FAQ
The questions we are asked most. If yours is not here, email admin@halstromvale.com and you will get a real answer from a person.
Delivery
How long will my order take?
Orders are dispatched within 1 to 2 working days of payment, and most UK orders then arrive within 7 to 14 days. Please allow up to 21 days from the day you order, since delivery can run longer in busy periods or when a carrier is delayed. International orders take longer again. Full detail is on the Shipping page.
When is my order dispatched?
Within 1 to 2 working days of payment. You will get an email with tracking as soon as it leaves.
What does delivery cost?
UK delivery is £5.99 tracked, and free on UK orders over £100. The European Union is a flat £14.99, and our other international destinations are a flat £23.99. Whichever applies to your order is shown in full at checkout before you pay anything.
Where do you ship?
The United Kingdom, the European Union, and a further group of countries: Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Israel, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland and the United Arab Emirates. If we do not currently ship to your country, checkout will tell you before you get any further.
Will I be charged customs or import duty?
Orders within the United Kingdom are not subject to import charges. If you are ordering from outside the UK, your own country may charge import duty, VAT or a handling fee before your parcel is released. Those charges are set by your government rather than by us, and they are yours to pay. We do not mark parcels as gifts and we do not understate their value on customs paperwork. There is more detail on the Shipping page.
Can I track my order?
Yes. Tracking is emailed to you at dispatch. If it has not moved for a few days that is usually the parcel sitting between carriers rather than anything being wrong, but email us and we will chase it.
Returns
What is your returns policy?
You have 14 days from delivery to tell us you want to cancel, and no reason is needed. You then have a further 14 days to send the goods back. Items need to come back unused and complete, with the original packaging. The full policy, including how we handle deductions for items that have been used, is on the Returns and Refunds page.
Who pays for return postage?
You do, if you have changed your mind. We do, if the item is faulty, damaged or not what you ordered. In that second case you will not be out of pocket at all.
My order arrived damaged. What now?
Email admin@halstromvale.com with your order number and a photograph of the damage, including the box it came in. We will refund or replace it. Photographs genuinely speed this up, because they let us deal with the carrier at the same time.
Looking after what you buy
Why do wooden boards need oiling?
Wood loses moisture, and a dry board is a board that splits. A rub of food safe mineral or beeswax oil every month or two puts it back. It takes two minutes and it is the single thing that decides whether a board lasts one year or twenty.
Can wooden boards and bamboo lids go in the dishwasher?
No. A hot cycle dries untreated timber out, lifts the grain and eventually splits it. Hand wash them, and stand a board on its edge so both faces dry evenly. Glass and ceramic parts are usually fine in the dishwasher, and each product page says which is which.
Is uncoated steel actually non stick?
It behaves that way once you use it properly. Heat the empty pan for a moment, let the oil come up to temperature, then add the food. That one habit is the whole trick. The difference from a coated pan is that this one does not get worse with age, and you can take an abrasive pad to it without ruining it.
Why does my hand painted set look different to the photograph?
Because it was painted by hand rather than printed. The brushwork lands differently on every piece, and on the kiln glazed range the colour is a result of the firing rather than something applied to the surface afterwards. Variation between pieces is the point of buying them, not a fault.
What is end grain, and why does it cost more?
An end grain board is built from blocks stood on end, so your knife passes between the wood fibres instead of cutting across them and the surface closes behind the blade. It keeps an edge sharper and it does not scar the way a flat board does. It costs more because it is a great deal more work to make.
Orders
Can I change or cancel my order after placing it?
Email us as soon as you can. If it has not been dispatched we can usually change or cancel it. Once it has gone, it falls under the returns policy above.
Is my payment secure?
Yes. Payments are handled by Shopify's checkout and your card details never touch our systems.
How do I get in touch?
Email admin@halstromvale.com or use the contact form. One person reads all of it, usually the same day.