Have your cake, but you can't afford to eat it too... $25 cakeage fee hits Perth

There was a time in Perth when restaurants would revel in having customers celebrate a birthday or special occasion at their establishment.

It wasn't quite the icing on the cake, but being the centre of attention for even a minute made the occasion a little bit more special for the cake cutter.

And so 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 is 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.

But it seems 'cakeage' is officially a thing; it hit the dictionary in 2015, ​one of 6,500 new words added to the Collins Dictionary, the official guide for all the Scrabble players out there.

A quick strawpoll this week on Facebook (where else) showed this abnormality was actually standard practice in Perth but, no surprises there, given the ruses more restaurants and the like now use to get your extra dollar (charging customers to use their toilets might be next).

Well he's a word for you, R - O - R - T (not torta, the Italian translation of cake).

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, for restaurateurs are not the only ones suffering from the blown boom, we all are.

The Swan Valley winery opened to much fanfare a few years back and has brought excitement and people back to the region, offering a world-class winery, cellar door and microbrewery, fine dining restaurant, brewery dining, beer garden and deli.

But the multi-purpose venue is perhaps over-extending if it charges $25 to eat a cake on their grass - about the price it costs to buy a standard cake from The Cheesecake Shop. 

Last Saturday the beer garden was heaving with pretty young things perched on picnic rugs and at wooden tables, soaking up the season's first sign of sun and plenty of beer and wine too.

Our group of 20 or so were under a tree on blankets, away from the action, but still keeping the coin ticking over for the venue for the few hours we were there.

We bought drinks and food from the winery's beer garden deli and brought them back to our little area, ate with our hands and disposed of our rubbish.

We brought a cake, cut that up ourselves and ate it on napkins. 

So what on earth are we being charged $25 for?

The winery had a perfectly acceptable explanation for instigating 'cakegate', saying the traditional mentality of visitors to the Swan Valley had started a problem.

"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.

"Pretty soon a cake turns into a slice, which turns into nuts, which turns into cheese and that little delicatessen we have for that sort of produce becomes null and void.

"It is a really grey area... we would love to not have this hassle but it does open the floodgates, and we lose control of what happens in our backyard.

"Believe me, we have had more than a dozen meetings on cakeage."

While the winery said it pays a lot of money for its pastry chefs to make cakes, if people bring their own cakes they will store it, refrigerate it, plate it and provide cream etc.

"We look at it the same as someone wanting to bring their own boutique beer, or special drop," he said.

"We are a producer of wine, beer and food - we can do everything."

Further research shows cakeage fees won't be deserted any time soon in Perth.

The Shorehouse, a new fancy beachside restaurant in Swanbourne, charges $5 per person for cakeage that includes the cake being cut and served on plates with some icecream, fruit and cream thrown in (noble) or just $2.50 per person and they'll slice the cake (thank god).

High-end function venue Masonmill charges $20 to BYO cake, renowned Thai street food restaurant Long Chim charges $3 per person, while Elmars in the Swan Valley charges $2.50 per person cakeage fee.

Restaurant and Catering Association WA spokesperson Carlita Warren said the decision to charge 'cakeage' is usually at the discretion of the operator, although there are specific rules which guide the display of surcharges.

"The trick remains balancing the cost to the operator with the expectation of customers that the service should be provided for free," she said.

One Perth restaurateur who has worked in dozens of restaurants here and around the world said a cakeage fee was becoming normal at venues.

"We'll store it in the fridge, serve it at the time you want the cake, put the candles on it, bring it out - it's like opening a bottle of wine," he said.

"But $25 is insane though, they're taking the p--s."

Cakeage fees are unheard of in Europe, and I can now see why most Italians return home from a restaurant for cake and coffee.

I think i'll join them...