‘Someone brought a jeroboam of Buckfast’

db looks at steakhouse chain Hawksmoor's long-running Monday corkage deal and finds out some of the most expensive and unexpected bottles diners have brought with them from head of wine Clara Rubin. Wine is very much in the blood of Hawksmoor, as co-founder Will Beckett's mother, Fiona, will likely be a familiar face to anyone with an interest in the mystic art of food and wine pairings. Now, almost 20 years since the first Hawksmoor opened in 2006, there are now seven London locations for the steakhouse, three elsewhere in the UK, and outposts in Dublin and New York City. The Hawksmoor wine list covers a lot of the bases – £5 for a 70ml pour of Fino Sherry, then well over the £100 mark for bottles of big hitters such as Barolo and Rioja – but Rubin suggested that a good corkage deal has its place alongside an extensive and eclectic list. "It comes from a place of wanting to be a destination where people can share their love of wine. Hawksmoor is all about passion for product, being a place guests can come and share that is important to us. The £5 Monday corkage policy was something I took advantage of with trade friends well-before I joined the company," she revealed. "I started working with Hawksmoor three years ago, but I believe the Monday corkage deal is something that they've always done," said Rubin. "I'd love to shake the hand of whoever thought of it. It's a brilliant idea." The two big 'Bs' are the regions which seem to be must popular among customers doing corkage, with Rubin noting that it is "a close call between Bordeaux and Burgundy" – she also revealed that large format Champagnes are also popular, as the deal is per cork, regardless of bottle size, and, unlike many restaurants, there is also no discrepancy in the pricing of corkage between still and sparkling wines. Asked about the most outlandish bottles which customers have brought with them, Rubin noted that the list is "endless", but identified a selection including:

• Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos St. Jacques 2010
• Coche-Dury Meursault 2012
• Château Mouton Rothschild 1986
• Henschke Hill of Grace 1992

A quick Google search reveals that if one were to buy a regular 75cl bottle of each of these four wines today, it would probably set them back more than £4,000, but, due to the Hawksmoor deal, just £20 on the corkage. "Some couples come so they can enjoy a bottle leftover from their wedding or the last one going to celebrate their anniversary," shared Rubin. "Probably one of the more unexpected ones we had was when someone brought a jeroboam of Buckfast to our OG restaurant, Hawksmoor Spitalfields." Three litre bottles of tonic wine appear to be elusive online, meaning that the diner in question went the extra mile to source it to accompany their dinner. "One of my favourite stories is of a couple who had saved up for a special date night, didn’t realise it was £5 corkage night," she continued. "One of our wine team popped to the shops with a tenner and bought them something off the shelf. We decanted it and laid a couple of Bordeaux glasses on the table for them to enjoy. It was all about making the whole experience welcoming and really special for them." Of course, deals like this bring customers in on a Monday, a day when they might otherwise forego dining out, and Rubin said that it is also good for business as it encourages further wine sales, both by-the-glass and full bottles: "They [guests] get inspired and then they want to try something else. We find people returning and wanting to share wines they've tried with us."