Terms and conditions for a cookery school

A cookery class puts strangers in a kitchen with knives, heat and allergens. The terms have to deal with the allergy that was not mentioned, the class that does not reach its minimum, the voucher that expired, and the limits of what a school can exclude when someone is injured. I draft those terms for a fixed fee of £995, delivered in five working days.

Who this is for

Cookery schools, cooking class businesses and chefs running classes for consumers, gift voucher recipients and corporate team-building groups in England and Wales, from a home kitchen to a dedicated teaching kitchen.

What matters in cookery school terms

Bookings, cancellation and minimum numbers

A class on a specific date is a leisure service excluded from the fourteen-day cancellation right by regulation 28 of the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013, so your own cancellation policy governs and must be fair under the Consumer Rights Act 2015. The terms should set a notice period for transferring or cancelling a place, say that classes below a minimum number may be cancelled or rescheduled by you with a refund or transfer, and deal with gift vouchers and their expiry.

Allergies, dietary needs and disclosure

The terms should require allergies and dietary needs to be disclosed at booking, say that the kitchen handles all fourteen allergens listed in the Food Information Regulations 2014 and that a class cannot be guaranteed free of any, and that a participant who did not disclose takes the risk. Where a class can be adapted, the terms should say by when the request is needed; where it cannot, they should say so and let the customer transfer.

Safety, injury and what cannot be excluded

Knives and hot pans cause injuries. The terms should require participants to follow the instructor's directions, to wear suitable clothing and footwear, and to say if they are unwell or unable to take part safely. They cannot exclude your liability for injury caused by your own negligence, which the Consumer Rights Act 2015 does not allow against a consumer; they can describe your safety briefing and equipment, and place the participant's own conduct on the participant.

Children, alcohol and conduct

The terms should state minimum ages, whether children must be accompanied and by whom, and that an accompanying adult is responsible for the child throughout. Where wine is served with the meal, the supply needs authorisation under the Licensing Act 2003, and the terms should note age limits and let you refuse alcohol to anyone. A participant who is drunk, disruptive or unsafe may be asked to leave without refund.

Corporate groups, food to take home and photographs

Corporate bookings need a section of their own: one organiser, a deposit, a cut-off for numbers, invoicing with interest on late payment under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998, and the business as the customer. Food taken home is at the participant's risk and should be consumed as advised. Photographs of participants for marketing need their agreement, which the terms can ask for but must not assume.

What it costs

Customer or supplier terms and conditions, £995. One set of terms, customer-facing or supplier-facing, drafted for your business. Five working days.

Review of your existing terms, £495. You already have terms and want them checked and brought up to date. Returned marked up with my amendments and an explanation of the changes. Three working days.

Buying online forms the engagement on payment. The scope is what the terms and conditions drafting page describes, you accept the Terms of Service at checkout, and I email you within four working hours to get started. If you would rather ask something first, email me.

What you get

• A full set of bespoke terms drafted for your business, reflecting the legal requirements that apply to your business and sector
• A note in plain English explaining the terms I have drafted for you
• Liability, payment, termination and IP provisions that protect your position and are drafted to withstand scrutiny from the other side
• Guidance on how to incorporate the terms properly
• Your questions and comments answered by email or phone
• One round of amendments to finalise the terms ready for use

What is not included

• Negotiating your terms with individual customers (I am happy to quote for this as an additional service if required)
• Sector-specific regulatory compliance beyond the contract terms themselves
• Website privacy notice and cookie compliance, which I quote separately
• Terms governed by the law of another country
• Tax advice

Questions I am often asked

A participant was burned and says the instructor should have warned them. Am I liable?

If the briefing was given, the equipment was safe and the instruction was reasonable, the injury is the risk of cooking rather than your negligence. If your process fell short, you are liable, and no signed form changes that. The terms should describe the process rather than disclaim the outcome.

Can I cancel a class that only has two bookings?

The terms can reserve the right to cancel or reschedule a class below a stated minimum, with the customer offered a transfer or a full refund. Cancelling without that right is a breach.

A voucher expired last month. Do I have to honour it?

The terms can set an expiry on vouchers provided it is reasonable and stated on the voucher. Whether to honour an expired one is your choice; the terms should not promise it.

Related guidance and services

• Terms and conditions drafting, £995, the service this page describes
• Contract review, £495
• Terms and conditions for an art class or craft workshop business
• Terms and conditions for a brewery, distillery or vineyard offering tours and events

This page is general guidance for businesses in England and Wales, not advice on your own circumstances. Last reviewed: September 2026. Email geoffrey@caesar.co.uk.