Kitchen Hire Agreement
Terms and Conditions of use
Hirers of the Farm Kitchen are required to enter into an agreement with Oxford City farm. Hirers are bound by the following terms and conditions and should read them carefully before signing.
Payment and bookings
All bookings must start and end either on the hour or half past the hour. The period of hire starts and finishes at the times agreed on the booking confirmation. The kitchen must be thoroughly cleaned and vacated by the booking finish time.
Initial bookings should be made through our booking system on Skedda. We will confirm your booking with an email once we have received full payment.
Your booking will be provisional until the hire fees are paid in full
If the hire fees are not received by the required date, usually no later than 14 days prior to the booking date, the booking will be cancelled. Oxford City Farm will not be liable for any loss sustained by the hirer.
If you have not used the kitchen before, we ask that you come to the kitchen for half an hour before your booking (or at an alternative arranged time) to have a kitchen tour / induction.
Ongoing bookings must have an agreement to hire for each quarter.
2. Cancellations
Please notify us of any cancellations at the earliest possible opportunity. In the event of cancellation, the following charges will be deducted from your deposit or hire fee:
more than 14 days’ notice: no cancellation charge
less than 14 days’ notice: 50% of hire charges
These charges may be reduced or waived, entirely at the discretion of Oxford City Farm, if a replacement booking is made at the same time as your cancel the booking.
3. Overruns, Cleaning and Tidying
It is imperative that the entire kitchen is left clean, tidy and with all equipment and utensils put away at the end of the hire period.
The kitchen cleaning checklist should be ticked off and signed, and the kitchen left as you found it.
We suggest that you allow at least an hour of your hire time for cleaning the premises. You will be required to pay any additional cleaning or repair costs that may be necessary if the kitchen is not left in an acceptable working order at the end of the hire period.
You must dispose of all rubbish in the appropriate bins:
All kitchen waste must be removed and disposed of in the allocated bins by the entrance gate of the farm.
No cooking oil is to be tipped down the drains in the kitchen. It should be bottled in 500ml plastic bottles and placed in the food bin by the farm gates. Failing that, please bottle and take away.
There is a compost wormery bin, please add any vegetable and fruit waste to this (no citrus or onions). Other food waste should be placed in the food bin by the gate.
Please remove all leftover food, equipment and packaging after your session.
You must sweep and mop the floors. Brooms, mops, buckets, dustpans, etc. are kept in the kitchen or cleaners’ cupboard.
The toilets will be clean when you arrive. When you leave, please ensure that they are in the same state as they were when you arrived.
You must turn off all lighting and electrical equipment at the end of the hire period.
You must return furniture to its proper place unless you are physically unable to do so.
4. Use of Premises
Use of the Premises (lawful use)
You shall not use the kitchen for any purpose other than that described in your agreement for hire and you shall not sub-hire or allow the kitchen to be used in any unlawful way or for any unlawful purpose. You shall not do or fail to do anything that may endanger Oxford City Farm or the persons within it or render invalid any insurance policies.
Limitation of Liability
Oxford City Farm will not accept liability for any loss (including any loss of revenue) or injury sustained by you or your guests unless and only if it is attributable to the trustees’ (or their authorised representatives’) gross negligence.
Security of the Premises
Except in exceptional circumstances or as otherwise agreed by the an Oxford City Farm staff member, an Oxford City Farm authorised representative will unlock the kitchen at the beginning of the hiring period and secure the kitchen at the end of the hiring period. You shall ensure that the kitchen is not unattended at any time during the hiring period or at the end of the hiring period until the Oxford City Farm authorised representative takes charge.
Storage
Any equipment stored at Oxford City Farm will be by individual negotiation and is stored at the hirer’s own risk. Hirers must understand that there are a number of different groups using the Premises and sharing the storage spaces. Oxford City Farm, its trustees, volunteers and employees shall not be responsible for any loss or damage to anything stored on the Premises by a hirer. Hirers agree to take reasonable steps to ensure the security of their and other hirers’ equipment by ensuring that they lock cupboards and sheds after use and that they do not interfere with any equipment stored on the Premises by another hirer.
Statutory & Regulatory Requirements
You shall comply with all laws and any conditions, regulations or codes of practice made in respect of Oxford City Farm by the Fire Authority, Local Authority, Local Magistrates’ Court or otherwise, particularly in connection with an event which includes public dancing and music or similar public entertainment or stage plays or events which involve selling of goods.
Capacity
You shall ensure that the maximum capacity of each room of Oxford City Farm is not exceeded. The maximum capacity of the kitchen is: xxx
Wireless Internet
Oxford City Farm provides wireless internet access (Wi-Fi) for the convenience of its hirers and customers. However Oxford City Farm cannot guarantee that Wi-Fi access will be available at all times. By allowing anyone you are responsible for as a hirer to use the Wi-Fi during your booking you confirm that they are 18 years or over or have the permission of their parent or guardian to use the Wi-Fi. You agree that you will not use the Wi-Fi for, and that you will take all reasonable precautions to ensure that anyone you are responsible for as a hirer does not use the Wi-Fi for, any unlawful, fraudulent or malicious purpose.
Loss and damage
By agreeing to hire the kitchen you have agreed that any damage incurred by yourself or those attending your event, or loss of property will be your responsibility. You need to report any damage occurring without delay. Additional charges may be imposed for any damage to the premises or equipment.
You will compensate Oxford City Farm for the cost of repair of any damage (however slight and whether malicious or accidental) done to any part of kitchen and any loss suffered by Oxford City Farm as a consequence of your activities as a hirer or the activities of anyone you are responsible for as the hirer or anyone that you allow access to the premises.
Noise
All bookings must end by 5pm (Mondays to Saturdays). You must ensure that noise is kept to a minimum and members of your group leave the premises quietly in the evening so as not to cause annoyance to residents in the locality of Oxford City Farm.
Supervision and Equality
The person whose name appears on the booking form will be deemed to be responsible for the activity and will be expected to be in attendance throughout. You are responsible for the actions of people you admit to Oxford City Farm as part of your booking, or who gain access to Oxford City Farm because you fail to control access properly. Hirers who use the building when there is no Oxford City Farm representative on-site are responsible for ensuring that only authorised persons gain access to the building.
Children should be properly supervised at all times. You shall be responsible for ensuring that any activities for children are carried out in accordance with all laws and child protection regulations and that only fit and proper persons have access to children while they are in Oxford City Farm.
Oxford City Farm is committed to equality and diversity – you must comply with the Equality Act 2010.
Alcohol
If you intend to sell alcohol as part of your event, you will need to get the appropriate licence and ensure a copy is given to Oxford City Farm.
Illegal drugs
You must not allow illegal drugs on the premises.
Animals
We regret that pets (including companion animals and guide dogs) are not permitted in the kitchen.
Parking
There is space for 4 cars parked just inside the entrance to Oxford City Farm.
There should be further parking to be found nearby on Cornwallis Road.
Please do not park in Isis Court Care Home Car Park.
Smoking
Smoking is not permitted in the kitchen or anywhere on Oxford City Farm.
Fire Safety
You must read and comply with the fire notices posted throughout the building. A copy of the standard notice will be supplied to you on request.
You should familiarise yourself with the fire alarm points, the location of extinguishers and the available escape routes.
You must not prop any fire doors open, obstruct any fire doors or escape routes, damage any fire safety equipment, cause any dangerous accumulations of combustible materials to occur, or do anything likely to cause a fire risk.
You should follow all audible emergency alarms and you should not tamper with any device or system designed for use in an emergency.
You should inform all your participants of these procedures and take responsibility for the safe entry/exit of all participants in an emergency.
In the event of a fire, your primary responsibility is to ensure the rapid and safe evacuation of the members of your group in the building.
Emergencies
In the event of an emergencies, such as fire, police, or medical assistance, call 999 and provide the following location details:
Oxford City Farm Kitchen, Cornwallis Road, Oxford OX4 3NU
(State that the farm is through the gates at the far end of Isis Court Care Home car park).
Insurance
You must have adequate insurance (e.g. public liability) to protect yourself and others against all claims arising as a result of your hire and use of Oxford City Farm.
Health and safety
You must use kitchen equipment to their standard configuration.
You must comply with health and safety legislation and ensure that you have adequate insurance cover to cover your activity in respect of liability to any persons, or loss or damage to property, including personal injury and death of third parties (including employees and volunteers) and damage to the building or to the property of others.
We cannot be responsible for any injury to persons, or loss or damage to property during the hirer's use of the premises. We are not responsible for any personal property placed in or left in the Kitchen.
You have full responsibility for the behaviour, actions and consequences of such behaviour and actions of all persons involved in the use of the kitchen during the booking period. You are responsible for ensuring proper supervision of entry to/exit from the building during your event and being mindful of the safety of people coming into the building and their security.
If you need to use your own electrical or battery-operated cooking/heating equipment in the kitchen, please make sure it is PAT tested.
Food Hygiene
You must ensure that the session leader holds a Food Hygiene Certificate at the appropriate level. Your booking will not be confirmed until you have provided Oxford City Farm with copies of your Food Hygiene Certificate(s).
Food containing nuts or other known allergens must be clearly labelled.
You must comply with the Food Hygiene (England) Regulations 2006 and the relevant Food Safety Act Codes of Practice and ensure that all people preparing food are aware of their food handling and food hygiene responsibilities.
You must carry out your own risk assessment for your activity. We can provide you with our generic risk assessment relating to the premises if you would like to adapt it.
Accidents
All accidents or near-accidents must be recorded in the Accident Book. This is kept in the lobby.
The first-aid box is in the kitchen. You must notify Oxford City Farm if you use any supplies so that we can re-stock.
You will be asked to sign a printed version of this document on confirmation of your hire.