Corkage and Cakeage

Who can remember when corkage was first introduced? Showing your age then! For readers who don't have the benefit of BYO where they live, let me explain. BYO, (bring your own) is a bit of an Australian institution. It's when restaurants allow you to bring your own wine and it is a tradition that stems from the days when a very limited number of liquor licenses were sold. In my comparatively puritan State the tradition is particularly strong- it still takes lots of time and money to get a liquor license, so many places don't bother and the suburban BYO is alive and well.

Unfortunately, gone are the days when you could guarentee a cheaper night out if you BYO. Most places now charge 'corkage' ( a ludicrous term in these days when almost all wine is screwcap) which can be anything from $2 a head to $10 a head. This is to cover the opening of the wine.. labour costs such as serving it and glass useage. It's fair enough I guess but some restaurants honestly just seem to be taking the piss.

The latest charge is 'cakeage', which is a fee added to the bill if you bring your own cake. A birthday cake for example. Yesterday a James Street restauranteur was telling me about the irate barrage of emails he got from a customer after she was charged $6.50 per head cakeage. While $6.50 does seem steep, he pointed out that you wouldn't bring your own beer to a pub and ask the barperson to open and serve it for you. He also pointed out that 1) He will make a cake on request and 2)He loses income if people in effect bring their own dessert. 3) He adds, cream, fruit and ice-cream to the plate. He said the whole trend of people bringing their own cake is nothing but a bugbear for restauranteurs, there's also the issue of public liability if anyone gets sick from the cake. He's thinking of banning the practise altogether.

I think cakeage and corkage, are both necessary evils. We as diners need to remember that it's one thing to want to save money when we eat out, but this is someone's livelihood. Perhaps just don't BYO cake and champagne on the same occasion or your celebration might be spoiled by a big bill.