Tempeh Culture

Here’s everything you need to know about getting your order to you safely. We’re a small, independent company and everything we make is handmade with care — so we take shipping just as seriously as we take the making!

📦 When will my order be dispatched?

We’re a little different from most online shops. We’re a small team of real people, and every single culture we sell is handmade and grown naturally by us. That means we can’t always predict exactly when something will be ready — nature sets the pace, not us. When a culture needs more time to grow, we wait, because sending it before it’s ready just isn’t something we’re willing to do.

Our current dispatch time is 3–5 working days, and we dispatch Monday to Thursday only. We avoid Fridays so that live cultures don’t spend the weekend sitting in a courier depot. We know waiting can feel frustrating, but every order leaves us in the best possible condition — and that’s what matters most to us.

🦫 How long can cultures survive in the post?

• Kombucha SCOBY — up to 1 year
• Milk & water kefir — up to 14 days
• Sourdough (all varieties) — up to 3 weeks
• Viili — up to 7 days
• Ginger beer / Turmeric bug — up to 3 weeks

🙩 UK delivery options

• Standard small — 3–7 working days — £4.95
• Royal Mail 24 small — 1–2 working days — £7.95 (tracked, 1-hour slot, mainland only)
• Standard medium — 3–7 working days — £7.95 (tracked)
• Royal Mail 24 medium — 1–2 working days — £7.95 (tracked, mainland only)
• Free shipping — orders over £65 to UK mainland & Northern Ireland (excludes Channel Islands, liquids, and orders over 15kg)

Highlands, Islands and Northern Ireland are included in free delivery. Channel Islands orders may take a little longer due to customs checks. If you’re in the Highlands or Islands, please select the Highlands & Islands option at checkout.

All delivery times are estimates, not guarantees.

📍 Please double-check your address!

This is a really important one — please make sure your delivery address is correct before you place your order. Once our fulfilment process has started, addresses generally can’t be changed, even if you contact us. We’ll always do our best if you get in touch early, but we can’t guarantee we’ll be able to help once things are underway. So please do take a moment to check before you hit that order button!

❓ What if something goes wrong?

Delayed order? Get in touch via our contact page and we’ll chase it with Royal Mail. Please note they don’t class an item as late until 10 working days after posting.

Damaged on arrival? Please use our web form to let us know within 7 days, and include photos of both the item and the packaging. Without photos we can’t raise a courier claim — and we genuinely can’t, it’s a Royal Mail requirement, not our choice! Please hold onto everything until we give the all-clear.

Tracking says delivered but you can’t find it? Check the delivery photo, ask other household members, and check the letterbox. Still nothing? Contact us via our web form and we’ll investigate with Royal Mail on your behalf.

Something missing or wrong? We’re a small team and we pack every order by hand — occasionally we make mistakes. Use our web form or WhatsApp us on 01323 730091 (Monday–Thursday) and we’ll put it right as quickly as we can.

💸 Royal Mail return charges

If an item comes back to us due to an incorrect address, non-collection, or refused delivery, Royal Mail charge us £5.95 which we’ll need to deduct from any refund. This is a Royal Mail charge that we have no control over, so please do double-check your address details before ordering!

📧 Lost or non-delivered items

Since January 2024, Royal Mail have introduced new rules requiring proof of non-delivery before they’ll consider any claim. We know it can feel like a lot of hoops to jump through — and honestly, we agree — but these are Royal Mail’s rules and we have no option but to follow them. Without the required evidence, we simply can’t pursue a claim on your behalf, no matter how much we’d like to.

If your tracking is inconclusive, we’ll need supporting evidence such as: no delivery photo being taken, the photo not being of your property, or the item being left in an insecure location. If your item has been stolen, you’ll need to report it to the police and share the crime reference number with us. Please use our web form to get in touch so we have everything we need in writing to support your case.

🌿 Our packaging

We pack every order ourselves by hand, and we’ve made our packaging as eco-friendly as we can:

• Boxes — recycled & recyclable cardboard
• Bubble wrap — biodegradable
• Packing peanuts — biodegradable
• Culture packaging — recyclable plastic, audited to Organic standards
• Tape — PVC (general waste — our one exception!)

For third-party products (like Kilner or Kefirko), we can’t guarantee internal packaging is plastic-free, but we do push our suppliers to do better.

🌍 International shipping

We’ve temporarily suspended EU shipments while we work through some logistics challenges. Trade shipments can still be arranged — get in touch via our contact page.

💬 Get in touch

The best way to reach us is via our contact page — we’d recommend using the web form as it makes sure we have all the details we need to help you quickly. You can also WhatsApp us on 01323 730091 (Monday–Thursday). We’re phasing out email, so please don’t drop us a message there — it’s likely to get missed.

A few other bits: we can’t ship to Poste Restante addresses. For BFPO addresses, please check items are permitted before ordering. VAT number: 191475390. If you’d prefer we don’t leave your parcel with a neighbour, display a Royal Mail opt-out sticker and add a note to your order.