Robert Booth reports in Michelin-starred restaurants embrace bring-your-own bottle revolution (Guardian, June 20) how "Fine diners want to avoid wine with large mark-up" and that 50 London eateries have signed up with the BYO Wine Club set up by Khadine Johnson-Rose and Christopher Rose, in partnership with UK high street chain Nicolas (according to Decanter).
The BYO Wine Club with a £99-a-year subscription guarantees free or cheap corkage at members restaurants.
Decanter notes that restaurants who signed up with the program range "from informal neighbourhood eateries to Michelin-starred
venues, such as Arbutus, Aubergine, Club Gascon, L'Oranger, and Tom
Aikens."
How does the move affects the bottom line of restaurants who sign up?
Could letting guests bring wine that is not on the restaurant list while charging a reasonable corking fee be a good alternative?