Marketplace & Liability.
How Lighthearted Kitchen, chefs, and hosts each fit together — and who is responsible for what.
Our role
Lighthearted Kitchen is a marketplace that connects hosts with vetted, independent professional chefs and facilitates booking, scheduling, messaging, and payment. We are not the chef's employer, not a caterer, and not the host's agent. The food-service agreement for any event is between the host and the chef; Lighthearted Kitchen is not a party to it.
Chefs are independent contractors
Chefs operate their own businesses. They are responsible for the quality and safety of their food, for safe food handling and allergen practices, for holding any food-handler certifications, permits, or licenses required where they cook, for their own taxes, and for carrying any appropriate insurance. Chefs are independent providers, solely responsible for their own insurance, licenses, permits, food-safety practices, certifications, taxes, staff, alcohol compliance, and compliance with local law. Lighthearted Kitchen does not provide insurance and does not guarantee coverage, claim payment, permits, compliance, safety, quality, or suitability.
Requesting documentation
Lighthearted Kitchen may request proof of insurance, permits, certifications, licenses, tax registrations, or other documentation at any time, on a case-by-case basis, and may suspend, restrict, cancel, or remove access if documentation is not provided or if Lighthearted Kitchen has safety, compliance, or platform-integrity concerns.
Host responsibilities
Hosts are responsible for providing safe premises and reasonable kitchen access, accurately disclosing allergies and dietary needs, and for the conduct of their guests. Hosts should tell the chef about hazards, pets, and any building or parking rules in advance. Hosts are responsible for their premises, their guests, and any host-side obligations for the event, and should use their own judgment — including messaging the chef before booking with any questions about insurance, permits, food-safety, allergies, staff, or alcohol.
Alcohol
- Lighthearted Kitchen does not sell, supply, furnish, purchase, store, transport, or provide alcohol.
- Any alcohol at an event is the responsibility of the host, venue, chef, licensed third-party vendor, or other legally responsible party, as applicable.
- Chefs, hosts, venues, and any vendors are responsible for complying with applicable alcohol laws, permits, licenses, service restrictions, age-verification rules, insurance requirements, and venue rules.
- Lighthearted Kitchen may restrict, cancel, remove, or require documentation for any event involving alcohol.
- Alcohol may not be included in the Lighthearted Kitchen booking price unless Lighthearted Kitchen has expressly approved a legally compliant workflow.
Limitation of liability
To the fullest extent permitted by law, Lighthearted Kitchen is not liable for injury, illness, allergic reaction, property damage, or other loss arising from a chef's performance of the food service or from conditions at the host's premises. Nothing in this policy limits any liability that cannot be limited under applicable law.
Reporting an incident
If something goes wrong at or after an event, contact us promptly at support@lightheartedkitchen.com so we can help document it and notify the relevant parties and insurers.
Last updated: 2026-06-08