Home Dining Standards (v1.0)

The rules that keep chefs and customers safe during in-home cooking experiences.

Policy version: 1.0 · Effective date: 26 May 2026 · Applies to: All Home Dining bookings made through Cook4Me · Operated by: Livora Limited, trading as Cook4Me, 20 Wenlock Road, London N1 7GU.

What “Home Dining” means

Home Dining is a Cook4Me service where a verified chef travels to a customer's home (or a venue the customer controls) and cooks on-site. It is different from delivery (where food is brought ready-made) and collection (where the customer collects from the chef).

Because Home Dining involves a chef and customer being physically present together in a private space, it carries responsibilities that delivery and collection do not. These Standards exist to protect both sides.

Both the chef and the customer must read and agree to these Standards before a Home Dining booking is confirmed.

1. Before the booking

These conditions must be met before any Home Dining booking is confirmed.

The customer must:

• Be the legal occupant of the booking address, or have the explicit permission of the legal occupant to host a chef there
• Provide a complete, accurate address through Cook4Me (verified through our address system)
• Disclose all dietary requirements, allergies, and religious dietary needs at the time of booking — not on the day
• Confirm they can provide a working kitchen meeting the minimum facilities below
• Be present at the address for the duration of the booking, or arrange for a responsible adult to be present

The chef must:

• Hold valid Food Hygiene Level 2 and Allergen Awareness certifications (verified during Cook4Me onboarding)
• Hold valid Public Liability Insurance (verified during Cook4Me onboarding)
• Confirm the menu, guest count, dietary accommodations, and timing in writing through the Cook4Me booking chat before the event
• Bring their own knives, plating tools, and specialty equipment unless otherwise agreed in writing

Minimum kitchen facilities the customer must provide:

• A working cooker (gas or electric)
• A sink with running hot and cold water
• A refrigerator with available space
• At least 2 metres of clear, clean counter space for preparation
• Access to waste disposal
• Adequate lighting and ventilation

If the customer cannot provide these, the chef may decline the booking or propose an alternative service type (e.g., delivery).

2. Health, hygiene, and food safety

The chef is responsible for:

• Preparing all food in line with UK food safety law and their Food Hygiene Level 2 training
• Informing the customer, in writing through Cook4Me, of all allergens present in the dishes before the event
• Maintaining safe food temperatures during transport, preparation, and service
• Practising proper hand hygiene and using clean equipment and utensils
• Not preparing food while unwell or carrying any condition that could contaminate food
• Cleaning all surfaces and equipment they use to a safe standard

The customer is responsible for:

• Disclosing all allergies and dietary requirements honestly and in advance
• Ensuring the kitchen provided is clean and functional
• Informing the chef of any food hazards in the kitchen (faulty equipment, etc.)
• Ensuring vulnerable guests (pregnant women, the elderly, immune-compromised people, young children) and their specific needs are communicated in advance

Shared responsibility:

• Allergen communication is a two-way obligation. The customer must disclose; the chef must accommodate or clearly decline to cater for a specific allergy if they cannot safely do so.

3. Personal safety — protecting the chef

A chef entering a stranger's home is in a vulnerable position. Cook4Me requires the following safeguards for every Home Dining booking.

Before the booking, the chef receives:

• The customer's full verified name
• The customer's verified phone number
• The complete, verified address
• The agreed arrival and departure times

Cook4Me's safety check-in system:

• 30 minutes before the scheduled arrival, the chef receives a Cook4Me notification asking them to confirm they are travelling to the booking
• On arrival, the chef confirms safe arrival in the app
• 30 minutes after the scheduled end time, the chef receives a notification asking them to confirm safe departure
• If the chef does not confirm safe departure, Cook4Me's support team attempts contact

The chef's rights:

• A chef may decline to enter, or may leave, any property at any time if they feel unsafe — and will still receive the full booking fee if they had arrived in good faith
• A chef may refuse to continue a booking if the customer or any guest behaves inappropriately (see Section 7)
• A chef has access to Cook4Me's emergency support contact throughout the booking

Cook4Me provides:

• A safety contact reachable during all Home Dining bookings
• A record of the booking details, accessible if an incident occurs
• Investigation of any safety report

4. Personal safety — protecting the customer

A customer welcoming a stranger into their home is also taking a risk. Cook4Me protects customers as follows.

Every Home Dining chef is verified before they can take bookings:

• Identity verified (photo ID checked)
• Address verified
• Food Hygiene Level 2 and Allergen Awareness certified
• Public Liability Insurance confirmed

On the day:

• The chef will identify themselves on arrival, and their identity will match their Cook4Me profile
• The chef cannot bring uninvited guests or assistants unless agreed in writing in advance through Cook4Me
• The customer may end the booking at any time for safety concerns. If ended before food preparation begins, the customer receives a full refund

The customer's rights:

• To verify the chef's identity against their Cook4Me profile on arrival
• To end the booking and report concerns at any time
• To Cook4Me's emergency support contact throughout the booking
• To a fair dispute resolution process if something goes wrong

5. During the booking — conduct in the home

To protect the privacy and comfort of both parties:

Access:

• The chef has access only to the kitchen, dining area, and a bathroom if offered
• The chef does not enter other rooms (bedrooms, offices, private areas) except with the customer's explicit permission and only when necessary (e.g., to reach a kitchen)

Privacy:

• The chef does not photograph or record the customer's home, family, or guests without explicit consent
• The customer does not photograph or record the chef without their explicit consent
• Either party may agree to photos/video for promotional use, but only with clear, voluntary consent on both sides

Conduct:

• The chef will not consume alcohol while working
• No physical contact beyond a handshake on arrival or departure
• Both parties treat each other with courtesy and respect at all times

6. After the booking

The chef will:

• Clean the kitchen and any areas used to the condition they were found in
• Remove all waste they generated, or dispose of it as the customer directs
• Confirm departure in the Cook4Me app

The customer will:

• Confirm in the Cook4Me app that the service was delivered — this releases the chef's payment from escrow
• Have the opportunity to leave a review

Both parties may:

• Report any concerns to Cook4Me support within 48 hours of the booking
• Provide feedback that helps Cook4Me maintain its standards

7. Conduct, reporting, and consequences

Either party may end a booking immediately and report to Cook4Me if the other party:

• Behaves in a threatening, aggressive, harassing, or intimidating manner
• Behaves in a discriminatory manner (on grounds of race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, disability, age, or any protected characteristic)
• Is under the influence of alcohol or drugs to a degree that affects safety or the quality of the service
• Requests services or actions outside the agreed booking scope
• Photographs or records the other party without consent
• Behaves in any way that makes the other party feel unsafe

Cook4Me's response to reports:

• Cook4Me investigates all reports fairly, hearing from both sides
• Depending on findings, Cook4Me may issue a warning, suspend, or permanently remove a chef or customer from the platform
• Serious incidents (threats, assault, fraud) may be reported to the police, and Cook4Me will cooperate with any lawful investigation

8. Payment, cancellation, and disputes

Payment:

• The customer pays Cook4Me at the time of booking
• Cook4Me holds the payment securely in escrow
• Payment is released to the chef after the customer confirms the service was delivered
• Cook4Me charges the chef a 10% commission on the food price; the customer pays a 5% service fee

Cancellation:

• Cancellation terms are set out in the Cook4Me Terms of Service and the specific booking agreement
• A customer who cancels within the chef's stated notice period may not receive a full refund, as the chef may have already purchased ingredients or turned down other work
• A chef who cancels a confirmed booking without good reason may face penalties under the Cook4Me Chef Agreement

Disputes:

• If a customer is dissatisfied, they should first raise it with the chef through Cook4Me
• If unresolved, Cook4Me will mediate
• Escrow protection means funds are not released until disputes about non-delivery are resolved

9. What Cook4Me is — and is not — responsible for

Cook4Me's role:

Cook4Me operates a marketplace that connects customers with verified self-employed chefs. Cook4Me:

• Verifies chef credentials (identity, food hygiene, allergen awareness, insurance) before chefs can take bookings
• Provides secure escrow payment protection
• Provides a safety check-in system for Home Dining bookings
• Provides emergency support contact during bookings
• Mediates disputes between chefs and customers
• Maintains and enforces these Standards

Cook4Me is not:

• A party to the contract for cooking services between the chef and the customer — that contract is directly between them
• The employer of the chef — chefs are independent, self-employed businesses
• Responsible for the chef's cooking quality, beyond maintaining the verification, review, and rating systems
• Liable for incidents in the customer's home that are not directly caused by the chef's professional conduct, to the extent permitted by law

10. Insurance

• Every Home Dining chef must hold valid Public Liability Insurance, verified by Cook4Me
• This insurance is the chef's primary protection against claims arising from their work (e.g., a guest falling ill, accidental damage to the customer's property)
• Customers are encouraged to ensure their own home contents and public liability arrangements are adequate, as they would be for welcoming any professional into their home
• Cook4Me strongly recommends chefs confirm with their insurer that their policy specifically covers cooking in clients' homes

11. Changes to these Standards

• Cook4Me may update these Standards from time to time
• The version number and effective date at the top of this document indicate the current version
• If the Standards change materially, chefs and customers will be asked to re-acknowledge them before their next Home Dining booking
• Continued use of Home Dining services after an update constitutes acceptance of the updated Standards

12. Agreement

By proceeding with a Home Dining booking on Cook4Me:

The chef confirms:“I have read and agree to the Cook4Me Home Dining Standards. I understand my responsibilities for food safety, personal conduct, the customer's property, and my own safety. I confirm my certifications and insurance are valid and current.”

The customer confirms:“I have read and agree to the Cook4Me Home Dining Standards. I confirm I am the legal occupant of the booking address or have permission to host a chef there, that I will provide the kitchen facilities described, and that I have disclosed all dietary requirements and allergies.”

Looking for the short version? Read the quick summary shown in the booking flow. The summary is for at-a-glance reading; this full document is the binding text.