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Cosy Cookie is the UK's marketplace for independent food artisans. Instead of one big retailer, every shop on the site is run by a small, verified producer, from family bakeries to home cookie makers, honey farms, jam makers and speciality coffee roasters.

Cosy Cookie itself is the platform that connects you to these food artisans. It isn't the food artisan, and it doesn't cook, pack or post anything, and each vendor does that themselves.

Yes, you'll need a registered account to place an order. You'll need to be at least 18 and keep your contact and delivery details accurate, so a vendor knows where your bake is going.

Adding something to your basket and checking out isn't a guarantee, as a food artisan may still need to confirm stock, a collection slot, or delivery coverage. Your order is considered accepted once the food artisan confirms it, starts making it, dispatches it, or agrees a collection time, whichever happens first.

If a vendor can't fulfil your order, it'll be declined or cancelled and any payment taken is released or refunded.

Most items are made in small batches to order, so what arrives has usually been baked specifically for you rather than pulled from a shelf. Vendors are required to dispatch every order within 48 hours of purchase, and many aim for same-day.

Every listing should show full ingredients and clearly flag the 14 regulated allergens. Because bakes are handmade in independent kitchens, always read the listing carefully rather than assuming from the product name or photo, and message the food artisan directly before ordering if anything isn't clear.

Handmade products vary a little from batch to batch, so icing, colour and decoration can differ slightly. Listings should say when a photo is representative rather than exact, and small natural variation isn't a fault on its own.

It depends on the vendor, as each one chooses the fulfilment options they offer, and you'll see the choices at checkout:

• Postal or courier delivery, sent via Royal Mail or another courier, to your door.
• Local collection (pickup), where you collect from the food artisan's kitchen or an agreed spot.
• Local drop-off, where for nearby buyers some vendors hand-deliver directly to your address themselves rather than posting it, which can mean fresher bakes and no courier handling for local orders.

Not every vendor offers all three, so check the listing or their shop page to see what's available for your order.

Dispatch and delivery times shown on a listing are estimates from the vendor or their courier, not guarantees, unless a food artisan has expressly promised a specific date in writing. Weather, courier disruption or an inaccurate address can all affect timing.

Where cross-border orders are possible, you're treated as the "importer of record" for anything crossing into your country, meaning you're responsible for any import VAT, customs duties or courier handling fees on arrival, unless the vendor has explicitly covered these. Customs delays are outside Cosy Cookie's and the vendor's control.

Yes. A vendor doesn't receive your money the moment you pay, as funds are held and only released to them once you confirm delivery, or automatically 24 hours after tracking shows the order was delivered (or the agreed collection has happened). This gives you a window to flag a problem before the vendor is paid out.

Because most products are perishable, handmade to order, or personalised, change-of-mind cancellation rights are often limited once a food artisan has started making your order, which is normal for fresh food and allowed under consumer law. This doesn't affect your rights if something arrives faulty, unsafe, or not as described.

Contact the vendor directly through Cosy Cookie's messaging first, as most issues are resolved quickly this way. Report visible problems like transit damage or missing items as soon as possible, ideally within 24 hours of delivery.

If the vendor doesn't respond within 24 hours or you can't reach an agreement, you can raise a formal dispute with Cosy Cookie, who will review the case, including whether the vendor can prove the item was sent and delivered correctly.

The vendor chose the courier, so they're responsible for pursuing a claim with that carrier. If they can't provide valid proof of delivery to your address, they're required to issue you a full refund.

Every vendor must hold a valid local council food business registration and a Food Hygiene Certificate before they can list products. Vendors must also disclose full ingredients and allergens on every listing.

Reviews are meant to reflect genuine experiences, so vendors aren't allowed to buy, fake, or pressure customers to remove honest reviews. If you leave one yourself, keep it honest and based on your actual order.

The complete Customer Terms of Service, Privacy Policy and Global Shipping & Delivery Policy are linked in the footer of every page on cosycookie.com. This FAQ is a plain-language summary, and those documents are what legally applies.

Independent food artisans, home kitchens, small-batch producers and makers across the UK, whether you run a commercial kitchen or bake around a family schedule at home. Cosy Cookie is built exclusively for independent food artisans, not supermarket brands or franchises.

At a minimum, you'll need:

• A valid local council food business registration or permit
• A valid Food Hygiene Certificate (minimum 2-star rating)
• Identity verification and an active UK bank account for payouts, via your own Stripe account
• Public liability insurance is strongly recommended (at least £1m of cover is expected for most product categories)

Upload clear copies of your documents rather than originals, and keep them valid, as expired certificates or insurance can pause your account.

Approved categories include cookies, biscuits, shortbread, brownies, cakes, savoury bakes, jams, honey, granola, snack and cereal bars, confectionery, coffee and similar pantry or gift items.

You can't list meat, fish, raw or high-risk chilled products, alcohol, anything requiring specialist licensing, or items making unsupported health claims. Anything with a very short shelf life or unusual delivery risk may need prior written approval.

Setting up your shop is free, with no setup, hosting or listing fees. Cosy Cookie takes a £1.99 fixed fee plus 5% commission on each completed order, deducted from what you're owed.

Funds attributable to you are held for 14 calendar days after the recorded delivery or collection date, then paid out on a weekly rolling basis. In practice, a payment is released once the customer confirms receipt, or automatically 24 hours after tracking confirms delivery, whichever comes first. Payouts can be delayed further if there's a fraud, complaint or food-safety concern under review.

Yes. If a refund, chargeback or credit is due because of something on your side, such as an unsafe product, inaccurate listing, or poor fulfilment, the cost, plus any related payment-processing fees, is deducted from your balance.

Product name, a clear description, full ingredients, all allergens, size or portion, storage guidance, shelf-life where relevant, an honest dispatch estimate, your available collection or delivery options, and the full price including any delivery charge.

No misleading descriptions, edited photos that misrepresent the product, fake availability, hidden charges, unsupported "vegan" or "free-from" claims, or fabricated reviews. If your product varies in look from batch to batch, say so clearly so buyers aren't misled.

Update the listing immediately, or pause sales of that item until it's corrected. An out-of-date listing is treated as a compliance issue, not a small oversight.

You can offer any combination of the three, and mix them across different listings:

• Postal or courier delivery, dispatched nationwide via Royal Mail or a courier of your choice.
• Local pickup / collection, where the buyer collects from you at an agreed time and location.
• Local drop-off, where you personally deliver the order to the buyer's address. This works well for nearby customers: it avoids courier costs and handling risk, and lets you offer a shorter turnaround for local buyers.

Whichever you offer, set realistic cut-off times, collection slots and delivery areas in your listing so buyers know what to expect.

Yes. A self-delivered, hand-dropped-off order is still a dispatched order under Cosy Cookie's rules, so it must still happen within the 48-hour dispatch window, the product still needs to be packaged appropriately for transit and handling, and you're still responsible for it reaching the buyer safely. Because there's no courier tracking on a hand-delivered order, it's worth getting a simple confirmation from the buyer (a message, a photo, or a doorstep note) in case a dispute ever comes up.

Within 48 hours of the order being placed, whichever fulfilment method you're using. If it isn't marked dispatched (or, for pickup and drop-off, isn't handed over) within that window, the order is automatically cancelled and the buyer fully refunded, and you're liable for any related payment fees. Same-day dispatch is the goal and delights customers, but 48 hours is the hard limit.

Pack securely enough to survive normal transit and handling, using proper void-fill and sturdy boxes, and in a way that keeps the product fresh and free from contamination. If you're posting nationally, plan for a longer journey than a local drop-off or pickup.

You're responsible for lawfully registering your food business and running a suitable food-safety process, and the Food Standards Agency's "safer food, better business" approach is a good model. All 14 regulated allergens must be clearly and reliably disclosed on every listing; generic disclaimers aren't a substitute for accurate allergen information.

Tell Cosy Cookie immediately if you become aware of contamination, an allergen error, mislabelling, an illness allegation, or any recall. You'll need to cooperate fully with any investigation, which can include pausing sales while it's looked into.

Give a substantive reply within 24 hours to enquiries, complaints and allergen questions, sooner if it's an urgent food-safety issue. If you go quiet, Cosy Cookie may step in directly.

You can't buy, incentivise without disclosure, suppress, or pressure customers over reviews, and you can't create fake orders to boost your rating. If you reply to reviews or message customers, keep it professional, as messaging is for order and support purposes, not marketing, unless the customer has opted in.

Unsafe food, allergen errors, refusing to cooperate with an investigation, falsified documents, repeated complaint patterns, fake reviews, or any serious breach of the vendor terms can lead to immediate suspension or termination. Cosy Cookie may also pause sales, restrict categories, or hold payouts while a concern is reviewed.

• Keep your council registration, hygiene certificate and insurance current
• Check your email, including junk/spam, so you never miss an order notification
• Dispatch, hand over or drop off every order within 48 hours
• Keep listings accurate as ingredients, stock or prices change

The full Vendor and Baker Terms & Conditions are linked in the footer of every page on cosycookie.com. This FAQ summarises the key points in plain language, and the full terms are what legally governs your account.