Privacy Policy

At Our Kitchen Tales (“we,” “us,” “our”), accessible via ourkitchentales.com, we are committed to safeguarding your personal data and respecting your privacy rights. Your trust is important to us, and we prioritize transparency, data minimization, and compliance with applicable privacy and data protection laws, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA).

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and retain your personal information when you interact with our website and related services. Please read this Policy carefully to understand your rights and how we ensure your data is handled securely and lawfully.

1. Scope and Data Controller

This Privacy Policy applies to all users of ourkitchentales.com and the services provided through this website. Our Kitchen Tales is the data controller responsible for the processing of your personal data under this Policy. For any questions or concerns regarding our data practices, you may contact us at [email protected].

2. Categories of Personal Data We Collect

We may collect and process the following categories of personal data about you:

a. Usage Data
Includes information about how you use our site, such as browser types, IP addresses, time zone settings, referring URLs, clickstream data, session activity, and navigation paths.

b. Account Data
Includes identifying information provided through any signup or registration forms, such as your full name, email address, telephone number, and home or delivery address.

c. Profile Data
Includes preferences, purchase history, saved recipes, behavior patterns on our website, and survey responses.

d. Communication Data
Includes correspondence with our support team, contact history, and query submissions via email or contact forms.

e. Technical Data
Includes device identifiers, operating system type and version, device type, hardware settings, and language preferences.

f. Transaction Data
Includes payment and billing information, delivery address, order history, and other commerce-related details where applicable.

g. Preference Data
Includes your expressed consents for marketing communications, newsletter subscription status, and product or topic interests.

3. Legal Bases for Processing Your Data

We process your personal data on the following lawful bases, as per the GDPR:

– Legitimate Interest: To improve and secure our website, monitor user engagement, prevent fraud, and analyze usage trends.
– Contract: To fulfill our obligations under any contract we enter into with you, such as processing a purchase or managing your account.
– Consent: Where legally required, we will request your consent, particularly for marketing communications and cookies that collect analytics data.
– Legal Obligation: To comply with applicable legal or regulatory obligations.

For California residents, we do not sell your personal data. You may exercise your CCPA rights as detailed in Section 5 below.

4. Your Rights

Under relevant data protection laws, you may have the following rights regarding your personal information:

– Right to Access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
– Right to Rectification: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data.
– Right to Erasure: Request deletion of your data, where applicable.
– Right to Restriction: Ask us to suspend or limit the processing of your information.
– Right to Data Portability: Receive your data in a commonly used format and transfer it to another controller.
– Right to Object: Object to processing carried out under legitimate interest or direct marketing.
– Right to Withdraw Consent: Withdraw a previously granted consent at any time, without affecting the lawfulness of processing before such withdrawal.

California Users: Under the CCPA, you have the right to know what personal data is collected, request deletion of your information (with exceptions), opt out of sale (we do not sell personal data), and be free from discrimination for exercising any of these rights.

To exercise your rights, please contact us at [email protected].

5. Security Measures

We employ a layered security approach to protect your data. Measures include:

– Encryption of data in transit and at rest
– Secure socket layer (SSL) technology
– Access control and role-based permissions
– Periodic system audits and backups
– Staff training in data protection and confidentiality protocols

Despite our efforts, please be aware that no method of internet transmission or electronic storage is entirely secure.

6. International Data Transfers

We may process your information using servers located in jurisdictions outside your country of residence. Where such transfers occur, we rely on safeguards such as Standard Contractual Clauses approved by the European Commission, or ensure adequate levels of protection aligned with regional regulatory requirements.

7. Data Retention

We retain personal data only as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected or to comply with legal, regulatory, or contractual requirements. Specific retention periods include:

– Usage Data: up to 12 months
– Account and Profile Data: while your account is active and up to 2 years after inactivity
– Communication Data: for 24 months unless longer retention is required
– Transaction Data: retained for 7 years for tax and legal compliance
– Preference Data: until consent is withdrawn or 24 months after last interaction

8. Cookie Policy

Our website uses cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:

a. Essential Cookies – Required for the proper functioning of our website (e.g., session management, authentication).
b. Functional Cookies – To remember your settings and preferences.
c. Analytics Cookies – To collect anonymous data on usage behavior and website performance.
d. Performance Cookies – To help improve responsiveness, navigation speeds, and content accuracy.

9. Cookie Management and Compliance

We comply with both GDPR and CCPA requirements for cookie usage. Upon your first visit to ourkitchentales.com, we will request your consent for non-essential cookies via a cookie banner. You can manage your cookie preferences or withdraw consent at any time through the cookie settings link in the footer of our website or by adjusting your browser settings. Please note that disabling certain cookies may impact website functionality.

10. Children’s Privacy

Our website is not intended for use by children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from individuals under 13 years of age. If we become aware that such data has been inadvertently collected, we will take prompt steps to delete it. Parents or legal guardians who believe that a child has provided us information without their consent should contact us at [email protected].

11. Policy Updates

We reserve the right to amend this Privacy Policy at any time to reflect changing regulatory, legal, or operational requirements. If we make material changes, we will notify users through our website interface or via direct communication, where appropriate. Continued use of ourkitchentales.com after such updates means you accept the revised terms.

12. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests related to this Privacy Policy or the handling of your personal data, please contact us at:

Email: [email protected]

13. Compliance Commitment

We operate with a strong commitment to data protection and transparency. If you have specific privacy concerns, you are encouraged to reach out. Safeguarding your personal information is one of our core responsibilities, and we will respond promptly to honor your rights and inquiries.