A man has expressed outrage after a restaurant tried to charge him £10-a-head to serve his birthday cake during a lunchtime meal.
London-based writer Ivor Baddiel said on Twitter: “'I asked the restaurant I'm going to for a birthday lunch today if we could bring a cake with [us] to be brought out at the end of the meal.
'They said yes, but they'd charge us cakeage (yes, cakeage) at £10 a head. What is this world we live in?'
The post sparked fury on social media as some were shocked by the charge while others said they’d had similar experiences.
Birthday cake
WikiCommons
Ivor Baddiel made the complaint on social media
Twitter
Restaurant critic Grace Dent said it was "growingly common" to charge to bring your own cake but added that "£10 is steep".
Another person under the username @asiapac001 added: "Personally, I'd have cancelled the entire booking and found a restaurant that wanted your business. They truly don't care if you come back again or not... They don't seem interested in making my meal enjoyable at all. Just a transaction."
Andrew Scott, executive development chef at Wadworth Brewery, said: "You've stopped them being able to sell dessert to you though, as you've brought your own?"
Paul Foster, who runs Michelin-starred Salt in Stratford-Upon-Avon disagreed.
He said it's "very fair" and that he has charged people for the same request in the past.
Another user Twitter user, @MichaelMcIvor6 said: "Charging for bringing in a cake is 100 percent understandable. You're bringing in a dessert item, which they sell - you wouldn't turn up to a pub with a 12 deck of cans... although £10 a head is reaching."