Privacy policy
Privacy Policy - The Basics
This policy explains how The Blue Ball Inn collects and uses personal information through our website at grantchesterblueball.co.uk, and in the course of running the pub.
The Blue Ball Inn is the data controller, which means we are responsible for deciding how your information is used and for keeping it safe. You can reach us at hello@grantchesterblueball.co.uk or by post at:
United Kingdom
Last updated: 23.09.2026
What information we collect
You can browse our website without telling us who you are. We only hold personal information when you choose to give it to us, or when it is created automatically as you use the site.
When you make a booking we collect your name, contact details, the date and size of your booking, and any dietary or access requirements you tell us about.
We also collect limited technical information automatically, such as the type of device and browser you are using and how you move around the site. This comes from cookies and is explained in the next section.
How we use your information
UK data protection law requires us to have a lawful basis for everything we do with your information.
Ours are set out below.
We use your enquiry to reply to you and to answer your question. Our lawful basis is legitimate interests, because you have contacted us and would expect a reply.
We use your booking details to hold your table or the shed, to contact you about the booking, and to cater for any requirements you have told us about. Our lawful basis is performance of a contract with you. Where you give us dietary or health information, we use it only to keep you safe, with your consent.
We use technical and cookie information to keep the website working properly and to understand how it is being used, so we can improve it. Our lawful basis for cookies that are not strictly necessary is your consent.
Cookies
Cookies are small files placed on your device when you visit a website. Some are necessary for the site to function, and some help us understand how visitors use it.
When you first arrive you will see a banner asking which cookies you are happy for us to use. Necessary cookies are always on, because the site will not work without them. Anything else is only set if you agree, and you can change your mind at any time through the same banner or by clearing cookies in your browser settings.
The analytics tool we use is Google Analytics. It tells us things like how many people visited the site, which pages they looked at and roughly where in the world they were, all as a group rather than as named individuals. It only runs if you accept analytics cookies.
Who we share it with
We do not sell, rent or trade your personal information, and we do not pass it to anyone for their own marketing.
We do share it with the suppliers who help us run the pub and the website. That includes our website platform, our email provider. They act on our instructions and are not allowed to use your information for their own purposes.
We may also share information where the law requires it, for example with the police or a regulator, or where it is necessary to protect someone's safety.
Where your information is held
Our website is built and hosted on Wix Studio, and some of the suppliers we use store information on servers outside the United Kingdom. Where that happens, we rely on those suppliers having appropriate safeguards in place, such as the UK's international data transfer agreement or an adequacy decision covering the country concerned.
We keep your information secure using appropriate technical and organisational measures, including restricted access and secure storage. No system can be completely secure, but we take this seriously and review it as the business changes.
How long we keep it
We keep personal information only for as long as we need it.
Enquiries are kept for twelve months after we have dealt with them, unless they become part of a longer conversation or a booking.
Bookings are kept for two years, and financial records for six years, which is the period HMRC requires.
Once we no longer need information we delete it securely.
Your rights
Under UK data protection law you have the right to ask us for a copy of the information we hold about you, to have anything inaccurate corrected, and to ask us to delete it. You can also ask us to stop or limit how we use it, object to us using it on the basis of our legitimate interests, and in some cases ask us to transfer it to another organisation.
Where we rely on your consent, such as for marketing emails, you can withdraw that consent at any time. Doing so does not affect anything we did before you withdrew it.
To exercise any of these rights, email us at hello@grantchesterblueball.co.uk. We will respond within one month.
CCTV
We operate CCTV at the pub for the safety of our customers and staff and to prevent crime. Signs are displayed where cameras are in use. Recordings are kept for [suggested: thirty days] and are then overwritten, unless we need to keep a recording for an incident or to pass it to the police. Our lawful basis is legitimate interests.
Changes to this policy
We may update this policy from time to time, for example if we start using a new booking system or change how we handle marketing. The date at the bottom shows when it was last updated.
Contact us
If you have a question about this policy, or about how we use your information, email hello@grantchesterblueball.co.uk or write to us at:
United Kingdom
If you are not happy with how we have handled your information, you can complain to the Information Commissioner's Office at ico.org.uk or on 0303 123 1113. We would rather hear from you first so we can put things right.