You take the cash, I’ll take the 600 bottles of sherry

Carol Ann Duffy marked her appointment, after 400 years of male predecessors, by announcing she’d donate the monetary part of her stipend—about $12,000—to fund a new poetry prize. But her "butt of sack"—the 600 bottles of sherry traditionally given to the laureate—she’ll keep, Duffy says. In fact, she added after learning that the previous laureate, Andrew Motion, has yet to receive his allocation after a decade in the post, she’d like it up front, please.

The Guardian