Cake Consultation Fee

I think its pretty normal. A few of the bakers have prices for tastings too. I mean they do have to make the cake and icing and fillings for you...

Find other bakers. I would never pay a consult fee, unless I knew for sure I was going to be using that baker and the fee would go toward the cost of the cake.

It's becoming normal here too.

A fee is normal here. Idk how I would feel about getting the prices before. I guess you could look at it this way...if you know they are not in your budget you don't need to waste time or money with the consultation.

Only 2 have said it is towards the price of the cake if you go with them. Another said they only charge if you cancel the appointment. This stinks LOL

I personally don't agree with the consultation fees. Providing a tasting is marketing. You (the business) pay to market your company. You don't post a billboard and expect your customers to pay for it.

ETA: grammar

I get it - otherwise think how much money they lose by making cakes or cupcakes that people won't buy.

Yeah, I am back and forth about it.

Hello date twin! I would say if multiple bakers are charging the fee it would not bother me personally!

I'm running into that price range too so I say normal. I'm also finding that caterers charge about that too. We did find one that was $100... Uh yes I'll pass.

You should schedule tastings with the 2 that don't charge a fee. You may love one of them and your search will be over. I only did 2 tastings, one was amazing, and the other was bordering on gross. I'm pretty picky about technique since I am a baker (not professionally, but went to pastry school) the 2nd one didn't make Bavarian cream properly, it was gelatinous, yuck.

It might be the norm where you are, I can't speak to that. What I can say is that where I am I found that nearly everywhere tastings are free for both caterers and bakeries. The only bakery that I came across that didn't do free tastings, didn't do tastings at all. It's actually a bakery I've gone to for years and really love but after this I have a bad taste in my mouth. They catered my whole college graduation years ago and I didn't even think of a tasting because we know their food and love it and so we knew what we wanted to order (plus it was a smallish party and tastings are less common for things like that). But what they do is have you come in and buy cupcakes of flavors you might like to try them that way. NBD except that from having had their cupcakes and cake, the flavors taste pretty different, actually much more so than the typical difference between cake/cupcakes. Plus talking to their "wedding consultant" was a nightmare (wouldn't return phone calls, had an attitude, etc) and they were more than double my next highest quote.

But anyhoo, my theory has always sort of been that if their product is good they will WANT you to have a tasting because they will be confident that you will go with them. If it were me I would look for places with free tastings and if I could find them I would go to them first. That way, if you find someone you love you're done and you never had to pay for a tasting. If that doesn't work, THEN you consider paying for a tasting.

It's the norm here (Chicago). One baker told me the fee was in place to cover ingredients/time and so random people didn't book tastings just to get free cake and not actually purchase anything. With the two bakeries I contacted the fee went toward the cake if I ordered from them. I think it's completely normal!

I have not had to pay for tastings with caterers or catering companies. We just attended the open houses they have about 2 times a year. Thanks for the help everyone.

It's half free half charge where I've been looking, but all of the charges go toward a purchase if you use them. That should be a given!

It's very normal here, but the place I used is a family-owned mini chain of grocery markets with an amazing bakery, and they do not charge.

My guess is that this is to offset the cost of people who would otherwise make appointments with vendors they know they can't ever afford, but want an experience with a higher-end baker so they book a tasting with no intent to use them. I feel like cake tasting is becoming a sport...

The place we are going to an open house for this weekend requires payment if you are doing an initial tasting outside of their open house. The open house is free and you get to taste the same cakes you would get to taste in an initial tasting.

We didn't have any tasting fees and weren't ever told that was a possibility. We did three cake tastings.

I agree with @ teamandre - it's part of doing business.

My rule of thumb is this - if they charge a consulting/tasting fee, I ask if that fee can be deducted from the cost of my cake or delivery. So if my cake/delivery ended up being $300, and the tasting fee was $25, then I would owe $275. Obviously that depends on how big your order is and the bakery. But the bakers I contacted at least offered to deduct most, if not all, of the tasting fee from my overall bill. Only one flat out said no, and they were rude about it to boot.

Keep in mind, my wedding is in February, and FH is military. That changes things.

Thanks ladies!