Privacy, Data Protection & Cyber Security Policy

About Us

The Butter Co is a trading brand of The Prepared Chef Ltd.

The Prepared Chef Ltd manufactures premium compound butters, prepared foods and bespoke food products for the hospitality, foodservice, wholesale and retail sectors.

This Privacy, Data Protection & Cyber Security Policy applies to information collected through The Butter Co website and explains how The Prepared Chef Ltd collects, uses, protects and manages personal information.

We are committed to protecting the confidentiality, integrity and availability of all information entrusted to us by our customers, suppliers and business partners.

Information We Collect

Depending on how you interact with us, we may collect:

• Name
• Company name
• Job title
• Email address
• Telephone number
• Business address
• Details contained within enquiries
• Quotation and order information
• Delivery information
• Website usage information such as IP address, browser type and pages visited (where analytics are enabled)

We only collect information that is necessary to operate our business and provide our products and services.

How We Use Your Information

We may use your information to:

• Respond to enquiries
• Prepare quotations
• Process customer orders
• Arrange deliveries
• Provide customer support
• Improve our products and website
• Meet legal and regulatory obligations
• Maintain the security of our business systems
• Prevent fraud and misuse of our services

We will never sell your personal information.

Legal Basis for Processing

We process personal data where:

• It is necessary to fulfil a contract.
• It is necessary for our legitimate business interests.
• We are required to comply with legal obligations.
• You have provided consent where required.

Marketing Communications

Where appropriate, we may occasionally send information regarding new products, seasonal ranges or company news.

You can opt out of marketing communications at any time.

Supplier & Customer Confidentiality

Many of our customers trust us with confidential commercial information, product specifications, recipes, product development projects and other proprietary information.

We treat this information as confidential and only share it with authorised personnel where necessary to fulfil our contractual obligations.

Protecting customer confidentiality forms an important part of our business operations.

Sharing Information

We may share information with trusted third parties where necessary, including:

• Delivery and logistics providers
• Payment providers
• Professional advisers
• IT support providers
• Website hosting providers
• Regulatory authorities where legally required

We only share the minimum information necessary for the relevant purpose.

Data Security

Protecting information is fundamental to our business.

We maintain appropriate technical and organisational measures designed to protect information against unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration or destruction.

These measures include:

• Secure encrypted website connections (HTTPS)
• Password-protected business devices
• Secure cloud-based systems
• Multi-factor authentication where appropriate
• Controlled access to customer information
• Regular software and security updates
• Anti-virus and malware protection
• Secure backups of business-critical information
• Ongoing monitoring of business systems
• Staff awareness of cyber security and data protection responsibilities

While no internet-based service can guarantee complete security, we continually review and improve our security practices.

Our Cyber Security Commitment

Cyber security is an integral part of how we operate. We are committed to:

• Protecting customer, supplier and employee information.
• Maintaining secure IT systems and infrastructure.
• Applying software updates and security patches promptly.
• Maintaining secure data backups.
• Using reputable technology providers.
• Restricting access to sensitive information.
• Investigating and responding promptly to suspected security incidents.
• Continually reviewing and improving our cyber security controls.

Data Retention

We retain personal information only for as long as necessary to:

• Provide our products and services.
• Fulfil contractual obligations.
• Comply with legal and regulatory requirements.
• Resolve disputes.
• Maintain appropriate business records.

When information is no longer required, it is securely deleted or anonymised.

Your Rights

Under UK GDPR you have the right to:

• Right of access — to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• Right to rectification — to ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
• Right to erasure — to request deletion where appropriate.
• Right to restrict processing — to ask us to limit how we use your data.
• Right to data portability — to receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format.
• Right to object — to object to processing based on legitimate interests or for direct marketing.
• Right to withdraw consent — where processing relies upon consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at info@thepreparedchef.co.uk. Requests will be handled in accordance with applicable legislation. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).

Cookies

Our website may use cookies to improve functionality, analyse website performance and enhance the visitor experience.

Where required by law, visitors will be asked for consent before non-essential cookies are placed on their device. You can withdraw consent or manage your cookie preferences at any time by clearing your browser cookies and revisiting the site, or by contacting us directly.

Third-Party Websites

Our website may contain links to external websites. We are not responsible for the privacy or security practices of third-party websites and encourage users to review their policies before providing personal information.

Changes to this Policy

This policy may be updated from time to time to reflect changes in legislation, technology or business practices. The latest version will always be published on this website.

Contact

If you have any questions regarding this policy or how we process your information, please contact us using the contact details provided on this website.

If you are not satisfied with our response, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk.