Privacy Policy

Last updated: 16 May 2026

Side Order Catering ("we", "us", "our") is committed to protecting your privacy. This policy explains what personal information we collect, how we use it, and your rights under UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.

If you have any questions about this policy or how we handle your data, you can contact us at mike@sideordercatering.co.uk at any time.

Who we are

Side Order Catering is a private chef and catering business based in Northamptonshire, operated by Mike Brookes. We provide private dining, wedding catering, and buffet services across Northamptonshire, Leicestershire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Cambridgeshire.

For the purposes of UK GDPR, we are the data controller for any personal information you provide.

What information we collect

We only collect information that you give us directly. This includes:

  • Your name and email address when you sign up to receive our brochure or newsletter

  • Event details when you enquire about catering (such as date, number of guests, venue, dietary requirements)

  • Phone number if you provide one as part of an enquiry

  • Any other information you choose to share with us when contacting us

We do not collect sensitive personal data unless you specifically provide it (for example, allergy or dietary information needed to plan a safe menu for your event).

How we use your information

We use your information only for the purposes you'd expect:

  • To send you the brochure you requested

  • To respond to your enquiries and discuss your event

  • To plan and deliver your catering if you book with us

  • To send occasional follow-up emails about our services, seasonal menus, or availability — only if you've opted in by requesting the brochure or joining our mailing list

  • To keep records of bookings for tax and accounting purposes

We will never sell your information to third parties or use it for purposes you haven't agreed to.

Legal basis for processing

Under UK GDPR, we rely on the following legal bases:

  • Consent — when you sign up for our brochure or newsletter

  • Legitimate interests — to respond to enquiries and provide quotes

  • Contract — to deliver catering services you've booked

  • Legal obligation — to keep financial records as required by HMRC

Who we share your information with

We use a small number of trusted service providers to run our business. These include:

  • MailerLite (mailerlite.com) — our email marketing platform, which stores your email address and sends you the brochure and any follow-up emails. MailerLite is GDPR-compliant and acts as our data processor.

  • Squarespace (squarespace.com) — our website host, which may collect basic analytics about site visits.

  • HMRC — we share booking and financial records as required by law for tax purposes.

We will never share your personal information with any third party for marketing purposes.

How long we keep your information

  • Mailing list contacts: We keep your email address until you unsubscribe. You can unsubscribe at any time using the link at the bottom of any email we send you.

  • Enquiries that don't lead to bookings: We keep these for up to 12 months in case you come back to us.

  • Booking records: We keep these for 6 years to meet HMRC requirements.

Your rights

Under UK GDPR you have the right to:

  • Access the personal information we hold about you

  • Correct any information that's wrong or out of date

  • Delete your information (the "right to be forgotten")

  • Object to how we use your information

  • Withdraw consent at any time, for example by unsubscribing from our emails

  • Receive a copy of your data in a portable format

  • Complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk if you believe we've mishandled your data

To exercise any of these rights, just email mike@sideordercatering.co.uk and we'll respond within 30 days.

Cookies

Our website uses a small number of cookies provided by Squarespace to make the site work properly and to give us basic visitor analytics (such as how many people visited each page). We do not use advertising or tracking cookies. You can disable cookies in your browser settings if you prefer.

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. The date at the top shows when it was last revised. If we make significant changes, we'll let our mailing list know by email.

Contact us

If you have any questions about this privacy policy, your data, or anything else, please get in touch:

Mike Brookes Side Order Catering Email: mike@sideordercatering.co.uk Phone: 07709 037 237