Skip to content
Our Cheshire Shop is open pop in and see us, or Order Online. Find out more >
Our Cheshire Shop is open pop in and see us, or Order Online. Find out more >

Delivery & Returns

  • We ship Monday to Friday, but NO fresh or frozen orders will be posted on a Friday. We don’t ship on Bank Holidays and Public Holidays.
  • Orders containing chilled or frozen items placed after 12 noon on a Thursday will be held and shipped on Monday. 
  • If your order contains a 'bulk butter',  we will hold your order and notify you of the postal date via email.
  • Deliveries are fulfilled in the order they are received.
  • Postage costs will be displayed at check out. 
  • Parcelforce 24hr delivery means the parcel should reach its destination the day after it is collected from us, depending on your location. 

The cut-off time for our courier collection is 12 noon. Any order received after this time will be packed and processed the next day wherever possible. We aim to dispatch all orders within 1-3 working days of receipt. Perishable items will be sent with a date of 1 week or more from the date of shipment.

Parcelforce 24hr delivery means the parcel should reach its destination the day after it is collected from us, depending on your location. Please see Parcelforce's website for more details. This service does not include Saturday or Sunday delivery, so orders posted on a Friday should reach you on a Monday.  Parcelforce say in their "terms and conditions" that unforeseen circumstances can very occasionally result in a delivery taking a little longer.

All postal orders are carefully picked and packaged in our shop by a member of our team. Our packages are not always the prettiest, because to avoid introducing more packaging in to the environment, we aim to re-use packaging wherever possible. 

Any chilled items not posted on the 24hr service will be at your own risk. We will always include chill packs and some insulation in your parcel.

Placing frozen goods into your freezer on delivery will be at your own discretion. 

For all UK orders

(All parcel weights mentioned here are inclusive of the packaging needed to keep your goods safe during delivery.)

(Excluding the Highlands and Islands, Northern Ireland, Isle of Man and the Isles of Scilly)

  • Small parcels up to 1kg are sent by Royal Mail 1st class. Royal Mail expect to get the parcel to you within 1 working day of posting, but they do not guarantee this. We keep proof of posting. Chilled and frozen items on this service will be at your own risk.
  • We offer a 2nd class Royal Mail postage rate for items up to 2kg in weight. Royal Mail aims to deliver your parcel within 2–3 working days, but they do not guarantee this. We keep proof of posting. Chilled and frozen items on this service will be at your own risk - we do not recommend this service for these items.
  • Larger parcels over 1kg and up to 28kg are sent by Parcelforce 24hr signed for service. This is the next working day after dispatch in most parts of the UK, but some areas of the country this maybe a little longer please see their website for more details. (please see above about chilled and frozen and carrier cut-off time).
    • By providing your mobile number at check out, you will receive and interactive text message including a timed delivery slot on the morning of your delivery.
    • All customers will receive an email from Parceforce providing their tracking ID. This can be used on their website to track your parcel live on the day of your delivery. 

Orders above 28kg total weight will be delivered in separate packages.

Any chilled or frozen items not posted on the listed 24hr service will be at your own risk. We will always include chill packs and some insulation in your parcel. Placing frozen goods into your freezer on delivery will be at your discretion.

 

Highlands and Islands 

 We again use Royal Mail for small parcels, as above. 

 Larger packages have several options:-

  • Parcelforce signed for - (1kg-28kg)
  • Royal Mail 1 day parcel deliver, signed for (1kg-5kg) size restrictions apply
  • Royal Mail 1 day parcel delivery, signed for (5kg-10kg) size restrictions apply 

Parcels need to be signed for, unless you have given instructions at checkout for the package to be left in a safe place, at your own risk. Please note this is always at the drivers discretion. 

Any chilled and frozen items not posted on the Parcelforce 24hr service will be at your own risk. We will always include chill packs and some insulation in your parcel. Placing frozen goods into your freezer on delivery will be at your discretion.

Surcharges apply for some addresses. We will inform you.

 

Isle of Man, the Isles of Scilly and Northern Ireland 

We use Royal Mail for small packages, as above.

Larger packages have several options:-

  • Parcelforce, signed for (1kg-28kg)
    • (Delivery times will vary)

    Parcels need to be signed for, unless you have given instructions at checkout for the package to be left in a safe place, at your own risk.

    Any chilled and frozen items posted will be at your own risk. We will always include chill packs and some insulation in your parcel. Placing frozen goods into your freezer on delivery will be at your discretion.

     

    For International Orders

    Please email info@therealfoodcompany.org.uk for a quote before you place an order. 

    Every effort is made to ensure that the estimated delivery charge added at the time of ordering is as accurate as possible, however there may be times when it is necessary to amend these charges before delivery. If this is the case you will be contacted by our customer service staff and informed of the new charge.

     

    Delivery Addresses

    It is extremely important that the full delivery address is entered correctly including the correct postcode. Couriers will not consider compensation for items lost unless the delivery address and postcode are 100% correct.

    Risk of Damage or Loss and Ownership of Goods

    The risk shall pass to you on delivery or, if you fail to take delivery of the Goods, at the time when the Goods are delivered (or delivery is attempted) to you in accordance with your instructions.

    Title of the Goods shall pass to you upon delivery of the Goods and on our receipt of full payment. Legal ownership of the Goods will immediately revert to us if we refund any such payment to you or if the Goods are returned in accordance with any cancellation, refund, return or exchange policy as posted on this website.

    You should inspect the Goods when you receive them for damage. If your goods are damaged please take a photograph of the package showing any damage and contact us within 24 hours of delivery to inform us of the problem.   

    Items lost in the post

    We send out hundreds of orders a week and it is very rare than Royal Mail or our couriers lose a parcel. However from time to time unfortunately this does happen. As a rule parcels are not considered lost until after 14 working days. We are not able to process a claim for the parcel until 14 working days have passed from the time of us sending the goods. Once the 14 days have passed we will then process a claim as quickly as possible, however please note the claims process can take several weeks.

    We do not wait for the compensation to come to us before we refund you or resend the goods but we do have to wait for confirmation that the claim has been accepted.

    Please understand that in this situation it is not us that have lost the goods and it is frustrating for us also. 

     

    Returns and Replacements

    Any unused goods which have been bought in error can be returned to us "as new" within fourteen days of receipt of your purchase (as per Consumer Rights Act 2015). Please phone our shop on 01270 873322 first, so that we can help you to return the item correctly. 

    Packages must be returned to:

    The Real Food Company, 48-50 Sandbach Road South, Alsager, Cheshire, ST7 2LP.

    Postage costs for the return will not be refunded, unless it can be shown it was our error. 

    Exceptions apply to chilled and frozen goods, as it is impossible to know that they have been stored correctly and are suitable for resale. If they are defective we need to know immediately with photographic and documented evidence. We will not expect them back as a return. 

    Please note that, for reasons of hygiene, we are unable to offer refunds or exchanges on any opened or used products. Additionally, we cannot offer any refunds for goods specifically customised or bespoke which are not damaged or defective.

    We will not accept any responsibility for loss or damage to Goods returned in this way until they are received at our address above. We recommend that returns are sent by 'recorded registered delivery' with a proof of posting which is to be kept. Please note that we are not responsible for return postage other than for incorrectly supplied, defective or damaged Goods. Return postage for Goods returned for any other reason shall be solely at your cost.

    If incorrect goods have been supplied, we will arrange collection for them at our own cost. If you are aware the goods are incorrect please refuse to accept delivery of the parcel. Otherwise, please notify us immediately and a collection will be arranged as soon as is mutually convenient. A refund or re-dispatch, as appropriate, can then be arranged.

    Once we receive the Goods in their original condition, any payments made by you for the purchase will be refunded in full or replacement Goods will be dispatched to you as previously agreed, as soon as we can, with no further costs for you.The refund will be made back to the card/payment method of the original sale only.