Corkage fees are rising at unprecedented rates as UK restaurants seek to recoup a hike in business costs caused by inflation. According to The Drinks Business, the average cost of corkage has increased from £12 to £15 per bottle of still wine.
BYOB (bring your own booze) policies have historically been a budget-friendly way for people to dine out at restaurants, allowing guests to bring their bottle of choice without having to pay surcharged restaurant prices. Corkage price is a fee charged by eateries to cover the time spent opening and pouring the wine, washing up afterwards and sometimes bringing it to the correct temperature. They’re designed to recoup the cost of serving the wine on site.
However, eateries are reportedly putting up their corkage price to unwarranted levels to cover a rise in business costs. Dorian in Notting Hill charges a whopping £100 corkage fee for bringing your own bottle, with the caveat that diners also order another bottle of wine from the list, which starts at £50. That means you’re looking at a minimum of £150 for corkage.
A spokesperson for Dorian explained that as the restaurant only has 40 covers, it needs to charge more for drinks to make up costs, otherwise it would have to double the price of its food menu.
Elsewhere, Fallow in St James’s charges £50 per bottle of still wine, and £90 per bottle of sparkling. For premium fine wines, the charge is 50% of the bottle’s value.
There are also many restaurants that don’t charge corkage at all, or at least a minimal amount. British steakhouse chain Hawksmoor charges £5 for corkage all day on Mondays, while smaller joints like Thai restaurant Marie’s Cafe in Waterloo charges £1 per person.
The biggest hike in corkage costs seems to be taking place across more upmarket, fine dining restaurants, which often spend a great deal of time and money on curating their wine lists. Charging high corkage prices is a necessary way for them to recover money not spent on their own wine offering.
Professional wine buyer Kate Janecek explains that even the ultra-wealthy will try to cut costs on eating out. 'Many will buy a bottle of wine when it's relatively cheap - say £40 - keep it at home, wait for its value to go up to, for example, £250, and then take it to a restaurant for a special occasion.
‘They know even with corkage fee, they've got a better deal than if they simply went to the restaurant and ordered a £250 bottle of wine from its list.’
Looking to save money on dining out? These are the best BYOB restaurants in London that offer great deals on corkage.