Refund policy

Last updated · 3 May 2026

We want you to be genuinely happy with your kit. If for any reason you aren't, we'd rather hear about it and put it right than have anyone hold on to something they're not enjoying. This policy explains what's possible, when, and how.

1. Our 30-day happiness guarantee

Within 30 days of receiving your kit, if you are not delighted with it, contact us. We'll do one of three things, your choice:

  • Refund you in full.
  • Replace the kit with a fresh one.
  • Help you troubleshoot whatever has gone wrong — sometimes it's a starter that just needs another day, sometimes it's a feeding rhythm that needs adjusting, and we're happy to spend the time on either.

No scripts. No hoops. We just want to know what isn't working.

2. Your statutory right to cancel

Under the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013, you have the right to cancel an online order for any reason within 14 days of receiving the goods. To cancel, email us at hello@thesourdoughhub.co.uk with your order number and the words "cancel my order".

You then have a further 14 days to send the goods back to us, in re-saleable condition. Return postage is your responsibility unless the goods are faulty or misdescribed. Once we receive them, we'll refund the price of the goods (and the original outbound delivery charge if you cancel the entire order) within 14 days, by the same method you used to pay.

3. The live starter culture — an important note

The starter culture in our kit is a living organism. Once you've activated it — that is, given it its first feed — it cannot be returned for hygiene reasons, in line with regulation 28(3) of the Consumer Contracts Regulations.

This applies only to the starter culture itself. The rest of the kit (the jar, the jug, the flour, the booklet) is fully returnable under the rest of this policy.

If your starter doesn't show signs of life within ten days of you following the instructions correctly, that's a different matter — that is a fault on our side, and we'll send a replacement free of charge. Please reach out before assuming it's failed; nine times out of ten, the issue is timing or temperature, and a quick conversation sorts it.

4. Faulty or misdescribed goods

Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, you're entitled to a refund or replacement if the goods you receive are faulty, damaged, or do not match the description on our website. Contact us within 30 days of delivery and we'll cover the cost of return postage. We may ask for photographs to help us understand what went wrong; not because we doubt you, but because it helps us improve and avoid the same issue happening again.

5. How to start a return or refund

  1. Email hello@thesourdoughhub.co.uk with your order number and a sentence about what's wrong.
  2. We'll reply within one working day, usually faster, with return instructions and (where applicable) a prepaid return label.
  3. Once your return arrives, we'll process the refund within 14 days — usually within 2–3.

You don't need to fill in a form. You don't need to ring an automated line. You email a person, and that person reads your email and replies.

6. Refund timing

Refunds are issued back to the original payment method. Card refunds typically take 3–5 working days to appear on your statement, depending on your bank. PayPal and Klarna refunds are usually instant. If a refund hasn't reached you within ten working days of our confirmation email, get in touch and we'll chase it.

7. Sale items, discounted items, and gift orders

Items bought on sale or with a discount code are returnable on the same terms as full-price items.

For gift orders: if you received a kit as a gift and would like to return it, please contact us. We'll arrange a refund directly to the original purchaser unless they instruct otherwise. We can also offer a store credit equivalent to the gift's value if you'd prefer.

8. Things we cannot refund

  • The starter culture once it has been activated (see section 3).
  • Kits returned more than 30 days after delivery, except in cases of latent fault under the Consumer Rights Act.
  • Kits that have been damaged after delivery through ordinary use or accident — though if there's a manufacturing defect, that's a different matter and is covered.

9. International orders

We do not currently ship outside the United Kingdom. If we extend our shipping in future, this policy will be updated to reflect any differences for international orders.

10. Anything else

If you've read this and your situation isn't covered, write to us anyway. We've never had a customer query we haven't been able to settle in conversation, and we'd like to keep that record.

The Sourdough Hub. Our office address is Frome, Somerset, BA11. Our company contact details and full Terms & Conditions are on our Terms & Conditions page.