Seller Agreement

This Seller Agreement (the "Agreement") forms a legally binding contract between TheFlavourLink and you (the "Seller" / "Home Chef"). By registering as a cook on TheFlavourLink, you agree to comply with all terms below.

1. Independent Status

You operate as an independent self-employed individual or sole trader running a Food Business Operator (FBO) from your domestic home kitchen under UK law. You are not an employee, worker, agent, or partner of TheFlavourLink. You are solely responsible for declaring your own income and tax to HMRC.

1. Mandatory UK Hygiene & Registration Requirements

To list and sell food on the TheFlavourLink Platform, you explicitly warrant and declare that you have satisfied the following legal requirements:

1. Local Authority Registration: You are registered as a "Food Business" with your local UK council authority (in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 852/2004) at least 28 days prior to trading.
2. Food Safety Certification: You hold a valid Level 2 Food Safety & Hygiene Certificate for Catering.
3. Safer Food, Better Business (SFBB): You maintain standard home kitchen records in accordance with the FSA's Safer Food, Better Business pack (including daily temperature checks and hygienic food storage).
4. Kitchen Hygiene Standard: Your domestic kitchen is maintained in a clean, hygienic state, free from pest infestation, with clear separation between raw meats and ready-to-eat cooked meals.
5. Allergen Transparency Duty
6. Mandatory Tagging: You agree to accurately select and declare all relevant ingredients and any of the 14 FSA major allergens present in every dish you list via the app interface.
7. Truthful Declarations: You understand that misrepresenting allergens poses a severe health hazard. Providing false or missing allergen information will result in immediate permanent suspension from the Platform and potential referral to Trading Standards.
8. Financial Terms & Payouts
9. Platform Fee: TheFlavourLink will deduct a 20% platform commission from the total value of completed food orders.
10. 4-Digit PIN Verification: For self-collection orders, payouts are triggered upon entering the Buyer's unique 4-digit Pickup PIN into your Seller Dashboard.
11. Payout Processing: Net earnings (80%) are transferred directly to your linked bank account via Stripe Connect.
12. Packaging & Standards
13. All meals must be packed in clean, food-grade, leak-proof containers (e.g., compartmentalized foil or eco-friendly bento containers) with secure lids.
14. Containers must be sealed with a tamper-evident seal prior to customer handover.
15. Indemnity Clause

You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless TheFlavourLink, its directors, and employees from any claims, fines, damages, consumer disputes, or legal liabilities arising from food poisoning, hygiene violations, allergen mislabeling, or non-compliance with local council regulations originating from your kitchen.