Frequently Asked Questions
Deliveries
We ship to all UK mainland addresses excluding Northern Ireland, highland and islands.
No - sadly we can only ship to UK mainland. Perishable items don't lend themselves to overseas delivery.
UK Mainland deliveries are FREE for all subscription boxes and any orders over £50.
UK Mainland deliveries for orders between £20 and £50 cost £7.50. On orders below £20 there is a small order delivery charge of £11.50. Local deliveries to post code SO51 are free for orders over £20 (£7.50 on orders below £20). From time to time these charges will vary depending on how much you spend.
Sadly, our couriers cannot reliably offer overnight deliveries to UK Highlands, N. Ireland, Scottish Islands, Isle of Man, Scilly & Channel Islands. We, therefore, do not offer delivery options to these areas, but may offer shipping at an extra cost at our discretion.
We only make local deliveries (SO51) in our own vehicle - delivery days may vary.
Yes - on orders over £20 we deliver free of charge to all addresses in Romsey and SO51 post code.
Please allow 5 working days from the date of your order but we will always endeavour get it to you earlier if we can.
Most deliveries are made by our carrier partner DHL Express. In some circumstances, particularly to remote locations, we may use another carrier (such as Royal Mail).
For local addresses to Romsey we will use our own delivery vehicles.
Standard orders will usually be delivered by DHL. Your order will normally be delivered between 8.00 a.m. and 6.00 p.m but please have patience with delivery drivers at busy times! You will be contacted by our delivery partners DHL who will give you a time slot for when to expect your delivery. Please use DHL tracking pages and the DHL consignment number in order to track the progress of your order when it is in their hands.
In some circumstances, particularly to remote locations, we may use another carrier (such as Royal Mail), so a tracking system may not be available.
Very occasionally, particularly close to Christmas, our carriers will extend their delivery window to cope with increased workload and traffic. We would therefore always suggest that if you need the items for a particular event, consider taking delivery a day or two in advance.
We can not guarantee a delivery by a specific time if we are using our own delivery vehicles (local deliveries). Please contact the office 01794 330000 if you need help.
Yes. If you have given us your email address we will send you notification when your order is due to leave our offices in Romsey. It will include our carriers consignment Number and a link to their tracking page. Enter your consignment number into their ‘monitor shipping’ page for regular updates on your package’s progress.
In some circumstances, particularly to remote locations, we may use another carrier (such as Royal Mail), so tracking may not always be available.
For deliveries using our own in house vans, you may like to contact the office for updates on delivery times.
While we do everything we can to make sure your orders are delivered, sometimes mistakes do happen and deliveries don’t arrive. It is, however, your responsibility to let us know if there may be any impediment to a successful delivery. This is particularly important where we are delivering to shared entrances in London. In this instance and, if we can not gain entry to the building, we will return the package to the depot and we will be unable to replace the order.
During adverse weather conditions (including but not limited to heavy snow, ice, flooding or high winds), our delivery partners may not be able to deliver orders on time. This is outside of our control and we cannot accept responsibility for the late delivery of the order. Therefore, in the event of adverse weather conditions, we aren’t able to refund or offer re-delivery of affected orders.
Our carrier partner DHL will locate your property using your postcode as it is registered with Royal Mail. As long as your correct address is registered here then the driver should have no problem finding where you are. Please ensure your address is entered clearly and correctly when you place your order and please include a telephone number in all cases.
If you know your property is particularly difficult to identify (perhaps the signage is confusing, you have more than one drive, or you share access with someone else, you do not have a street number) please add details when prompted on our website, or call our customer service team. In extreme circumstances we can even add written instructions to the outside of the box!
We can deliver on a Saturday but you will incur extra delivery charges. Please contact our office to discuss this further. Unfortunately there are no collections by our courier company on Saturdays and Sundays for an overnight deliveries on Monday due to the nature the product.
We normally offer a date selection service for Christmas and Easter deliveries.
For standard orders, you can request a specific delivery day in the order comments box on the checkout page as you place your order, and we will endeavour to make sure your order arrives on the day specified. (Please note there are no standard courier deliveries on Saturdays, Sundays or Mondays)
Yes - we offer a collection option on our checkout page, allowing you to choose the time and date you wish to collect.
Orders
All items will generally be packed in a fully recyclable insulated cardboard box. Both the box and the insulated lining are made from 100% recycled material and both can be put in your household recycling. The box will include ice packs as necessary, so your goods will be kept at the perfect temperature for up to 24 hours from the time of dispatch. Please note that some items will be sent in compostable wool insulation. Due to the special requirements of shipping 'The Gleamer' this product is sent out in a sealed polystyrene box.
Please be aware that because you order a fresh/chilled product, we do not recommend leaving it out of the fridge for any length of time as this will break the chill chain and we will be unable to accept any return of such product.
The gel ice packs will thaw gradually during transit - this is how they keep the product cool. Please do not be concerned if you find that some or all of the ice has melted when your parcel arrives.
Our gel ice packs are made with food grade material and recyclable polyethylene plastic to give maximum resistance to tears and splitting . We take our environmental responsibilities seriously so rather than putting them in the bin we hope you will reuse them.
Yes - both the insulated cardboard box and the insulated lining can be put in standard household recycling.
Yes our gel ice packs are made with food grade material and recyclable polyethylene plastic to give maximum resistance to tears and splitting . We take our environmental responsibilities seriously so rather than putting them in the bin we hope you will reuse them.
If you want to dispose of the gel packs, the plastic can be recycled at most supermarkets along with plastic bags. The gel contents can be added to household waste, safely poured down the drain or even used in the garden. Mix the gel contents with the soil around your plants and it will retain water and nutrients while the mixture dissolves.
While our all our products are packed carefully to ensure they arrive in perfect condition, on occasion (and for reasons beyond our control) damage may occur in transit. Should this occur to a level that you deem unacceptable, please contact us so that we can arrange a free replacement at our next available delivery date, or a refund. Please note that you will need to email us a photo of the damaged products within 24 hours of receipt in order to be eligible for a refund.
Due to the perishable nature of our products we are unable to accept returns. We offer our customers refunds or a replacement delivery if our orders are not delivered to an acceptable quality, as detailed above.
Please contact our offices on 01794 330000 for advice and information on returning products to us.
No. Don't worry, we don't have a minimum order. However, we offer free delivery to any order over £50 to a single delivery address. We also ask our customers to recognise the rising costs of insulated packaging and delivery and try to place larger orders where possible.
Please remember also that nearly everything we sell is suitable for home freezing, so we'd urge you to take the opportunity to make up your order with other products you enjoy or would like to try in the future! You could also combine with a friend’s order.
Payment for online orders can be made by debit/credit cards, ShopPay and ApplePay.
For orders placed by telephone we accept all major cards including American Express. You can also pay using ChalkStream Gift Vouchers.
We only accept payment in sterling.
When you place your order we will normally take payment immediately. Payment is therefore taken at the time the order is placed.
If you have made a mistake on your order and the goods have not left our office, we can definitely help. Please telephone the office and we shall be pleased to amend your order accordingly.
You can add a gift message in the Order Comments box in your e-shopping basket. We will hand write a card for you and add it to your delivery.
Yes, however, you must to place a separate order for each delivery address. We no longer have a 'shop to multiple addresses' function on the website as it was causing too many issues for customers.
Yes, of course - just contact the office and we will be delighted to place the order for you.
Yes, you can. Gift cards are available for purchase via our website. To purchase a gift card CLICK HERE
Our Gift Cards must be redeemed on our Website, as full or part payment for products from our Website.
Gift cards are issued by email directly to the purchaser or to a nominated recipient.
All Gift Cards are dated and expire 2 years from the date of issue. No refunds will be processed in respect of the purchase of Gift Cards and they cannot be exchanged for cash.
Where products purchased online with a Gift Card are returned, any monies owing will be refunded by way of the relevant amount of credit added to the Gift Card recipient’s account at ChalkStream®.
If the gift card is misplaced, you can click on the 'Resend gift card' from the order confirmation email.
If you would like to check your balance, please contact us and we email the information directly to you.
Yes. If you have a discount code it can be entered on the payment page during checkout. Please note that discount codes cannot be used on subscription products unless clearly specified.
At our discretion, from time to time, we may offer products at discounted prices. These offers are valid from the time that we introduce them to the end date of the offer and they cannot be used for purchases before the offer introduction date or after the offer end date.
Except where otherwise stated, discounts and credits are available only once to any one person. Discounts and credits cannot be used in conjunction with any other offers and are based on the value of the products discounted. Free delivery may affect the promotional code.
Discounts and voucher codes cannot be redeemed against delivery charges. Please note that if by using a discount or voucher, your order total (excluding the delivery charge) is below £40, you will not be entitled of receiving free shipping.
ChalkStream®️ are pleased to sell a wide variety of our products to trade customers, from prestigious five-star hotels and the top London food halls to the smallest delis, butchers and farm shops. If you have a business and think your customers would enjoy ChalkStream’s range of quality products, do get in touch. If you are an existing customer and require any help or advice on products, please contact Arthur Voelcker who will be happy to help. Telephone: 01794 330000
Yes we can. We know how hard it can be selecting gifts for clients and colleagues. Why not talk to our sales team 01794 3300000 who will be delighted to help you design bespoke gifts, often partnering with other local purveyors of fine food and wines.
We are able to deliver in bulk to your place of work or send the parcels to individual addresses. Please bear in mind that packs contain perishable items with relatively short shelf life. Please contact our office to discuss this further on 01794 330000 or email enquiries@chalkstreamfoods.co.uk
Subscription Boxes
We offer pay monthly subscriptions on the Fresh Box and Big Fresh Box and hope to offer more options soon.
To order - view the Fresh Box or Big Fresh Box product page, select 'Subscribe Now' and purchase as normal through checkout.
Yes, but you must have an account with our website to be able to manage your subscription. To access your account click on the person icon on the top right of the website. After entering your account page click on the 'View and Edit Subscription' button to the right. Select 'Manage Your Subscription' to make changes to your upcoming orders, skip a subscription or select the date of your next order.
Yes - you can do this through your website account. After entering your account page click on the 'View and Edit Subscription' button to the right and then click on 'Manage Your Subscription'. Select 'Edit your upcoming orders' and add the products you would like to include by choosing 'Add to subscription'.
Yes - you can add products to come with your next subscription order through your website account. After entering your account page click on the 'View and Edit Subscription' button to the right and then click on 'Manage Your Subscription'. Select 'Edit your upcoming orders' and add the products you would like to include by choosing 'Buy Once'.
To avoid delivery charges please order a new subscription without further products in your basket. You can add other products to your next order through your website account. If you would like us to add products to your initial order please contact Tracey to arrange this for you on enquiries@chalkstreamfoods.co.uk
Yes - If you would like to gift a pay monthly Fresh Box, please make sure that the shipping address details are correct for the recipient at checkout.
You can add a gift message by clicking 'Add a Gift Message' at the base of the basket. We will hand write a card for you and add it to your delivery.
Yes - please contact us if you are unable to set up an account on our website for any reason.
The monthly fresh boxes have a minimum of 2 months subscriptions.
You can skip your next order or reschedule the subscription to any upcoming future date. After entering your account page click on the 'View and Edit Subscription' button to the right and then click on 'Manage Your Subscription'. Select 'Skip' on the bottom right of the page.
If you would like to change the frequency which you receive your subscription email enquiries@chalkstreamfoods.co.uk and we will get it sorted for you.
Yes - you can cancel your fresh box subscription at any time after the first 2 monthly boxes. Please go to 'View and Edit Subscription' in your account page.
Eating and Freezing at Home
In order for our fresh products (twin packs, fillets and gleamers) to keep the best possible flavour we recommend eating them within 48 hours of receipt or freezing them. When you are ready to defrost your products, follow our defrosting instructions in the FAQs below and they will taste wonderfully fresh.
If you don't want to freeze them you can of course eat them at any stage up until their Use By Date, but we think the flavour is at it's best used or frozen within 48 hours.
Yes. All ChalkStream®️ products are fresh and suitable for home freezing.
When freezing, products should be stored in a freezer below -18ºC. For the best quality, store for a maximum 3 months in the freezer.
Always defrost food in a refrigerator below 8ºC for good safety practice.