Effective Date: 4th December 2025
We’ve updated our privacy policy on 12th November 2025 in preparation for a new advertising partnership. Your trust is the most important ingredient at WHK, and we’re committed to protecting your privacy
1. Introduction
At Whole Hearty Kitchen (WHK), your trust is at the heart of everything we do.
We know how important it is to have clear, honest information you can rely on, so this policy explains what personal information we collect when you visit www.wholeheartykitchen.co.uk, why we collect it, and how we keep it safe.
We’ve written this policy in plain language, no confusing jargon, just the facts.
By using our website, you agree to the way we handle your data as described here.
2. Who We Are
Our website is Whole Hearty Kitchen, located at:
https://www.wholeheartykitchen.co.uk
For the purposes of data protection law, the Data Controller is Whole Hearty Kitchen.
If you have any questions about this policy or your personal data, please contact:
Email: michelle [at] wholeheartykitchen.co.uk
3. The Information We Collect and Why
We collect different types of information depending on how you use our website.
Each section below explains what we collect, why we collect it, and our lawful basis for doing so.
a. When You Leave a Comment
What we collect:
Your name, email address, comment, IP address, and browser details.
Why we collect it:
To display your comment on the site and protect against spam. Our anti-spam service (Akismet) checks comments to keep our community safe and supportive.
Lawful basis: Legitimate Interest (to prevent spam and enable community discussion)
If you use the Gravatar service, an anonymised version of your email may be sent to them to display your profile picture.
View Gravatar’s privacy policy
b. When You Contact Us
What we collect:
Your name, email address, and the message you send through our contact form.
Why we collect it:
To respond to your query. Messages are kept for customer service purposes only and are not used for marketing.
Lawful basis: Legitimate Interest (to provide customer support)
c. When You Subscribe to Our Newsletter
What we collect:
Your name (optional) and email address.
Why we collect it:
To send you helpful emails, recipes, and updates from Whole Hearty Kitchen.
Lawful basis: Consent (you opt in via our sign-up forms)
You can unsubscribe at any time using the link in our emails or by contacting us directly.
Your data is securely managed by our email provider (such as MailerLite or ConvertKit), who comply with GDPR requirements.
d. When You Buy a Digital Product
What we collect:
Your name, email address, billing address, and payment details.
Why we collect it:
To process your order, deliver your digital download, and send important information about your purchase.
Lawful basis: Contractual Necessity (we need this to fulfil your purchase)
Payments are handled securely through trusted processors such as Stripe or PayPal.
We do not store or have access to your credit card details.
e. Google Analytics
We use Google Analytics 4 (GA4) to understand how visitors use our website.
What we collect:
Anonymous data such as pages visited, time spent on each page, device type, browser, and approximate location (city or region).
Why we collect it:
To analyse website traffic and improve our content and user experience.
Lawful basis: Consent (through our cookie banner) or Legitimate Interest (to measure site performance)
Google Analytics does not identify individual users.
You can opt out by adjusting your cookie preferences or installing the Google Analytics Opt-Out Browser Add-On.
Google’s Privacy Policy can be found at: https://policies.google.com/privacy
F. Advertising
We work with Raptive (CMI Marketing, Inc.) to manage advertising on this website.
These partners may use cookies and similar technologies to display relevant ads and measure performance.
To learn more about their data usage and opt-out options, visit:
Lawful basis: Consent (via our cookie banner)
CMI Marketing, Inc., d/b/a Raptive (“Raptive”) is a service provider of this Site for the purposes of placing advertising on the Site, and Raptive will collect and use certain data for advertising purposes. To learn more about Raptive’s data usage, click here: https://raptive.com/creator-advertising-privacy-statement/
4. Our Use of Cookies (The Short & Sweet Version)
A cookie is a tiny text file stored on your computer. It helps our website remember your preferences and understand how you use it.
- Essential Cookies: These are necessary for the site to work (e.g., for you to log in or for your shopping basket to function).
- Functional Cookies: These enable extra features, like embedding a YouTube video.
- Statistics Cookies: These help us understand how our website is performing so we can improve it.
- Marketing Cookies: These are used by our advertising partners to show you relevant ads.
When you first visit our website, a banner will appear asking for your consent to non-essential cookies.
Managing cookies
You can update or withdraw your consent at any time via the “Privacy & Cookie Policy” tab on screen.
You can also block or delete cookies in your browser settings.
For more information, visit www.allaboutcookies.org.
5. Digital Downloads and Online Orders
We collect information about you during checkout, which may include:
- Your name, email, and billing address
- Payment details (processed securely by our payment partners)
- Your order history and communications with us
This allows us to:
- Process your payment and deliver your digital product
- Send important updates or respond to refund requests
- Prevent fraud and comply with legal requirements
Lawful basis: Contractual Necessity & Legitimate Interest
6. Who We Share Your Data With
We never sell your personal information.
However, we work with a few trusted partners who process data on our behalf to help run WHK smoothly:
- Spam detection: Akismet
- Advertising: Raptive
- Payments: Stripe, PayPal
- Analytics: Google Analytics
- Email marketing: MailerLite or ConvertKit (for newsletters)
- Website hosting: Our secure hosting provider
Some partners are based outside the UK. Where data is transferred internationally, we ensure it’s protected through appropriate safeguards such as Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs), the UK International Data Transfer Agreement (IDTA), or the EU-US Data Privacy Framework.
7. How We Protect Your Data
We take data security seriously. Whole Hearty Kitchen uses:
- Secure servers and SSL encryption
- Regular security reviews and plugin updates
- Trusted, GDPR-compliant service providers
Access to personal information is restricted to those who need it to run the website.
8. How Long We Keep Your Data
- Comments: Indefinitely (so follow-up comments can be approved automatically)
- Contact Form Messages: 1 year
- Order Information: 7 years (to comply with tax and accounting laws)
- Newsletter Data: Until you unsubscribe or request deletion
9. Your Rights Over Your Data
Under UK data protection law, you have the right to:
- Access your personal data
- Rectify inaccurate information
- Erase your data (“right to be forgotten”)
- Restrict or object to processing
- Request data portability to another provider
To exercise any of these rights, email: michelle [at] wholeheartykitchen.co.uk
If you’re unhappy with how we’ve handled your data, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) at www.ico.org.uk.
10. Children’s Privacy
Whole Hearty Kitchen is a family-friendly resource, but it’s intended for adults.
We do not knowingly collect personal data from anyone under 16 years old.
If you believe your child has shared personal information with us, please get in touch so we can delete it.
11. Updates to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time.
The latest version will always be published on this page, with the date clearly shown at the top.
12. Contact Information
For any privacy-specific concerns or data requests, please contact:
Email: michelle [at] wholeheartykitchen.co.uk
Thank you for being part of the Whole Hearty Kitchen community.
Your trust and support mean everything.