Privacy policy

Effective date: November 14, 2026

This policy explains what information RecipesInHand ("we", "us") collects when you use the site, why, who we share it with, and the choices you have. RecipesInHand is operated by Stephen Hay.

Information we collect

Account details: your name, email address and password (stored only as a secure hash, never in readable form). If you add one, your mobile phone number.
What you put in your recipe book: recipes, photos, ingredients, directions, notes, meal plans, shopping lists and the ingredients you list as on hand.
Special occasions: the menus, preparation steps and notes you plan, and the guest list you enter for them: names (optional), email addresses (optional) and any dietary needs or notes you add for each guest.
Guests you invite: if you send an invitation, we email that guest once with a link to their own page, and (unless they turn it off) one reminder the day before. On that page a guest can reply, share dietary needs with you, and choose a text reminder instead: we only text a guest who typed in their own mobile number, ticked the consent box and replied YES, and we record when they agreed. Guests can turn reminders off or remove their email address and phone number from their page at any time; they're deleted with the occasion. We never use guests' details for anything else or contact them about anything else.
Birthdays and anniversaries you add: a name, the date and, if you choose, the year, so we can remind you to plan.
Settings: your time zone, country, reminder choices and times, the holidays you celebrate, household size and daily calorie target.
Subscription details: your plan, billing period and subscription status. Payments are handled by our payment provider, Stripe. We never see or store your full card number.
Reminder records: when a reminder was sent, to which email address or phone number, and whether it was delivered.
Recipe imports: the web address of any recipe page you ask us to import. Our server visits that page to read the recipe.
Technical information: your IP address, browser type and the pages you request. We use these to keep the site running and secure, for example to block repeated failed log-in attempts.

How we use your information

To provide the site: storing your recipes, building meal plans and shopping lists, and sending the reminders you turn on.
To manage your account and subscription, and to send account emails such as password resets.
To keep the site secure and prevent abuse.
To answer your questions when you contact us.

We don't sell your personal information, show you ads, or use advertising or tracking cookies.

We share information only with the service providers that help us run the site, and only what they need to do their job:

Hosting provider – stores the site, its database and backups of the database.
Stripe – processes payments. See Stripe's privacy policy.
Email delivery provider – delivers reminder and account emails.
Twilio – delivers text message reminders (your phone number and the message text). See Twilio's privacy policy.
Have I Been Pwned – when you choose a password, we check that it hasn't been exposed in another website's data breach. Only the first 5 characters of a one-way fingerprint (hash) of the password are sent, which hundreds of different passwords share; your password and your account details are never sent.

Text messaging: no mobile information will be shared with third parties or affiliates for marketing or promotional purposes. Text messaging opt-in data and consent are not shared with any third parties, except the providers that deliver the messages.

We may also disclose information if the law requires it, or to protect the rights and safety of our users or the public.

Cookies

We use only the cookies the site needs to work:

a sign-in cookie that keeps you logged in;
a security cookie that protects forms from forgery;
if you choose it, a cookie that remembers a trusted device for two-factor authentication.

We don't use analytics, advertising or tracking cookies.

Stored on your device

If you use the Kitchen (the part of the site that works without a connection), your browser keeps a copy of what it needs on your device: your recent shopping lists, the next week's planned meals, and the recipes in them plus your favourites. It also keeps the Kitchen's own files so it can open offline. Changes you make while offline (ticking or adding items) stay on your device until they can be sent to us. Cook mode remembers the text size you chose, in your browser.

This stays in your browser on that device; it isn't used for tracking or shared with anyone. Signing out removes it from that browser. On a device you can't sign out of, clearing the browser's data for this site removes it too.

Text message reminders

If you turn on text reminders and agree to receive them, we send meal reminders to the mobile number on your profile. Reply STOP to any message to stop them, or turn text reminders off in Reminders & preferences. Reply HELP for help. See our Terms of service for details.

Email reminders

Every reminder email has an unsubscribe link. You can also turn email reminders off in Reminders & preferences.

How long we keep it

We keep your information while your account is open. When you delete your account, your recipes, photos, meal plans, shopping lists, settings and reminder records are deleted right away. We back up the database regularly so your information can be recovered after a problem; copies in backups are removed within 30 days.

Records of the reminders we've sent you are deleted after 90 days. Shopping lists that haven't been opened or changed for 1 year are deleted.

Your choices and rights

See and change your details on your profile page.
Download a copy of your data (recipes and photos, meal plans, shopping lists, settings and account details) from Account › Your data.
Delete your account and everything in it from Account › Your data.
Stop reminders at any time, as described above.

Depending on where you live, you may have other rights, such as asking for a copy of your information or objecting to how it's used. Contact us to make a request and we'll respond within the time the law requires.

Security

The site is served over an encrypted (HTTPS) connection. Passwords are stored as secure hashes, payment provider keys are encrypted, and you can turn on two-factor authentication for extra protection. No system is perfectly secure, but we work to protect your information.

Children

The site isn't directed at children under 13, and we don't knowingly collect information from them. If you think a child has given us information, contact us and we'll delete it.

Changes to this policy

If we make important changes, we'll update the date above and let you know by email or on the site before they take effect.

Contact us

Questions about privacy? Email support@recipesinhand.com.