Food Safety & Allergen Information

How food is prepared on CookVillage

Food listed on CookVillage is prepared by independent cooks and small food businesses (not by CookVillage itself). This means food may be prepared in domestic kitchens, shared kitchen spaces, or small commercial environments.

Domestic and shared kitchens may handle multiple allergens. Cross-contamination cannot be guaranteed to be absent, even where a cook takes care to avoid it. If you have a severe allergy, please reach out to the cook through the platform before ordering.

Cooks selling food through CookVillage are required to comply with applicable UK food safety, hygiene, and allergen regulations. This includes:

• registering their food business with their local authority
• holding appropriate food hygiene training or certification where applicable
• maintaining appropriate hygiene standards in their preparation environment
• accurately declaring allergens in their listings

CookVillage reviews compliance documentation as part of the cook onboarding process. Cooks on the platform have provided documentation confirming their compliance status.

However, CookVillage does not independently inspect kitchens, test food items, or verify every ingredient used. Responsibility for food preparation, hygiene, and allergen management rests with the individual cook or food business.

Allergen information on listings

Where cooks have provided allergen information, it will be displayed on the listing page. This information is provided by the cook and is not independently verified by CookVillage.

Allergen information provided by cooks may be incomplete or subject to change. Ingredients may vary, recipes may differ between preparations, and cross-contamination risks may exist in shared preparation environments.

If you have any allergy, intolerance, or medical dietary requirement, always reach out to the cook through the platform before placing an order.

Before placing an order, you can use the "Ask about this dish" option on any listing page to ask the cook specific questions about ingredients, preparation methods, and allergen risks.

Once an order is placed, you can use the messaging feature in My Orders to communicate with the cook about your requirements.

Customer responsibility

By placing an order on CookVillage, customers acknowledge that:

• food may be prepared in environments where allergens are present
• allergen information on listings is provided by the cook and may not be exhaustive
• customers with allergies, intolerances, or medical dietary requirements are responsible for raising these concerns with the cook before ordering
• CookVillage does not independently verify allergen information or kitchen environments

Reporting a food safety concern

If you experience a food safety issue or have a concern about food you received through CookVillage, please report it to us as soon as possible via the Contact page or through the support form in My Orders.

Serious food safety concerns may also be reported to your local authority's environmental health team.