Legal
Privacy Policy
The short version. We collect personal information when you book a table, send us an enquiry, sign up to our newsletter, or visit our website. We use it to run the restaurants, respond to you, and (with your permission) send you news about menus, events and offers. We don't sell your data. You can ask us at any time what we hold, ask us to correct it, or ask us to delete it.
The detailed version is below.
1. Who we are
This Privacy Policy applies to the website robertthompson.co.uk and to the personal data we collect when you interact with our restaurants.
We are Wight Table Limited, a company registered in England and Wales (company number 08519683), with registered office at The Quay, 30 Channel Way, Ocean Village, Southampton, SO14 3TG. Our trading address is Royal Maritime House, 17 St. Thomas Street, Ryde, Isle of Wight, PO33 2DL. We trade as Robert Thompson restaurants — including RT Café Grill, Thompson's, and The Cellar.
For the purposes of UK data protection law, Wight Table Limited is the "data controller" for the personal data described in this policy.
2. What we collect, and when
We collect different types of information depending on how you interact with us.
| When you… | We collect |
|---|---|
| Make a reservation | Name, email, phone, booking date and time, party size, dietary requirements, special occasion details, payment card information (for groups requiring a deposit) |
| Enquire about private dining | Name, email, phone, event date, guest numbers, occasion type, and any details you tell us about your event |
| Subscribe to our newsletter | Email address, and any marketing preferences you indicate |
| Visit our restaurants | CCTV footage on the premises (for security only) |
| Browse the website | Cookie data, IP address, browser type, pages viewed, time on site — see our cookie information in section 9 |
| Buy a gift card or You Be Chef product | Name, email, billing and delivery addresses, payment card information, order details |
3. How we use your information
We use the personal data you give us to:
- Manage your booking — confirm reservations, send reminders, accommodate dietary needs, mark special occasions, take and refund deposits where applicable.
- Respond to your enquiries — including private dining, event, or general questions.
- Send you marketing communications (only if you've opted in) — restaurant news, menu launches, tasting menu dates, special offers, and gifting reminders.
- Process payments — for deposits, gift cards, and You Be Chef orders.
- Improve our service — including anonymous analytics about how our website is used.
- Comply with legal obligations — including tax, accounting, and food safety record-keeping.
- Protect our premises and team — through CCTV, used only for safety and security.
4. Our legal basis for processing your data
Under UK GDPR, we must have a lawful basis for processing your personal data. We rely on the following:
- Contract — when you make a booking, place an order, or buy a gift card, we process your data to fulfil our agreement with you.
- Consent — for marketing emails, SMS, and non-essential cookies. You can withdraw consent at any time.
- Legitimate interests — to manage and improve our business, prevent fraud, and ensure premises security. We balance our interests against your privacy rights and only rely on this basis where it's reasonable to do so.
- Legal obligation — to meet our duties under tax, accounting, food safety and other applicable law.
5. Who we share your data with
We do not sell your personal data. We share it only with trusted third parties who help us run the business. These include:
- SevenRooms — our reservations and CRM platform, which processes booking data on our behalf.
- Squarespace — our website platform, which hosts the site and processes form submissions and newsletter sign-ups.
- Stripe and our card-processing partners — to process payments for deposits and orders. We never store full card details ourselves.
- Mailchimp / Squarespace Email Campaigns (or equivalent) — to send marketing emails to those who have opted in.
- Our accountants and auditors — for tax and financial record-keeping.
- Law enforcement or regulators — only where legally required to do so.
All third parties we share data with are bound by their own data protection obligations and may only process your data for the purposes we instruct.
6. How long we keep your data
We keep personal data only for as long as we need it for the purposes set out in this policy, or as required by law.
- Booking data — typically kept for up to 3 years after your last visit, so we can recognise returning guests and remember preferences.
- Marketing subscribers — kept until you unsubscribe.
- Transaction records — kept for at least 6 years to meet HMRC requirements.
- CCTV footage — kept for up to 30 days, then automatically deleted, unless retained for an active investigation.
7. Your rights
Under UK GDPR, you have the right to:
- Access the personal data we hold about you.
- Correct any information that is inaccurate or incomplete.
- Delete your data (in some circumstances — for example, where we no longer need it).
- Object to certain types of processing, including direct marketing.
- Restrict how we process your data, in some circumstances.
- Withdraw consent for any processing based on consent, including marketing emails.
- Receive your data in a portable format, in some circumstances.
- Complain to the Information Commissioner's Office if you believe we have mishandled your data.
To exercise any of these rights, email info@robertthompson.co.uk. We aim to respond within one month.
8. Marketing communications
We only send marketing emails or SMS if you've actively opted in — at the point of booking, on the newsletter sign-up form, or when ordering from You Be Chef.
Every marketing email includes an unsubscribe link. You can also email info@robertthompson.co.uk at any time to be removed from our list.
Even if you unsubscribe from marketing, we'll still send you transactional emails relating to your bookings, enquiries, or orders.
9. Cookies and website analytics
Our website uses cookies — small files stored on your device that help the site function and help us understand how it's being used.
We use:
- Strictly necessary cookies — required for the site to work (for example, remembering your form inputs or booking session).
- Analytics cookies — anonymous information about how the site is used, so we can improve it. We use Squarespace Analytics and may use Google Analytics.
- Marketing / third-party cookies — set by services like Instagram or our booking partner (SevenRooms) when their content is embedded on our pages.
You can control cookies through your browser settings, and through any cookie banner shown on the site. Blocking some cookies may affect your experience.
10. Children's data
Our restaurants and website are not directed at children. We don't knowingly collect personal data from anyone under 16. If you believe a child has provided us with personal data, contact us and we'll delete it.
11. International data transfers
Some of the third-party services we use (such as SevenRooms, Squarespace, and Mailchimp) may store or process data outside the UK or European Economic Area — typically in the United States.
Where this happens, we ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place, such as standard contractual clauses approved by the UK Information Commissioner's Office, so that your data continues to receive an equivalent level of protection.
12. Data security
We take reasonable steps to protect your personal data, including:
- Storing data on secure, password-protected systems.
- Using payment processors who are PCI DSS-compliant, so we never see full card details.
- Limiting access to personal data to team members who need it to do their job.
- Training the team on data protection responsibilities.
No system is completely secure, but we take our duty to protect your data seriously and will inform you and the regulator promptly if a significant breach occurs.
13. Changes to this policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted on this page with an updated "Last updated" date. For significant changes, we'll notify you directly where appropriate (for example, by email if you're a newsletter subscriber).
14. Contact and complaints
If you have any questions about this policy, or want to exercise your rights, contact us:
Wight Table Limited (trading as Robert Thompson restaurants)
Royal Maritime House
17 St. Thomas Street
Ryde, Isle of Wight, PO33 2DL
info@robertthompson.co.uk
01983 526118
If you're not satisfied with our response, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO):
Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House, Water Lane
Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF
0303 123 1113
ico.org.uk