Terms and conditions for a meal prep and meal kit business

A meal prep business sells perishable goods on a subscription, which combines the two areas of consumer law most likely to be enforced: cancellation rights and automatic renewals. The terms have to say when a box can be cancelled, how the subscription is paused and ended, what happens to a box the customer was not in to receive, and how allergens and storage are handled. I draft those terms for a fixed fee of £995, delivered in five working days.

Who this is for

Meal prep, meal kit, recipe box and healthy meal delivery businesses in England and Wales selling one-off orders and weekly subscriptions through their own website, delivered by courier or your own vans.

What matters in meal kit terms

Subscriptions, renewals and cancellation

A subscription renews and charges until it is stopped, and the terms must make that clear at sign-up, say how to skip, pause or cancel, and set the cut-off for changing the next box. The Consumer Rights Act 2015 treats an automatic renewal buried in the terms as potentially unfair, and further rules for subscription contracts are being introduced under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024. Clear cut-offs and a simple cancellation route are what keep the model compliant.

Perishable goods and the right to cancel

Orders are distance contracts under the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013, but goods that deteriorate rapidly are excluded from the fourteen-day cancellation right by regulation 28, so the terms should say that an order cannot be cancelled after the cut-off for that delivery. The subscription itself can be cancelled at any time for future boxes, and the terms should say so.

Delivery, missed deliveries and chilled goods

The terms should state delivery days and windows, whether a signature is required, that boxes may be left in a safe place at the customer's risk, and that a box is treated as delivered where it is left as instructed or the customer is not in. They should say how long the chilled packaging keeps food safe, that the customer must refrigerate on receipt, and that food left out beyond that time is not your responsibility.

Allergens, ingredients and quality

You must give the allergen information the Food Information Regulations 2014 require for every item, and where meals are packed on your premises before sale the Food Information (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2019 require a full ingredients list with allergens emphasised on the label, and the terms should say where it is found, that recipes and ingredients may be substituted where necessary with allergens disclosed, and that meals are prepared in a kitchen handling allergens. Food must be as described and of satisfactory quality; the terms should set the remedy for a damaged, missing or unsatisfactory item and require prompt reporting with photographs.

Prices, payment and data

The terms should say when each box is charged, that prices may change with notice before the next renewal, and that the customer may cancel before a price change takes effect. Headline prices must include mandatory charges under the 2024 Act and card payments cannot carry a surcharge. The account holds personal data, including any dietary or health information the customer volunteers, which is special category data under the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018, and the terms should refer to a privacy notice that deals with it.

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 customer forgot to skip a week and wants a refund for the box. Do I have to?

If the terms and the sign-up process made the cut-off and the renewal clear, and the box was prepared, the customer is not entitled to a refund for a perishable order after the cut-off. A goodwill credit is a commercial choice; the terms should not promise one.

The courier left the box in the sun and the customer says the food was spoiled. Who is liable?

If the terms say boxes are left in the safe place the customer instructed at the customer's risk, and the packaging keeps food safe for the stated time, the risk sits with the customer. Where the courier ignored the instructions, the loss is yours to take up with the courier.

Can I change the price of the subscription?

The terms can allow price changes with notice before the next renewal, provided the customer can cancel before it takes effect. A change without notice is the kind of term that is treated as unfair.

Related guidance and services

• Terms and conditions drafting, £995, the service this page describes
• Contract review, £495
• Terms and conditions for a restaurant online ordering and delivery service

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.