The Cookies
Policy Worth
Reading.

What even
is a cookie?

Not a biscuit. I know. Deeply disappointing. Allow me to explain what they actually are, because most people have been clicking "Accept All" for years without the faintest idea what they agreed to.

A cookie is a tiny text file that a website places on your device when you visit. That is it. It is not a virus. It is not spyware. It is not a surveillance operation run by a shadowy consortium of data brokers (well, depending on the website, but not this one). Think of it as a sticky note your browser keeps, so the website can remember a few things about your visit.

For example: without cookies, every time you visited a site and added something to a basket, it would forget the whole basket the moment you clicked to another page. Cookies are why that does not happen. They are genuinely useful. They just got a bad reputation because some companies used them irresponsibly, and now we all have to click through approximately four banners every time we want to read a recipe.

Cookies are stored on your device, not on my server. I cannot read your other cookies from other websites. I cannot access your files. I cannot see what else is on your computer. Cookies are isolated, site-specific little text files and nothing more dramatic than that.

The different
types of cookie.

Not all cookies are created equal. Some are essential. Some are optional. Some are downright cheeky. Here is a breakdown, using plain English rather than legal boilerplate that makes you feel like you need a law degree and a strong coffee:

Which ones do
I actually use?

Let us be completely transparent. Here is what is actually running on this site, and why. No hidden trackers. No mystery scripts. No "we use cookies and some of our trusted partners also use cookies and their trusted partners also use cookies" infinite regress of data sharing that could theoretically link back to a company in a country you have never visited.

Session cookies are used to keep the site functional during your visit. They expire the moment you close your browser. They leave no trace. They are the most polite cookies in existence.

Consent preference cookies remember whether you have accepted or declined optional cookies, so you do not get asked again every single time you visit. If these did not exist, that banner would reappear on every page. You would understandably lose the will to live. These are doing you a favour.

Analytics cookies from Google Analytics collect anonymised data about site traffic. This helps me understand what is working and what is not. I have configured them to anonymise IP addresses, which means they cannot identify you as an individual. They just know "a human from Dubai visited the homepage and stayed for two minutes." That is about the level of detail we are dealing with.

Conversion tracking cookies only activate on success pages (like /call/success) after you have submitted a form. They signal to advertising platforms that a lead was generated. No personal data is transmitted in these signals. Just "conversion happened: yes."

Third-party cookies.
The ones I do not bake myself.

Some cookies on this site are set by third-party services rather than by me directly. Think of it this way: I have invited some guests to the party, and they brought their own biscuits. I vetted the guest list, but they do have their own biscuit policies.

Here are the third parties whose cookies may appear on this site, and links to their respective privacy and cookie policies. Because you deserve to know:

How to get rid of
the ones you don't want.

You have options. Real ones, not the kind that exist only in the fine print. Here is exactly what you can do:

Option 1: Use the cookie banner. When you first visit the site, you will see a cookie consent banner. You can accept all cookies, accept only the essential ones, or manage your preferences manually. Your choice is stored in a preference cookie (the irony is not lost on me) so you are not asked again.

Option 2: Clear cookies in your browser. Every major browser lets you delete cookies at any time. Here is how to do it in the most common ones:

Option 3: Opt out of analytics tracking. Google offers a browser add-on called the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on that prevents your visit from being tracked across any website using Google Analytics. It is free. It works. It is a legitimate option if you really do not want any analytics tracking at all.

Option 4: Use a privacy-focused browser or extension. Browsers like Brave or Firefox with uBlock Origin installed will block a significant number of tracking scripts by default. If you use one of these, many of the optional cookies on this site will not reach you anyway. This is your prerogative and I genuinely respect it.

Still have
questions?

If something in this policy is unclear, or you want to know something specific about how cookies work on this site, or you just want to express your feelings about the concept of cookies in general, you can reach me directly. I have read weirder emails.

For anything relating to your personal data rather than cookies specifically, the Privacy Policy is the right place to look. Between the two documents, you should have a complete picture of everything that happens when you visit this site.