Privacy Policy

Privacy Policy

Effective Date: October 2026

Last Updated: October 2026

At The Savvy Caters, operated by The Savvy Trade Limited (“we”, “our”, or “us”), we are committed to respecting and protecting the personal data of our customers, website visitors, and trade clients.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, process, store, and safeguard your personal information when you visit or make a purchase from thesavvycaters.co.uk, in strict accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Data Controller Information

The Savvy Trade Limited is the designated data controller responsible for your personal data.

2. The Personal Data We Collect

We collect only the information necessary to provide commercial catering equipment, process payments, ensure freight delivery, and maintain account security:

  • Identity & Contact Details: First name, last name, trading/business name, invoice address, delivery address, contact email address, and telephone/mobile number.
  • Order & Transaction Records: Equipment purchased, order value, payment status, transaction identifiers, delivery notes, and shipping signatures. (Note: We do not store full payment card numbers; payments are tokenised and processed securely by third-party PCI-DSS compliant payment gateways).
  • Technical & Usage Information: IP address, browser type and version, time zone setting, operating system, device identifiers, and pages visited, collected automatically via server logs and essential cookies.
  • Communications Data: Any details or specifications you provide when contacting us via our website forms, email, or telephone.

3. Lawful Bases for Processing

Under the UK GDPR, we only process your personal information when we have a valid legal ground:

  • Performance of a Contract: Processing your name, delivery address, contact phone number, and payment details to fulfill your order, arrange freight dispatch, provide order tracking, and manage returns.
  • Legal Obligation: Maintaining accounting, invoice, and VAT records for HMRC and statutory corporate compliance.
  • Legitimate Interests: Operating, securing, and maintaining our e-commerce platform, preventing fraud, managing trade credit risks, and improving customer support.
  • Consent: Where you have explicitly opted in to receive email marketing newsletters or accepted non-essential analytical cookies via our on-site cookie banner. You may withdraw consent at any time.

4. How We Use Your Data

We process your data strictly for legitimate business purposes:

  1. Processing and dispatching orders, coordinating freight/courier logistics, and sending delivery updates.
  2. Managing accounting ledgers, generating VAT-compliant tax invoices, and preventing fraudulent transactions.
  3. Responding to pre-sales trade enquiries, quotes, and customer service requests.
  4. Monitoring website security, preventing malicious automated traffic, and ensuring server stability.
  5. Sending relevant trade promotional updates only if you have actively consented to receive marketing.

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal data to any third party for marketing purposes.

5. Third-Party Data Sharing

To fulfil your commercial orders and run our store, we securely share necessary data with vetted third-party service providers acting as data processors:

  • Logistics & Pallet Freight Carriers: National parcel couriers (e.g. DPD, DHL, Parcelforce) and pallet distribution networks to deliver equipment and contact recipients for delivery coordination.
  • Payment Service Providers: Encrypted, PCI-DSS compliant payment gateways to process transactions securely without storing raw credit/debit card numbers on our servers.
  • Website Hosting & Infrastructure: Managed secure web servers, database infrastructure, and transactional SMTP mail providers to dispatch automated receipts and tracking numbers.
  • Spam Prevention & Security Services: Cloud-based security tools (including Google reCAPTCHA) to protect web forms against automated bot abuse.
  • Professional & Regulatory Bodies: Accountants, legal advisors, insurers, or regulatory authorities (e.g. HMRC) where legally required.

All third-party processors are bound by data processing agreements requiring strict confidentiality and high data-protection standards.

6. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Our website uses cookies and similar technologies to ensure seamless navigation, remember shopping cart contents, and manage session security.

  • Essential Cookies: Necessary for the website to function (e.g. WooCommerce cart persistence, session management, security tokens). These cannot be switched off in our systems.
  • Analytics & Performance Cookies: Help us understand site traffic and usage patterns anonymously to improve navigation and catalogue browsing.
  • Managing Consent: We use CookieYes to allow you full control over non-essential cookies. When you first visit our site, you can accept, reject, or customise your cookie preferences via the consent banner. You can update your preferences at any time using the cookie settings link located in the website footer.

7. Data Retention & Security

  • Security Protocols: We implement technical and organisational measures—including 256-bit SSL encryption, firewalls, role-based database access, and secure socket layer transmissions—to protect your personal information against unauthorised access, loss, or disclosure.
  • Retention Periods: We retain personal data for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes outlined in this policy. In accordance with UK tax and company law (HMRC), order records, transactional receipts, and sales invoices are securely retained for a minimum of 6 years from the end of the financial year in which the transaction occurred. Non-transactional enquiries are retained for no longer than 24 months.

8. Your Legal Rights (UK GDPR)

Under UK data protection legislation, you have specific rights regarding your personal information:

  • Right of Access: You may request a copy of the personal data we hold about you (Subject Access Request).
  • Right to Rectification: You may request that incorrect, incomplete, or out-of-date personal information be corrected.
  • Right to Erasure (“Right to be Forgotten”): You can ask us to delete your personal data, subject to statutory retention requirements (such as HMRC financial records).
  • Right to Restrict or Object to Processing: You may object to the processing of your data for direct marketing or where we rely on legitimate interests.
  • Right to Data Portability: You can request the transfer of your provided data to you or another service provider in a structured, machine-readable format.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at info@thesavvycaters.co.uk. We respond to all verified requests within one calendar month, free of charge.

If you believe we have not handled your personal data appropriately, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK supervisory authority:

Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO): ico.org.uk | Helpline: 0303 123 1113.

9. Updates to This Policy

We may periodically revise this Privacy Policy to reflect operational, legal, or regulatory changes. Any updates will be published directly on this page with an updated revision date.

10. Contact Us

For questions regarding this Privacy Policy, your rights, or our data handling practices: