Effective Date: 1 March 2026 | Last Updated: 26 February 2026
VirtualChef ("the App") is published by Rhubarb Press ("we", "us", "our"). This policy explains what personal data we collect, why we collect it, how we store and protect it, and what rights you have.
Data Controller: Rhubarb Press
Contact: enquiries@rhubarbpress.com
Registered in: United Kingdom
VirtualChef is rated 17+ and requires all users to confirm their date of birth before using the App. We do not knowingly collect data from anyone under 17. If you are under 17, please do not use this App.
Your date of birth is stored solely for age verification. It is never shared with third parties or used for marketing purposes.
| Data | Purpose | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Email address | Account creation and sign-in | You provide it, or your Google/Apple account |
| Display name | Community profile | You set it |
| Profile photo | Community profile | You upload it (optional) |
| Date of birth | Age verification (17+ requirement) | You provide it |
| Authentication provider | Sign-in method (Email, Google, Apple) | Automatic |
| Data | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Pantry items (names, quantities, expiry dates, storage locations) | Pantry management and "Use Up" recipe suggestions |
| Shopping list items | Shopping list functionality |
| Custom recipes | Your personal recipe collection |
| Menu plans | Weekly meal planning |
| Favourite recipes and cocktails | Quick access to recipes you like |
| Tried & Tested reviews | Your personal recipe journal with ratings and notes |
| Dietary preferences, allergies, dislikes | Personalised recipe filtering and warnings |
| Kitchen equipment | Recipe recommendations based on your kitchen |
If you choose to use the "My Body" feature, we store:
This data is stored in your private account and is never shared with anyone. It is used solely to display your personal health tracking dashboard. We are not a medical service and this data should not be used for medical decisions.
If you participate in the Community features (sharing recipes, Rate My Plate, comments, following users), the following is visible to other users:
When you scan a receipt, the image is sent to Google Gemini (see Section 5) for text extraction. We extract:
Receipt images are processed in real time and not stored on our servers. Extracted data is stored locally on your device and synced to your private account if you are signed in.
If you use the Budget Tracker, we store your budget targets, receipt totals, and spending history. This is private to your account.
| Data | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Device locale and timezone | Language selection and local time display |
| Platform (iOS/Android) | Platform-specific behaviour and ad serving |
| App version | Bug tracking and feature compatibility |
Account data, app data, and community content are stored in Google Firebase (Firestore database and Firebase Storage for images). Firebase data centres are located in the EU (eu-west region) and comply with GDPR.
The App stores data locally on your device for offline access and performance. This includes pantry items, recipes, shopping lists, preferences, and chat history. Local data is not encrypted separately from your device's built-in encryption (iOS Data Protection / Android file-based encryption).
If you sign in on multiple devices, your data syncs automatically via Firestore. Changes on one device appear on others within seconds.
We use the following third-party services. Each has its own privacy policy governing how it handles data:
| Service | Purpose | Data Shared | Privacy Policy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Firebase | Authentication, database, image storage | Account data, app data, uploaded images | firebase.google.com/support/privacy |
| Google Gemini API | Receipt scanning (OCR) | Receipt images (processed in real time, not stored) | ai.google.dev/terms |
| OpenAI API | Text-to-speech for cooking instructions | Recipe instruction text (processed in real time) | openai.com/policies/privacy-policy |
| RevenueCat | Subscription management | User ID, purchase history, subscription status | revenuecat.com/privacy |
| Google AdMob | Advertising (free tier users) | Device advertising ID, ad interaction data | policies.google.com/privacy |
| Cloudinary | Recipe image hosting (CDN) | No personal data — images are public recipe photos | cloudinary.com/privacy |
| TheMealDB / TheCocktailDB | Recipe and cocktail data | No personal data — read-only public APIs | N/A (public API, no user data) |
Free-tier users see advertisements served by Google AdMob. AdMob may use your device's advertising identifier to show personalised ads based on your interests. You can opt out of personalised advertising:
Premium subscribers see no advertisements.
We never share your personal data (name, email, health data, pantry contents) with advertisers.
| Data Type | Retention Period |
|---|---|
| Account data | Until you delete your account |
| App data (pantry, recipes, shopping lists, etc.) | Until you delete your account |
| Community posts | Until you delete them or your account |
| Body & health data | Until you delete your account |
| Receipt images | Not stored — processed in real time and discarded |
| Chat history (Ask the Chef) | Stored locally on device only; cleared on app uninstall |
| Local storage | Cleared when you uninstall the App |
Under the UK GDPR and EU GDPR, you have the right to:
To exercise any of these rights, email enquiries@rhubarbpress.com. We will respond within 30 days.
You can delete your account from within the App (Settings > Account > Delete Account). This permanently deletes:
Deletion is irreversible. Local data on your device is cleared on the next app restart.
Your data is primarily stored in Google Firebase's EU data centres. Some third-party services (OpenAI, RevenueCat) may process data in the United States. These transfers are protected by Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) or equivalent safeguards as required by UK/EU GDPR.
The App itself does not use cookies. Third-party services (Google AdMob, Firebase) may use device identifiers for analytics and ad personalisation as described in their respective privacy policies.
VirtualChef is not intended for children under 17. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If we discover that a user is under 17, we will promptly delete their account and all associated data.
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of material changes by displaying a notice within the App. The "Last Updated" date at the top of this page indicates when the latest changes were made.
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, your data, or your rights, contact us at:
Email: enquiries@rhubarbpress.com
Company: Rhubarb Press
Country: United Kingdom
© 2026 Rhubarb Press. All rights reserved.