When a takeaway arrives cold, the first question is who is responsible — the restaurant or the delivery company?
The law says your contract is with the business you placed the order with. If you ordered directly from the restaurant, then it is their responsibility to ensure the food reaches you in a satisfactory condition — hot and fit to eat. If you ordered through a delivery platform (such as Deliveroo, Uber Eats, or Just Eat), then your contract is actually with them, not the restaurant. In that case, it’s the delivery platform’s duty to put things right.
What should you do?
1. Act quickly. Report the problem straight away, ideally through the app or by phoning the restaurant if you ordered direct.
2. Request a remedy. You can ask for a refund, a replacement, or sometimes a credit for a future order.
3. Know your rights. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, goods (including food) must be of satisfactory quality and fit for purpose — hot food is expected to be hot on arrival. If it isn’t, you’re entitled to a remedy.
In short:
• Ordered direct from the restaurant? They should reimburse or replace.
• Ordered through a delivery app? The platform should reimburse you, though they may recover the cost from the restaurant afterwards.
Either way, you should not be left out of pocket for food that arrives cold.
