Terms and Conditions

LocalBites brings local home cooks and bakers together with local food lovers in one place. Our platform helps you discover dishes nearby and get in touch with the cook, while cooks stay fully in control of their own food, pricing, and how they sell.

A person who uses LocalBites to discover, contact, and order from home cooks is referred to in these terms as a “Buyer” (also referred to as “you” or “your”). A business, sole trader, or individual who uses LocalBites to showcase and sell home-cooked or home-baked food is referred to as a “Cook”.

LocalBites provides an online venue that connects Buyers with Cooks in the local area. A Cook lists dishes they make available (each a “Listing”), and you browse those Listings to discover food nearby and arrange an order directly with the Cook.

These Buyer Terms (“Terms”) are a binding agreement between you and LocalBites (“LocalBites”, “we”, “us”, or “our”), operated by LocalBites Ltd, of Cork, Ireland. When used in these Terms, “platform” means the LocalBites website, application, and any related communication channels we operate.

By signing up for, accessing, or using LocalBites as a Buyer, you agree to these Terms.

These Terms reflect the way LocalBites works and the laws that apply to our relationship with you. Among other things, they set out:

• What you can expect from us and the platform.
• What we expect from you, including the rules for using the platform.
• How the interaction between you and Cooks works.
• Your rights and responsibilities if there is a disagreement, and what happens in a dispute.

Understanding these Terms is important because, by using LocalBites, you agree to them.

We also maintain other terms and policies that supplement these Terms, such as our Privacy Policy, which describes how we collect and use personal data, and our Cookie Policy. We encourage you to read them so you understand how your information is handled.

Discovery and introduction. LocalBites operates as a discovery and connection platform. We help you find dishes nearby and put you in touch with the Cook. When you tap Contact (or similar), WhatsApp or another channel may open with a prefilled message about the dishes in your cart. That message is an enquiry / introduction, not a paid LocalBites order. Any menu total shown as an “enquiry estimate” is a quote for discussion only — it is not a completed sale on LocalBites.

Buyer Account. To use the platform you must register and create a Buyer account, providing the information we reasonably require during sign-up or afterwards. You must keep your account information complete, accurate, and up to date. Joining does not guarantee a live kitchen nearby, a drop date, or a voucher.

Listings. Cooks create Listings for the dishes they make available. You can browse those Listings to see what is nearby. Cooks are responsible for the accuracy of every Listing, including the dish description, price, portion size, collection or handover arrangements, and allergen information. LocalBites does not verify, inspect, or take responsibility for the food a Cook makes or sells.

Orders off LocalBites (Contact path). When you contact a Cook, any order becomes binding only when you and the Cook agree it directly (for example on WhatsApp or at pickup). The Cook remains in control of whether to accept. Money for that path is paid by you to the Cook outside LocalBites unless a different path below applies.

Payment and handover (Contact path). You and the Cook agree the payment method and the collection or handover arrangements directly between you. LocalBites does not collect payment on the Cook's behalf on the Contact path.

Pay in LocalBites (when available). Some kitchens may later offer Pay in LocalBites (in-app checkout) after the Cook has agreed to sell through LocalBites and we have enabled checkout. Completed in-app sales are facilitated through LocalBites and may be included in platform reporting obligations that apply to digital platform operators in Ireland and the EU (including DAC7 / AEOI reporting to Revenue where required). Enquiry estimates and WhatsApp-only arrangements are not treated as LocalBites completed sales. Updated checkout terms may apply when you use Pay in LocalBites.

Waitlist and vouchers. The first 50 verified food lovers (Buyer or both) may receive a €5 first-order voucher. Kitchen-only signups get thank-you access, not a voucher. Vouchers are single-use, non-transferable, and have no cash value. We may refuse or close an account used to game the first-50 voucher.

We cannot cover everything here, but the following are an important part of your relationship with LocalBites.

By accepting these Terms, you confirm that you are at least 18 years old and that you have the authority to enter into this agreement.

You must use a real email you control. Confirming that email verifies the profile. Use a truthful profile. Do not harvest emails, impersonate kitchens, or use the site for anything unlawful under Irish law.

You are responsible for checking allergen and ingredient information with the Cook before you order, and for agreeing pickup or drop details with that Cook. A Listing on LocalBites is not a LocalBites-branded kitchen.

LocalBites provides the platform that connects Buyers and Cooks. We are an intermediary only. We do not own, produce, control, inspect, or sell any of the food listed, and we are not a party to any sale or agreement made between you and a Cook.

LocalBites is a neighbourhood marketplace, not a restaurant, caterer, or food business operator. Home cooks and bakers on the platform are independent. They prepare, label, and offer their own food. We provide the listing, ordering tools, and the necessary onboarding guidance — we do not cook, pack, or sell the meals ourselves.

Accordingly, we are not responsible for:

• any food a Cook provides to you, including its contents, quality, or safety;
• the preparation, production, storage, labelling, handling, or handover of that food, or the Cook's compliance with applicable food law; or
• fulfilling any obligation a Cook owes to you.

Each Cook is responsible for complying with all laws, rules, and regulations that apply to their provision of food to you as a buyer and fulfilling confirmed orders.

Complaints that relate only to the quality, safety, or content of a dish are a matter between you and the Cook. Where we receive a complaint about your experience on the platform itself, we will handle it in line with our internal processes.

If your concern is genuinely about LocalBites itself, please contact us at localbitesie@gmail.com.

LocalBites is a neighbourhood marketplace, not a restaurant, caterer, or food business operator. Independent home cooks and bakers prepare the food. A listing on LocalBites is not a LocalBites-branded kitchen.

We provide the listing, discovery, and connection tools that help food lovers find dishes nearby and get in touch with the cook. We also provide necessary guidance for cooks. We do not cook, pack, inspect, or sell the meals ourselves, and we do not take title to any food.

Each cook is independent. They prepare, label, and offer their own food. They are responsible for complying with all laws, rules, and regulations that apply to their provision of food to you as a buyer and fulfilling confirmed orders.

You are responsible for checking allergens and ingredients with the cook before you order, and for agreeing pickup or drop details with that cook. An order is a contract between you and the cook, not a purchase of food from LocalBites.

Free to join today. There is no cost to sign up for LocalBites as a Buyer at this stage. If we introduce any fee in the future, we will tell you clearly and give you reasonable advance notice before it takes effect.

Contact path. While you use Contact / WhatsApp introductions, payment for dishes is made by you directly to the Cook. LocalBites does not collect, hold, or process those payments on the Cook's behalf.

Pay in LocalBites. When a kitchen offers in-app checkout and you complete payment through LocalBites, payment is processed through our payment partners under the checkout terms shown at the time. Those completed sales are LocalBites-facilitated transactions and may be reportable by LocalBites as a platform operator under applicable Irish and EU rules (including DAC7 where they apply). Contact-only enquiries remain outside that completed-sale path.

You are responsible for your Buyer account and for keeping your login details secure. You must keep your account details, including a current email address and phone number, accurate and up to date.

You should note that:

• you are responsible for all activity carried out through your account;
• you are responsible for providing true, accurate, and complete information; and
• you are responsible for keeping your login details secure and protected from misuse.

You and LocalBites each agree to comply with all applicable data protection and privacy laws, including the General Data Protection Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2016/679) (the “GDPR”) and the Irish Data Protection Act 2018.

Our collection and use of personal data relating to Buyers and Cooks is described in our Privacy Policy. A Cook may receive personal data about you in connection with an order, and should use it only to fulfil that order.

While using the platform, you may share confidential information with us and may learn confidential information about us. Each of us agrees to take reasonable steps to protect the other's confidential information from unauthorised access. Either party may disclose confidential information where required by law or by a competent authority. Information is not confidential if it is already lawfully known to the recipient without a duty of confidence, or is publicly available other than through a breach of this section.

Nothing in these Terms limits or excludes either party's liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, for fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, or for any other liability that cannot be limited or excluded under applicable law, including Irish consumer law that cannot be excluded.

Subject to clause 11.1, and to the extent permitted by law, LocalBites is not responsible for:

• the quality, safety, or contents of food prepared by independent Cooks;
• missed pickups or handover arrangements agreed between you and a Cook; or
• any indirect or consequential loss.

Subject to clause 11.1, and to the extent permitted by law, our total liability arising out of or relating to these Terms or your use of the platform is limited to the total fees, if any, you paid to us in the 3 months before the relevant event.

You allow us to display your name and related profile content on the platform as needed to operate your account. You confirm that you own or have the right to use any content you upload, and that it does not infringe anyone else's rights.

Except for your own name and content, all materials on the platform remain our property. Any use of our name, logo, or materials other than ordinary use of the platform requires our prior written consent.

We may suspend or end your access to the platform, including removing your account, at our reasonable discretion, for example where:

• you materially or repeatedly breach these Terms;
• we are required to do so to comply with the law or a court order;
• we reasonably believe your conduct causes harm or risk to us, a Cook, or a third party, including abuse or attempts to game a voucher; or
• your account is inactive for an extended period.

If you believe your account has been suspended or ended in error, please contact us.

You are free to stop using LocalBites at any time.

As is. The platform is provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis. To the extent permitted by law, we disclaim all implied warranties, and we are held only to the express commitments we make in these Terms.

Changes to these Terms. We may update these Terms from time to time. We will give you reasonable notice of material changes before they take effect, unless we must make a change immediately for legal reasons. Changes will not apply retrospectively. If you continue to use the platform after updated Terms take effect, you accept the updated Terms. The version and date at the top of this document indicate the current version.

Assignment. You may not assign or transfer your rights or obligations under these Terms without our prior written consent. We may assign or transfer our rights and obligations, on reasonable prior notice.

Governing law and jurisdiction. These Terms are governed by the laws of Ireland, and the courts of Ireland have exclusive jurisdiction over any dispute, without prejudice to any non-waivable rights you have as a consumer under applicable law.

Resolving disputes. Most concerns can be resolved quickly by contacting us. If we cannot resolve a dispute informally, either party may pursue it before the courts of Ireland.

Contacting each other. If you have any questions about these Terms, please contact us at localbitesie@gmail.com. Any notice we send you will be sent to the email address in your account.