Man ‘flabbergasted’ after being charged $25 ‘cakeage' fee at winery
A Perth man has been left outraged after being charged $25 for bringing a birthday cake to a beer garden at boutique winery, Mandoon Estate.
David Prestipino said he was left "flabbergasted" when the boutique winery charged him for bringing his own cake to the venue at the weekend.
Mr Prestipino wrote a scathing rant on WA Today describing how the 'cakeage' fee left a sour taste in his mouth.
He said, "I was left flabbergasted this week, and seemingly behind the times, upon learning one of my favourite spots for a family gathering, Mandoon Estate, charged a 'cakeage' fee for customers even in their beer garden, where there's no table service, no plates or cutlery, and people generally picnic on the grass.
"The fee was $25 per cake and to say it left a sour taste in the mouth was an understatement.”
Mr Prestipino even joked, “charging customers to use their toilets might be next”.
“Yes, rents are higher in Perth, wages inflated, fitouts more expensive, and blah blah blah.. but the buck must stop at the cake, for christ's sake.”
Mr Prestipino said they bought food and drinks, ate on the grass and disposed of their rubbish.
But it was when they brought out the cake to celebrate their friend's birthday that caused the trouble.
He couldn’t believe a place without table service could charge such an exorbitant fee, especially when they didn’t cut nor clear away the cake.
According to Mr Prestipino, the winery had a perfectly acceptable explanation for instigating 'cakegate'.
They told him, "A lot of people that come here are used to picnicking at Houghtons, where there's an open space for people to bring their own food and things and sit down with a bottle of their wine," he said.
"When we first opened, we had problems with people taking advantage of the situation, rocking up with eskies and things full of food, so we had to do something.
"Believe me, we have had more than a dozen meetings on cakeage."
