eligible for return where they are no longer suitable for return for health protection or hygiene reasons.

Any product being returned must be kept in its original condition and packaging where reasonably possible.

This section does not limit your rights where a product is faulty, damaged, unsafe, incorrectly supplied or not as described.

If an item arrives damaged, defective, compromised, incorrect or otherwise materially different from what was ordered, please contact us as soon as reasonably possible.

For chilled, frozen or perishable products, we strongly recommend reporting the issue promptly after delivery because these products can deteriorate quickly and delays may make investigation more difficult.

We may ask you to provide:

• your order number;
• photographs of the affected product;
• photographs of the external and internal packaging;
• photographs of any damage;
• product labels;
• batch or date information;
• details of the delivery; and
• any other reasonable evidence required to investigate the issue.

Where appropriate, please retain the product and packaging until we have completed our initial review.

Do not consume any product that you believe may be unsafe.

Once the matter has been reviewed, we will provide the appropriate remedy based on the circumstances and your statutory rights.

This may include:

• replacement of the affected product;
• replacement of part of an order;
• account credit;
• a partial refund;
• a full refund; or
• another remedy required by law.

Where a customer is legally entitled to a monetary refund, Rae’s Food House will not require the customer to accept account credit instead.

Where appropriate, Rae’s Food House may offer a replacement or account credit as a resolution.

Account credit may be offered for:

• minor delivery issues;
• goodwill resolutions;
• isolated problems affecting part of an order;
• situations where a customer prefers credit rather than replacement; or
• other circumstances where credit is considered appropriate.

Credit may be applied towards a future Rae’s Food House purchase.

Any voluntary account credit offered outside a customer’s statutory rights is discretionary and may be subject to conditions communicated at the time it is issued.

Where applicable law gives a customer the right to a refund, account credit will not replace that right unless the customer agrees.

We use third-party delivery providers for some orders.

Where a courier delay occurs, please contact us so that we can investigate the delivery.

A delayed delivery does not automatically create a right to a refund.

We will consider factors including:

• the length of the delay;
• the type of product;
• whether the order was chilled, frozen or shelf-stable;
• the condition of the packaging;
• the condition of the product when received;
• available tracking information; and
• whether the product remains safe and suitable for its intended use.

Where an order arrives late but remains safe, suitable for consumption and otherwise in satisfactory condition, a refund will not normally be issued solely because the delivery arrived later than expected.

Where a delay results in the goods arriving damaged, unsafe, unusable or otherwise not in conformity with the contract, the appropriate remedy will be provided.

This may include a replacement, account credit or refund depending on the circumstances and applicable law.

If your tracking information states that your order has been delivered but you cannot locate it, please contact us promptly.

Before contacting us, we recommend checking:

• the delivery address;
• any nominated safe place;
• with other members of your household;
• with neighbours where appropriate; and
• with reception, concierge or building management where applicable.

We may investigate the matter with the delivery provider before determining the appropriate resolution.

Where an order is confirmed as lost or incorrectly delivered, we will provide an appropriate remedy in accordance with the circumstances and your statutory rights.

Customers are responsible for ensuring that all delivery information provided at checkout is complete and accurate.

Where delivery cannot be completed because an incorrect or incomplete address was supplied, access was unavailable, delivery instructions were inaccurate, or another issue within the customer’s control prevented delivery, Rae’s Food House may be unable to offer a refund for perishable products that have already been prepared or dispatched.

Where redelivery is possible, an additional delivery charge may apply.

This does not affect your statutory rights where the failure is caused by Rae’s Food House or the delivery provider.

Once food has been delivered, customers are responsible for following all storage and handling instructions supplied with the product.

Chilled products must be refrigerated promptly.

Frozen products must be transferred to suitable frozen storage promptly.

Products must be consumed, frozen, defrosted and reheated in accordance with the instructions provided.

Rae’s Food House is not responsible for deterioration caused by:

• incorrect storage;
• leaving chilled or frozen food at unsuitable temperatures;
• failure to refrigerate or freeze products promptly;
• incorrect reheating;
• cross-contamination after delivery;
• failure to follow instructions; or
• consumption after the stated use-by date.

This does not affect any rights relating to a product that was already defective, unsafe or non-conforming when supplied.

Food preferences are subjective.

Differences in personal preference relating to seasoning, spice level, sweetness, texture, richness, appearance or flavour do not, by themselves, mean that a product is defective.

We therefore do not provide refunds solely because a customer does not personally enjoy a dish.

This does not apply where there is an actual issue with the quality, safety, description or preparation of the product.

Customers are responsible for reviewing the allergen and dietary information made available before ordering.

Where a customer has an allergy, intolerance or specific dietary requirement, they should review the relevant product information carefully and contact us before ordering if further clarification is required.

Where Rae’s Food House supplies a product that does not correspond with allergen, ingredient or dietary information provided by us, please contact us immediately and do not consume the product.

Nothing in this policy limits our obligations under applicable food safety and allergen legislation.

Cancellation rights depend on the type of product ordered and the stage the order has reached.

For freshly prepared, made-to-order or perishable goods, cancellation may not be possible once ingredients have been allocated, preparation has begun, the food has been produced or the order has been dispatched.

Customers wishing to cancel an order should contact us as soon as possible.

Where statutory cancellation rights apply to a particular product, those rights will be honoured.

If Rae’s Food House is unable to fulfil an order and we cancel it, any amount paid for the cancelled goods will be refunded.

Where only part of an order cannot be fulfilled, we may refund the affected item or portion of the order.

Where appropriate, we may offer an alternative product, replacement or account credit, but the customer is not required to accept an alternative where a refund is due because we are unable to fulfil the order.

Catering, event, corporate and large-volume orders may be subject to separate booking, deposit, amendment and cancellation terms.

These orders often require advance purchasing, staffing, production planning and capacity to be reserved specifically for the customer.

Cancellation charges may therefore apply depending on how close the cancellation occurs to the agreed production or event date.

Any additional cancellation terms applicable to a catering or large-volume order will be communicated before or at the time of booking.

Meal-plan subscriptions and other recurring orders are subject to the applicable subscription terms, including payment dates, order cut-off times, menu-selection deadlines, pauses and cancellations.

Cancelling a subscription does not automatically cancel an order that has already passed its applicable cut-off point or entered preparation.

Customers should refer to the relevant subscription terms for further information.

Where a refund is due, it will normally be returned to the original payment method.

Once a refund has been authorised by Rae’s Food House, processing times may vary depending on the customer’s bank, card issuer or payment provider.

Any processing time imposed by a financial institution or payment provider is outside our control.

Rae’s Food House reserves the right to investigate claims where there are reasonable grounds to suspect fraud, misuse or abuse of our refund, replacement or credit process.

We may review relevant information including order history, photographs, delivery records, courier information and previous correspondence.

This does not restrict genuine customers from exercising their statutory rights.

If there is a problem with your order, please contact Rae’s Food House and provide:

• your name;
• order number;
• delivery date;
• details of the product affected;
• a clear description of the issue; and
• photographs or other supporting evidence where relevant.

We may request further information where reasonably necessary to investigate the claim.

Submitting a complaint does not automatically establish entitlement to a refund, replacement or credit. Each matter will be assessed based on the circumstances, the evidence available and the customer’s statutory rights.

Nothing in this policy excludes or limits any consumer right or remedy that cannot legally be excluded or limited.

Products supplied by Rae’s Food House must comply with applicable UK consumer law, including requirements relating to satisfactory quality, fitness for purpose and conformity with their description.

Where a product does not meet those legal requirements, customers may be entitled to remedies including repair, replacement, price reduction or refund depending on the circumstances and the applicable law.

Your statutory rights are not affected by this policy.

For questions regarding refunds, returns, cancellations, damaged products or delivery issues, please contact:

Rae’s Food House Ltd
Website: raesfoodhouse.co.uk

Please include your order number in all correspondence relating to an existing order.