Last updated: 6 October 2026

This policy explains what personal information Quirky Foodster collects, why, who it is shared with, how long it is kept, and the rights you have over it. We have tried to write it in plain English. If anything is unclear, email us at info@quirkyfoodster.com.

Who we are

Quirky Foodster (quirkyfoodster.com) is run by Stephen Fegan, a sole trader trading as Quirky Foodster, based in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and in Ireland. Stephen Fegan is the “data controller” for the personal information described here. Contact: info@quirkyfoodster.com.

We follow the UK General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018, and, for visitors in Ireland and the European Union, the EU General Data Protection Regulation.

What we collect, and why

If you just browse

• Server logs. Like almost every website, our server records basic technical details of each request (IP address, browser type, the page requested, date and time). We use these only to keep the site running and secure, and they are deleted automatically after a short period, normally no more than 14 days. Legal basis: legitimate interests (security and reliability).
• Visitor statistics. We count visits using Umami, which runs on our own server. It uses no cookies, does not store your IP address, and cannot identify you. It tells us things like which pages are popular and roughly which country visits come from. Legal basis: legitimate interests (understanding how the site is used).

If you create an account

• Account details: your email address, the chef name you choose, and your password (stored only in scrambled, encrypted form; we cannot see it). Legal basis: contract (to provide your account).
• Profile details: your home country (required, so we can suggest local recipes), and optionally a photo, a short bio, your favourite cuisine and favourite ingredients. Legal basis: contract.
• Allergens and dietary requirements (optional). If you choose to tell us about allergies or dietary needs, we use them only to filter and flag recipes and meal-plan suggestions for you. Allergy information is health information, and some dietary choices can reveal religious belief, so the law treats this as “special category” data. We only store it with your explicit consent, which you give by ticking a box, and which you can withdraw at any time by clearing those fields in your profile. It is never shown publicly and never used for advertising. Legal basis: explicit consent.
• Things you create and save: recipes, reviews, blog posts (“takes”), comments, ratings, likes, saves, follows, meal plans, shopping lists, and your Pantry and Drinks Cabinet. Recipes, reviews, posts and comments you publish are visible to other visitors along with your chef name. Your saves, plans, lists, Pantry and Drinks Cabinet are private to you. Legal basis: contract.
• Emails we send you: we send account emails only, such as your welcome and password-setting email. We do not send marketing emails.

Comments

If you leave a comment, we store the name and email address you give, the comment itself, and your IP address (to help fight spam). Your email address is never published. Legal basis: legitimate interests.

Location (Out & About)

The Out & About finder can show places near you. It only uses your location if your browser asks and you agree. Your approximate coordinates are sent to our server, which uses them once to look up nearby places and the name of your town. We do not store your location. You can always search by town or postcode instead. Legal basis: consent (your browser’s permission prompt).

Barcode scanner

The Pantry barcode scanner uses your device’s camera inside your browser. The camera image never leaves your device; only the barcode number is used, to look up the product in the Open Food Facts database.

Cookies and similar technologies

• Essential cookies: when you log in, WordPress sets cookies that keep you logged in. These are strictly necessary for your account to work, so they do not need your consent.
• Security (Google reCAPTCHA): our sign-up form is protected by Google reCAPTCHA to stop spam and fake accounts. reCAPTCHA collects device and usage information and may set cookies; Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
• Local storage: your browser may store small preferences (for example, which tab you last viewed) on your own device. This never leaves your device.
• Advertising: if we show adverts (see below), cookies for advertising are only used with your consent, which you can give or refuse through the consent message shown when you first visit.

Advertising

We may show adverts provided by Google AdSense to help cover the cost of running the site. Google and its partners may use cookies to show adverts and measure how they perform. For visitors in the UK, Ireland and the EU, personalised adverts are only shown if you agree through our consent message; if you refuse, you may still see non-personalised adverts. You can change your choice at any time using the privacy settings link at the bottom of the site. Learn more at how Google uses information in advertising. Legal basis: consent.

Who we share information with

We never sell your personal information. We use a small number of service providers who process data on our behalf, only as needed to run the site:

• IONOS: hosts our server, where the website and its database are kept.
• Resend (USA): delivers our account emails, such as your welcome email.
• Google (USA): reCAPTCHA on the sign-up form and, if shown, AdSense adverts.
• OpenStreetMap Foundation (UK): map images on Out & About pages are loaded from OpenStreetMap, which receives your IP address as a normal part of loading them.
• Overpass API (Germany) and GeoNames: our server sends them a map area or coordinates to find nearby places and town names. They do not receive your name, account or IP address.
• Open Food Facts (France): receives barcode numbers from the scanner.
• unpkg: delivers some of the open-source code the site uses (such as the barcode reader), and receives your IP address when your browser loads it.

We may also disclose information if the law requires it.

International transfers

Some of these providers are based in, or use servers in, the United States. Where personal information is transferred outside the UK or the European Economic Area, it is protected by the safeguards the law requires, such as the UK–US Data Bridge, the EU–US Data Privacy Framework, or standard contractual clauses.

How long we keep information

• Your account and everything linked to it is kept until you delete your account. When you do, your profile, allergen and diet information, saves, plans, lists, Pantry, Drinks Cabinet and the recipes, reviews and posts you published are deleted.
• Comments are kept until they are removed, by you on request or by us.
• Server logs are deleted automatically, normally within 14 days.
• Location is not kept at all.

Your rights

You have the right to:

• ask for a copy of the personal information we hold about you;
• ask us to correct anything that is wrong (you can also edit most details yourself on your Profile page);
• ask us to delete your information (you can delete your account yourself from your Profile page, or email us);
• ask us to restrict or stop using your information, or object to how we use it;
• ask for your information in a portable format;
• withdraw your consent at any time, where we rely on consent. This does not affect anything done before you withdrew it.

To use any of these rights, email info@quirkyfoodster.com. We will reply within one month. There is normally no charge.

Children

Quirky Foodster is for adults and older teenagers. You must be 16 or over to create an account. If you believe a child under 16 has given us personal information, contact us and we will delete it.

Keeping your information safe

The site uses encrypted connections (HTTPS) throughout, passwords are stored encrypted, and access to the server is restricted to the site owner.

Complaints

If you are unhappy with how we have handled your information, please contact us first at info@quirkyfoodster.com and we will try to put it right. You also have the right to complain to a data protection regulator:

• UK: the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint, 0303 123 1113.
• Ireland: the Data Protection Commission, dataprotection.ie.

Changes to this policy

If we change how we use personal information, we will update this page and the date at the top. If a change is significant, we will tell account holders by email or with a notice on the site.