Core Legal Terms & Conditions

Updated 07/06/22

How These Terms Work

1. These terms form part of a legally-binding contract between you and River Cottage Limited (referred to in these terms as “RCL” – the words “we”, “us”, “our” and similar words also refer to RCL).

2. These terms apply when you buy something (whether that’s a product, a gift voucher, an event, or something else) directly from our website (www.rivercottage.net).

3. These terms don’t apply when you buy something from one of the other companies whose websites ours links to, for example Amazon, Teemill, or any of the partners on our “Partner Products” page – in those cases, that company’s terms apply instead and your contract is with them, not RCL.

4. Some of these terms apply to all purchases, but others only apply to certain types of purchase – the terms clearly say when they only apply to certain things. Also, some things you buy are covered by additional, separate terms – again, these terms clearly say where that’s the case.

5. By buying anything directly from our website, you are agreeing to these terms. Because we can change these terms from time to time, we do recommend that you print off a copy and keep them safe.

6. We want and expect you to be delighted with any purchase from RCL. If you have any complaints about any RCL events or products, please email us at events@rivercottage.net and give us the chance to investigate and, if relevant, try to put things right for you.

The Short Version

  • You should read all of these terms carefully (though you can skip any Specific Terms that don’t apply to what you’re buying).
  • By buying anything from our Website, you are making a contract with us. The main terms which apply to that contract (and which describe when that contract is formed) are set out here.
  • We will not always have to sell to you at the price shown on the Website, if there has been a mistake.
  • We limit our liability to you in certain ways.
  • You have certain rights to return or cancel your orders of physical Products bought on the Website – set out here.
Cancellation:

General Terms

7. The terms in this “General Terms” section apply to all purchases made on our website. If there is anything in the “Specific Terms” section below (including the separate terms referred to in that section) which conflicts with these General Terms, the relevant bit of the Specific Terms will apply instead.

Interpretation

8. In these terms, certain words and phrases have specific meanings:

  • Product means anything you buy directly from us on our Website, including events, courses, membership and gift vouchers.
  • Website means all pages at the domain www.rivercottage.net.
  • we, us, our or related words refer to River Cottage Limited.
  • you, your or related words refer to the buyer of a Product and, as relevant, anyone attending an event or course.

9. Any words following “including”, “includes”, “for example”, “in particular” or any similar expression are illustrative only and do not change the sense of the wider clause they are used in.

Eligibility

10. To be eligible to buy certain things from our Website you must be over 18 years of age. This will be made clear during the check-out process when it is relevant.

11. If you are placing an order from the Website you must:

a. provide your real name, phone number, email address, payment details including invoice address and other requested information;

b. where applicable, give us a delivery address (not a PO box number, hotel or other temporary accommodation address); and

c. possess a valid credit or debit card issued by a bank acceptable to us.

Making An Online Contract

12. Your order is an offer to buy from us. When you are placing an order, the following steps have to take place before a contract is made between us:

a. After adding what you wish to purchase to your “Basket” and entering your card details, you place your order by pressing the ‘Confirm and pay’ button at the end of the check-out process. Before placing your order, the check-out process will give you the opportunity to review and, if necessary, make amendments to the contents of your Basket.

b. You will see an on-screen acknowledgement of your order. You will receive a receipt for your payment and an email confirming your order for each thing you buy shortly after we receive payment from you (“Confirmation Email”).

c. We accept your order at the time you receive the Confirmation Email. Nothing that we say or do will amount to any acceptance of your offer until you receive the applicable Confirmation Email, at which point a contract will be made between us unless, before your receipt of the Confirmation Email, we have notified you that we do not accept your order.

13. We may decline your order for any reason, in which case you will receive an email telling you so. If the reason for declining your order is because we cannot obtain authorisation of your payment details for any reason, then we may invite you to pay by another method.

Prices and Payment

14. The prices for Products will be shown on our Website. We use our best efforts to ensure that the prices of Products are correct at the time of being uploaded to the Website. If we discover an error in the price of any Product(s) you ordered, please see clause 15 below for what happens.

15. Although we try very hard to ensure that all information on this Website is accurate, occasionally errors may occur. This is what happens if we discover an error:

a. If we discover an error in the description of a Product that you have ordered, we will let you know and ask whether you wish to continue with your order or cancel it.

b. Where the Website showed a price which was too high, we will charge the lower amount when dispatching the Product(s) to you.

c. Where the Website showed a price which was too low, and the pricing error is obvious and unmistakable and could have reasonably been recognised by you as a mis-pricing, we do not have to provide the Product(s) to you at the incorrect (lower) price. We will contact you as soon as possible to inform you of this error and we will give you the option of continuing to purchase the Product(s) at the correct (higher) price or cancelling your order. We will not process your order until we have your instructions. If we are unable to contact you using the contact details you provided during the order process, we will treat the order as cancelled and notify you in writing.

16. Prices for the Products may change from time to time, but changes will not affect any order which we have already confirmed with a Confirmation Email.

17. The prices for Products shown on the Website are inclusive of VAT and exclude the cost of delivery to you (where applicable). When ordering via the Website, you will see the total cost of your order in your Basket and also be given an opportunity to review and amend your Basket before you submit your order.

18. As stated above, the price of a Product does not include delivery charges. Our delivery charges will be added to the price and shown in the total during the check-out process. For non-UK orders you will need to contact us separately and we will tell you about the delivery charge as part of our response.

19. We currently accept payment for Products by the Visa and MasterCard. By placing your order, you confirm that the card that you use to make payment to us is yours and that you have authority to use that payment card.

20. We take payment from your card once your details have been processed, subject to card authorisation. If we are unable to supply the Product(s), we will let you know as soon as possible. We will give you a full refund if we have already taken payment for a Product that we can no longer supply.

21. Payment for the Products and all applicable delivery charges is in advance.

Exclusion and Limitation of Liability

22. There are certain liabilities which we cannot exclude by law and nothing in our contract with excludes or limits our liability for the following things:

a. death or personal injury caused by our negligence;

b. fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation; or

c. any other thing for which we are not legally allowed to limit (or try to limit) our liability or obligations to you.

23. You have certain rights as a consumer, including legal rights relating to Products that are faulty or not as described. Our terms already reflect those legal rights and nothing in our contract with you will reduce them. For further information about your legal rights, please contact your local authority Trading Standards Department or Citizens Advice.

24. We will not be responsible or liable for:

a. any losses related to any business of yours, including loss of data, profits, revenue, business, opportunity, goodwill or reputation, or business interruption; or

b. any losses which were not something we could have reasonably expected (as consequences of us doing anything wrong under our contract with you) when entering into that contract.

25. We will not be in breach of our obligations under our contract with you if we are prevented or delayed from complying with those obligations by:

a. anything you (or anyone acting on your behalf) does or fails to do; or

b. events or circumstances beyond our reasonable control (including fire, flood, extreme weather, bio-emergencies, strikes, trade disputes, lock-outs, restrictions of imports or exports, riot, accident, disruption to energy supplies, civil commotion, acts of terrorism or war).

Legal Stuff

26. When you buy Products on our Website, you enter personal details, both for yourself and, if relevant, for other members of your group. Please see our Privacy Policy for details of how we handle those personal details and your relevant rights. By entering personal details for your group members (if any), you are promising (in legal terms, you are warranting) to us that you have their consent to do that.

27. Some laws require that certain information or communications we send to you should be in writing. You agree that communicating with you by email, text message, notices on our Website or other text-based electronic methods counts as communicating with you in writing.

28. If any part of our contract with you is found to be unenforceable as a matter of law, all other parts of that contract are unaffected and will remain in force.

29. Any contract we form with you is personal to you. You may not assign, sub-license or otherwise transfer any of your rights under that contract.

30. Nobody apart from us and the buyer of a Product has any rights under this contract.

31. Our contract terms are available in English only.

32. English law applies to the terms of our contract with you, their subject matter and their formation, and the English Courts have exclusive jurisdiction over any disputes arising about those things.

Specific Terms

33. The terms in this “Specific Terms” section apply certain types of purchases only, as explained in more detail below. You can use the following links to jump to the terms of interest to you.

Physical Products

Spring Food Fair and the Festival

Other Events and Courses

Gift Vouchers

Membership

Competitions

Promotions

(A) Physical Products

Delivery

34. We deliver to the countries listed on this page. However, there are restrictions on some Products for certain international delivery destinations, which we address with you when you contact us to discuss a non-UK delivery.

35. If you order Products from the Site for delivery outside the United Kingdom, your order may be subject to import duties and taxes which are applied when the delivery reaches that destination. Please note that we have no control over these charges and we cannot predict their amount. You will be responsible for payment of any such import duties and taxes. Please contact your local customs office for further information before placing your order.

36. You must comply with all applicable laws and regulations of the country to which the Product(s) will be delivered. We will not be liable or responsible if you break any such law.

37. Delivery (where relevant) will be by Royal Mail or another reputable carrier on their standard days of business and during their normal posting hours.

38. We make every effort to dispatch Products within the estimated timescales; however delays occasionally occur due to unforeseen circumstances. If we have to delay dispatch or cancel the delivery of an order for any reason, we will try to notify you by email or via the Website as soon as we are able. We will not be liable for any delay or failure to dispatch or deliver the products within the estimated timescales. If (where delivery is relevant) we are unable to deliver any Product(s) within thirty (30) days of the date that you place your order, you may choose to cancel your order for the Product(s) in question (please see clauses 39 to 44 below for further details).

Returns / Your Right to Cancel

39. Clauses 40 to 44 below only apply to physical Products – different cancellation rights apply to events, courses, membership and gift vouchers.

40. These clauses 40 to 44 only apply to physical Products which you want to return even though they are not faulty. You have different (and more) rights to return faulty Products – please see clause 23 for how to find out more about those rights, if needed, and please contact us if you think any physical Product you have bought is faulty.

41. If you change your mind and want to return any physical Product, you can do this by returning it to us (as described in clause 42 below) within 28 days of when you receive it. You will be responsible for the postage costs of returning it to us, but you will be refunded any basic delivery charges you paid to us (so if, for example, you paid extra for express delivery (where available), you would only be refunded the standard delivery charge).

42. To return a physical Product as described above, you will need to:

a. fill in the returns form that was included with your Product (or, if you have lost that, you can download a copy here), complete with all relevant contact details – please note that this is not a legal requirement, but it will greatly help us to ensure that your return is processed without delay or problems;

b. include either the relevant Confirmation Email or the invoice that came with your order, as proof of purchase;

c. make sure that the Product is in its original packaging, complete with any tags and documents;

d. package the Product carefully for delivery; and

e. send it to: Advanced Card Bureau, Unit 1c, Gore Cross Business Park, Corbin Way, Bridport, Dorset, DT6 3UX.

43. It is up to you to make sure that any returned Product reaches us safely. We also recommend that you obtain proof of postage.

44. So long as you follow the above, and any returned Product is unused, clean and undamaged, we will refund you within 14 days of receiving it. We are allowed to reduce the amount of any refund if a returned Product shows signs of use, is not in its original packaging (complete with any tags and documents), is dirty or damaged, or is otherwise not in a condition which would allow it to be re-sold by us – the amount of any such reduction depends on the condition of the Product (and may result in no refund being given).

(B) Spring Food Fair and Festival

45. The additional terms which apply to our Spring Food Fair are set out here.

46. The additional terms which apply to our Festival are set out here.

(C) Other Events and Courses

47. The terms set out in clauses 48 to 71 below apply to Products which are courses or (unless other, event-specific terms say otherwise) events other than our Spring Food Fair and Festival.

48. We must receive payment in full from you and you must receive a Confirmation Email from us confirming your order before you or any of your party can attend an event or course.

49. All members in your party must be punctual to all events and courses. We may refuse you or a member of your party entry to an event or course if you or a member of your party is late. We reserve the right to only admit members of your party whose names you provided as attendees when you placed your order.

50. We will be entitled to require you to leave an event or course if in our reasonable opinion you behave in an unacceptable manner or are under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

51. You will be provided with our health and safety rules and other information by email before the event or course. You and all other members of your party must carefully read the information in that email. If there is anything you do not understand relating to that information, please contact us.

52. We offer events and courses to suit a variety of dietary requirements and these are specified on the Website. Please review these events and courses carefully to ensure they suit your and your party’s dietary needs because, by booking on to a particular course, you are confirming that it will indeed suit your and all your party’s dietary requirements. If you are unsure of whether a course is suited to your dietary requirements, please contact us.

53. You are advised not to bring any items of special or high value onto our premises. We do not accept responsibility for damage to or the loss of any personal possessions.

54. Except in limited circumstance as set out clauses 66 to 71 below, places for events and courses that you order from us are non-refundable. In particular, we will not admit anyone who has purchased a place for our events or courses from any source other than the Website. Any resale of or attempt to resell a place will result in your order(s) for the places being cancelled without notice.

55. You agree and acknowledge that:

a. Age restrictions may apply for certain events and courses. Please check the description for the event or course carefully before ordering.

b. Children under 16 years of age are the responsibility of their parent or carer and must be supervised at all times.

c. River Cottage HQ is a working farm and cannot accept responsibility for everyday risks and hazards, including electric fences, uneven paths and farm tracks, animal behaviour or deep water.

d. Cars parked are entirely at the owner’s risk. No responsibility can be accepted for loss of property or damage to vehicles whilst on site.

e. Dogs are not allowed on site (apart from assistance dogs, who must be suitably restrained at all times).

Our Rights to Cancel or Reschedule

56. We may cancel any event or course due to events or circumstances outside our reasonable control.

57. Although it is rare for us to do so, we may also reschedule any event or course at any time. We may also change the location or content of any course or event and/or substitute the teacher(s) for a course for another at any time.

58. If we do cancel, reschedule or make any changes as described in clauses 56 and 57 above, we will notify you by telephone or by email and will endeavour to do so as soon as possible after making those changes.

59. We will refund you the price of an event or course you have ordered or, if applicable, the affected part of it (for example, the cancelled day, or the place for the person no longer able to attend) if:

a. we cancel all or part of the event or course in accordance with clause 56 or, because a change to content of the event or course under clause 57 means that we are no longer able to accommodate your or your attendees’ dietary requirements;

b. you have informed us at the time of booking of your or your attendees’ special dietary requirements, but we have not notified you that the course you would like to book, is not actually suited to your and/or your attendees’ dietary requirements;

c. we reschedule or relocate all or part of the event or course under clause 57 and you are or any member of your party is unable to attend as a result of the rescheduling or relocation of the event or course.

60. We will not reimburse you for any travel or accommodation costs relating to a cancelled, changed or rescheduled event or course.

Your Right to Cancel – General

61. Our events and courses all involve accommodation, catering and / or leisure services and we hold them on specific dates. Consequently, the consumer right of cancellation does not apply to orders for these types of Products. You are therefore not entitled to cancel any of our events or cookery courses or to obtain a refund in respect of them if you no longer can or want to attend them.

62. However, in certain circumstances we permit you to transfer your booking to friends and family members or to transfer your booking to another course or event, as set out in clauses 66 to 71 below.

63. We strongly recommend that you obtain appropriate travel insurance prior to placing an order for any events or cookery courses to cover you in the event that you cannot attend an event or course for unforeseen reasons, for example due to bad weather, transport delays or cancellations, illness or bereavement. Some banks and payment cards automatically provide you with travel insurance cover – please check with your relevant insurance services provider(s) before placing an order with us.

64. To amend, cancel or transfer a booking for an event or course as described in clauses 66 to 71 below, please contact us as soon as possible. You will need to let us know your order number, contact details, the names of the attendees whose places you would like to transfer (or whether you would like to receive a gift voucher, where applicable) and details of the event or course to which you would like to transfer the place(s). As our administrative hours are 09.00 – 17.30, Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays), notice received outside these hours will be treated as received on the next working day.

65. The following terms apply to any transfer of a booking under clauses 66 to 71 below:

a. All transfers are strictly subject to availability.

b. If we grant a transfer request then you must re-book the relevant place(s) within one week of the date on which we grant the transfer for an alternative event or course. Failure to do this will mean you lose your original booking and your right to transfer it.

c. The alternative event or course must not be scheduled more than six months from the date your transfer was granted (and any reference below to a “date of your choice” or similar words is subject to this).

Your Right to Cancel – Wellness Retreat

66. The cancellation terms for the Wellness Retreat reflect the high-value and bespoke nature of that event.

67. If you cancel in writing at least 12 full weeks before the start of the Wellness Retreat, you can credit the price of your booking (minus a £25 administration fee) against the purchase of one or more other River Cottage courses, events or retreats. Details of how to use this credit will be given separately. No cash refund will be given.

68. If you want to cancel less than 12 weeks before the start of the Wellness Retreat, your only option is to transfer your booking into someone else’s name. That person must accept the same accommodation in your original booking.

Your Right to Cancel – Courses and Other Events

69. You can amend your booking for a course or other event (other than the Wellness Retreat) to a different date, for no additional charge, if we have received written notice at least 28 days before the start of the course and no charge will incur.

70. If you need to amend your booking for a course or other event (other than the Wellness Retreat) less than 28 days at least 7 days before the start date, you may transfer to a new date of your choice subject to an administration fee of £25.00.

71. With less than 7 days’ notice we can either change the name on the booking or we can attempt to resell your place(s). If we are successful in reselling your place(s) we can transfer your booking to a new date of your choosing, subject to an administration fee of £25.00, once the course or event has taken place. If we are unsuccessful in reselling your place(s) you will receive no refund or transfer.

(D) Gift Vouchers

72. Gift vouchers available for order on the Website can be purchased in printed form or as an electronic code which we send to the email address you specify. You will be presented with these options at the time you order your gift voucher. A printed copy of your voucher will be posted to your specified delivery address within three days of your order. Electronic codes are usually sent within twenty four (24) hours of your order. If you have not received your email gift voucher or code within the applicable period, please contact us.

73. A gift voucher can be redeemed online during the check-out process by entering the unique code which appears on your printed voucher or, if you’ve received your gift voucher, in the email with your voucher code that we send to you.

74. Electronic and printed gift vouchers are also redeemable at River Cottage restaurants. Gift vouchers must be presented to the restaurant at the time of purchase (in the case of electronic vouchers, please print the email we send to you containing the gift voucher code that you would like to redeem).

75. Gift vouchers cannot be exchanged for cash and are non-refundable.

76. You are not allowed to sell or trade gift vouchers without our express permission.

77. If any item purchased with a gift voucher is later refunded or exchanged for an item of a lower price, the refunded amount will be credited in the form of gift vouchers.

Validity

78. Gift vouchers are valid for a period of twelve months from date of purchase. Any remaining balance on a gift voucher can no longer be used after that.

Returns / Your Right to Cancel

79. When you place an order with us for a gift voucher, our service to you begins immediately after we send you a Confirmation Email because we will start taking steps to fulfil your order straight away, even though it may take a short while before the order is fulfilled. By accepting these terms, you consent to us commencing these services within the fourteen-day legal cancellation period and you acknowledge that you will not be able to cancel any order you place with us for gift vouchers once you have received a Confirmation Email.

(E) Membership

80. River Cottage no longer sells membership, but all existing memberships will continue to be valid until they expire. 

81. Your membership will be valid for one year starting on the date you receive your Confirmation Email.

82. We reserve the right to exclude certain specific events, courses and promotions from the membership discount.

Your Right to Cancel

83. When you place an order with us for River Cottage membership, our service to you begins immediately after we send you a Confirmation Email because we will start taking steps to fulfil your order straight away, even though it may take a short while before the order is fulfilled. By accepting these terms, you consent to us commencing these services within the fourteen-day legal cancellation period and you acknowledge that, except for the limited circumstances set out in clause 84 below, you will not be able to cancel any order you place with us for membership once you have received a Confirmation Email.

84. We acknowledge that some customers may order River Cottage membership at the same time as their booking for events or cookery courses in order to receive a discount on bookings in that order. Although unlikely, if we cancel all the discounted bookings in that order then we will, at your written request, also refund the cost of membership and any delivery charges solely relating to the delivery of your membership card to you.

(F) Competitions

85. Where we run competitions, the additional terms which apply are set out here. There may also be additional terms set out in the competition notice, advertisement or description, in which case those apply as well.

(G) Promotions and Sales

86. From time to time we (or others acting on our behalf) may run promotions, including discounted prices and promotional codes (which can be used on our Website to apply discounts or other offers). Where we do this:

a. any additional terms set out in the promotion description will apply;

b. unless the promotion terms say otherwise, a promotion cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotion, special offer or discount, including any Membership discount;

c. we are allowed to change or withdraw any promotion at any time (but this will not affect anything you have already purchased from us);

d. where you have paid for a discounted event or course and want to transfer to another, non-discounted event or course in accordance with clauses 66 to 71 above, you will have to pay the difference in price; and

e. promotion codes (or anything similar) cannot be exchanged for money.

f. We are within our rights to change the prices of our events. If the price of an event is reduced, we are not obliged to refund or recompense any customer who made an order prior to the reduction.

The Website is provided by River Cottage Limited, a company incorporated in England, whose registered office address is:

River Cottage Limited, Park Farm, Trinity Hill Road, Musbury, Axminster, England, EX13 8TB

RCL’s registered company number is 04821666 and VAT registration number is 892208315.

You can find a list of contact telephone numbers for River Cottage HQ and the River Cottage Kitchens on the Contact Us page.