FAQ's
Whilst we take every care to ensure that you order reaches you in perfect condition, even the best laid plans can sometimes go wrong! Despite advancements in technology, packaging and transportation, it is important to understand that cheese & charcuterie are perishable food items, and shipping by courier comes with some risk. Please read the information below for more details on our delivery process, how to store your produce when you receive it, how to best enjoy your cheese and charcuterie and ordering cheese as a gift.
Will I Receive Confirmation Of My Order?
Upon placing your order, you should receive an automatic email confirmation of your order. If you have not received this, please email info@thegourmetgiftcompany.com. Or call our customer service dept. on 0800 987 5853 (open weekdays between 8am and 5pm). We will check that we have your email address entered correctly in our system.
Please check your order confirmation and ensure that all details are correct, especially the shipping details.
How Will My Order Be Delivered?
We ship our gift boxes to destinations on the UK mainland using overnight DPD shipping. Usually this means your order will arrive the next day, after we process your order. For some locations further afield this may take an additional day - please email info@thegourmetgiftcompany.com with your postcode if you have any questions about this. Unfortunately we don’t currently offer a courier service to the Channel Islands or Ireland.
We can deliver to your home or place of work, and to the home or workplace of your relatives, friends, colleagues or business associates. We must have a complete post code and mobile telephone number for every delivery address.
We can deliver on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. If you do not select a delivery date at check out, we will deliver on the next available date. Please note that 11am is the cut-off time for us to process orders on a particular day. Any orders placed after 11am will be processed the following day.
The recipient will receive a text message or email with details of the expected delivery time. If you do not want the recipient to receive this message, you must add your own mobile phone number. However, please be aware that if you put the recipient’s number, our courier will not only be able to let them know the approximate delivery time, they will also, if necessary, be able to send a photo of where the parcel has been left.
Because most of our products are perishable, we must have an alternative delivery instruction for any private address, such as "leave in safe place/in porch/with a neighbour". The chosen place should be as cool as possible and out of direct sunlight. This is particularly important if you are sending a surprise gift.
Please take great care when stipulating delivery locations, addresses and dates, because once these have been entered and you have received a confirmatory email, they cannot be changed.
If you have questions about the delivery of your order, after it has been dispatched, you may call us on 0800 987 5853, Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm. Outside these hours, please contact DPD directly.
Scottish Highlands and Islands:
We aim to always deliver your order on the date of your choosing, but your order may take an additional day or two to arrive at certain postcodes in the Scottish Highlands and Islands. If you are unsure about whether a postcode will be affected, please email or call customer services at info@thegourmetgiftcompany.com or 0800 987 5853.
Some postcodes within the Scottish Highlands and Islands may also be subject to a delivery surcharge. If you are unsure about whether a postcode will be affected, please email or call customer services on info@thegourmetgiftcompany.com or 0800 987 5853.
During warmer months we include an ice pack to help keep your cheese & charcuterie cool whilst it’s on the way to you. This pack may melt during transit but this should not be a concern as the melting process will help to keep the cheese and charcuterie cooler. Each of our gift sets will be packaged in a gift box and then packed securely into a brown outer carton to protect it during transit. We work hard to ensure our products are in top condition when we ship them and it should arrive at your door in the same condition. Upon receiving your order please open the packaging and take a look at your items. In the event that any items are not in the best condition please contact us straight away, either by phone on 0800 987 5853 or by email at info@thegourmetgiftcompany.com. We will do whatever we can to rectify the situation.
Please note that upon delivery, the risk of damage or deterioration of the goods passes onto you, the buyer. Claims for damage will only be accepted within 12 hours of delivery
How Do I Store My Cheese?
We recommend eating your cheese within a week of receiving it. After that, it may still be fine to eat, but it might begin to lose some of its intrinsic qualities. Below are some tips to help store your cheese in the best possible way, and help preserve its life:
Cheese should be stored in the refrigerator in the wax paper we wrap it in when we send it. If the wax paper is un-usable, we recommend that you wrap it in aluminium kitchen foil. The vegetable drawer of your fridge is ideal – the fridge is more humid in this lower closed container. Please keep blue cheese separate from other cheeses. Blue cheeses can also be kept in the colder part of the fridge, i.e. at the bottom, but it’s best to keep it in a Tupperware box with a lid.
The best way to extend the life of harder cheese such as Cheddar, Manchego, Comte, Beaufort and Gruyère is to keep the wax wrapping on the cheese and placed in a Tupperware box lined with a damp Blue J-Cloth. Place a couple of sugar cubes in the box and seal with the lid. The sugar helps to regulate the moisture inside the box and keep the cheese fresher for longer.
Enjoying Your Cheese
Remove your cheese from the fridge for up to two hours before consuming, or however long it takes to reach room temperature. We suggest putting the cheese (still in it’s wrapper) on a platter or board and draping over a very lightly dampened tea towel. The towel and wax paper should be removed just before serving. When eating your cheeses, we recommend first trying them in ascending order of strength, starting with the goat cheese (typically this has a fresh acidity and is also a great palate cleanser) and finishing with the blue ( usually the cheese with the fullest and strongest flavour). By doing this, the flavours of the different cheeses overlap and encourages the most complete taste-sensations. It also ensures that the flavours of the milder cheeses are never eclipsed or spoilt by the more intense, complex-tasting ones.
Can I Order A Surprise Gift?
Our gift sets are ideal for any lover of fine foods!!!
We understand wanting to surprise a recipient with a gift containing cheese and charcuterie. However, we highly recommend that you alert the recipient of the delivery date and tell them to expect something perishable. If you provide the recipient’s mobile phone and/or email at checkout (in the shipping information or in the additional comments field) we will use that when booking your delivery with DPD. If you don’t provide the recipient’s information, we will use the email and phone number you have provided for yourself. DPD will send the contact a text message and an email with information about your delivery slot. You can also use this message to insert your special delivery instructions. Please note that if you only provide us with your contact details, it is your responsibility to let the recipient know that the item is on its way and that it contains perishable items that need to be refrigerated as soon as possible.
Do You Substitute Items?
Unfortunately some products may occasionally be out of stock or unsuitable for shipping. In this instance, we will substitute an item with another item of equal or greater value than the original, or issue a refund for the product. This applies to items within gift sets and individual items. In these circumstances, we will make every effort to ensure that the style and quality of the substitution is as similar to the original item as possible.
What Is Your Returns Policy?
Should you have an issue with the quality of any of our goods, we ask you to provide photographic evidence within 12 hours of receiving them.
If the goods are deemed to be faulty on examination of the photos, we will issue a refund or a replacement for the faulty item.
If you do not inform us of a problem within 12 hours of receiving an order, or if you dispose of any of our goods without having first obtained photographic evidence, we would not feel obliged to accept your claim.
Unless a product is faulty, we can only accept returns on non-perishable items. Any goods returned to us must be in a saleable condition. The cost of postage is the buyer's responsibility; we urge you to get proof of postage in all cases. We will reimburse you the cost of the item upon its arrival at our office.
If you have received items in error, please contact us on 0800 987 5853 or email info@thegourmetgiftcompany.com. We will then arrange for a courier to collect or exchange the items.
Do You Use Sustainable Packaging?
Wherever possible we try to keep the use of plastic packaging to a minimum and use recyclable or biodegradable alternatives. However, sometimes the use of plastic is unavoidable, as we want to ensure that your food gifts reaches you in perfect condition.
Do You Stock Vegan Cheese?
At the moment we do not offer any vegan cheese, but we are continually trying to source suitable products.