Although cancellations by shefs are rare, and some situations are beyond a shef’s control, cancellations can disrupt customers' plans and damage trust in the Shef community.

At Shef, we’re committed to delivering a seamless, dependable experience for our community. Our customers, many of which are families, depend on Shef — they depend on us to save them time, reduce stress, and ensure their mealtimes are as convenient as possible. When that trust & reliability is compromised, it can cause a ripple effect, creating frustration and disrupting the very value our customers expect.

Our goal is to maintain a high standard of reliability to ensure that Shef remains a trusted partner in our customers’ lives. In an effort to do so, we are implementing a new cancellation policy taking effect on April 1st, 2025 which you can see below:

To avoid delisting, shefs must maintain a 95% or above order completion rate. This means you must cancel or reschedule less than 5% of your orders. Order completion includes preparing the food, proper food safety & cooling, and the orders being delivered to the hub on time.

We will also be maintaining a Zero Tolerance Policy for “no-call, no-shows”

What is this? If you do not fulfill an order and have not contacted Shef Support before your hub delivery cut-off time alerting us that you could not fulfill, you will be delisted from the platform for at least 3 weeks. If issues persist, we will also review your account for permanent removal, which will be handled on a case-by-case basis.

We also reserve the right to take action on your account if you are repeatedly late to drop off your orders, as this can negatively impact other shefs’ orders as well.

Note: For shefs using door-to-door delivery in non-hub markets, order completion rate still applies & will be affected by cancelations, reschedules, failure to fulfill, delays, & food safety issues alerted to us by customers.

What about last-minute emergencies?

We understand that emergencies and unexpected situations can occur, and we never want to penalize a Shef for circumstances outside of their control. However, last-minute cancellations or reschedules—especially when they happen without warning—cause major disruptions to the customer experience. If you absolutely have to cancel or reschedule an order last-minute, contact Shef Support immediately so we can work together to minimize the impact on the customer. The quicker we can respond, the better we can protect the customer experience.

In the case of persistent last-minute emergencies, the Shef Team reserves the right to request proof of emergency (e.g., photos, videos, or a letter from a doctor or medical professional) to avoid delisting or permanent removal.

What does delisting mean? If you are delisted, your Shef profile will temporarily be hidden on Shef.com, and customers will not be able to order from you directly through the site. However, customers can still place orders with you via a direct link to your profile.

How long does delisting last? Typically, delisting for reliability violations lasts 3 weeks. After 3 weeks, your profile will be considered for re-listing.

Will I be notified if I’m delisted? Yes, our team will provide warning notices if you’re at risk and a notice of delisting if it has occurred via email. Please ensure you’re subscribed to our emails to ensure you receive these.

The quickest way to receive help in these situations is to contact our Shef Support agents via live chat. You can find this button in the bottom right of your Shef Dashboard or in our Shef Help Center. For more information, click here.

We know that sometimes situations beyond your control happen, and we’re here to support you. But please remember: the more reliable you are, the more customers will trust Shef and want to order from you. Let’s keep working together to make Shef a place where customers can always count on getting their meals on time and as expected.

For any questions or feedback, please reach out to our Shef Support team.