British table manners

With the faster and faster development of modernization, people's pace of life is also constantly accelerating, but the most important thing is that people's living habits have also undergone great changes, especially in the diet aspect, and British table etiquette is one of them. I believe everyone is familiar with this table etiquette, but perhaps everyone knows relatively little.

As for this British table etiquette, in fact, the practices in society are similar, so there is no need to worry too much about not being able to do it well. Below is some information about this British table etiquette.

1. Clothing

It is common knowledge that you should dress appropriately when dining in a restaurant. When going to a high-end restaurant, men should dress neatly; women should wear suits and high-heeled shoes. If formal attire is required, men must wear a tie. When entering the restaurant, men should open the door first and invite women in. Ladies should be asked to walk in front. Ladies should be given priority when being seated and when food is served. Especially in group activities, don't forget to let ladies walk in front.

2. Take your seat

The most appropriate way to take a seat is from the left. When the chair is pulled out, stand up straight at a distance that is almost touching the table. The usher will push the chair in. When your knees touch the chair behind you, you can sit down. When eating, your upper arms and back should be against the back of the chair, and your abdomen should be about a fist's distance from the table. Sitting with your legs crossed is best avoided.

3. Wine selection

In high-end restaurants, there will be bartenders who are good at tasting wine and bring a wine menu. For those who don’t know much about wine, it’s best to tell the head bartender the dishes you’ve chosen, your budget, and your favorite wine flavors, and let them help you make the selection. If the main course is meat, pair it with red wine, and if it is fish, pair it with white wine. Before serving, try a lighter wine like champagne, sherry or gill.

4. Ordering food

The formal order of serving a full Western meal is: ① appetizers and soup ② fish ③ fruit ④ meat ⑤ cheese ⑥ dessert and coffee ⑦ fruit, as well as aperitifs and table wine. There is no need to order everything. It would be impolite to order too much and not be able to finish it. Any decent restaurant welcomes customers who only order appetizers. The most appropriate combination is appetizer, main course (fish or meat) and dessert. When ordering food, you don’t start with the appetizers, but rather choose the main course you want to eat the most, and then pair it with a soup that suits the main course.

5. Napkins

After ordering, before the appetizers are served, unfold the napkin, fold it inward by one-third, and let two-thirds lie flat on your legs, covering the part of your legs above the knees. It is best not to tuck your napkin into your collar.

6. Use of tableware

British and American people have different eating habits. When eating meat, the British hold the fork in their left hand with the fork tip facing down, poke up the meat and put it into their mouths. If it is burnt vegetables, they use a dinner knife to move the vegetables onto the fork and put them into their mouths. Americans cut meat in the same way, then put down the dinner knife in their right hand and use the dinner fork instead. The fork, with the fork tip facing up, is inserted under the meat. Without using a dinner knife, the meat is scooped up and put into their mouths. The burnt vegetables are also scooped up in the same way. When eating, using the back of a fork to scoop up food is not against table etiquette, but it does look unsightly. When eating dishes such as rice, you can naturally turn the fork to the front and scoop up the food, because the concave part on the side of the fork is designed for this use. At this time, you can also use a knife to assist in eating. When scooping up food on the plate, use a knife to block it to prevent it from spilling outside the plate. This way you can scoop up the food on the plate neatly. If the food is topped with sauce, you can also use a knife to scrape the sauce, and then use a spoon or a sauce spoon to put the food and ingredients into your mouth. It is wrong to pick up the food with a fork and then pour the sauce on it with a spoon before eating, because the sauce will drip everywhere when the food is put into your mouth, making a mess. When scooping up food with a fork, hold the fork in your left hand, place the food on the front of the fork and put it into your mouth. In a casual dining situation with friends, if you don't need to use a knife, you can use your right hand to hold the fork to eat. Rice should be scooped up with the front of the fork rather than the back of the fork. This makes it easier to eat and is more elegant and natural. When small pieces of food gather on the plate, you can use a knife to block them and then use a fork to scoop them up. You can also use a spoon instead of a knife. Use the fork to gather the food onto the spoon, and then use the spoon to put the food into your mouth. A sauce spoon is used in the same way as a regular spoon. You should use a fork to push the food onto a sauce spoon when eating, rather than forking the food and then pouring the sauce on it with a spoon, as the latter is against etiquette.

7. Desserts and fruits

Ice cream is usually eaten with a small spoon. When eating with cake or pie or as part of a main meal, use a dessert fork and a dessert spoon. Pie Fruit pies are usually eaten with a fork. But if your host provides you with a fork and a dessert spoon, use the fork to hold the pie in place and the spoon to scoop out the pie. Pie is eaten with a fork, unless the pie comes with ice cream, in which case both a fork and a spoon should be used. If you are eating cream pie, it is best to use a fork instead of your hands. To prevent the filling from leaking out from the other end. To poach the pears use a spoon and fork. Hold the pear upright with a fork and use a spoon to scoop it into small, easy-to-eat pieces. The fork can also be used to rotate the poached pear so that the flesh can be scooped out. If you only have a spoon, swirl the plate with your hands, leaving the core on the plate, and use the spoon to scoop out the syrup. Sorbet can be served with a fork if served as a side dish with meat, or with a spoon if served as a dessert. Stewed Fruit Stewed fruit should be eaten with a spoon, but you can use a fork to steady large pieces of fruit. Spit the pits of cherries, prunes and preserved plums politely into a spoon and place them on the side of the plate.

8. Drinking etiquette

Wine service is usually done by the waiter pouring a small amount into a wine glass, allowing the guest to identify whether the quality is correct. The guest just needs to treat it as a formality, take a sip and say GOOD. Next, the waiter will come to pour the wine. At this time, do not pick up the wine glass, but put it on the table and let the waiter pour it. The correct way to hold the cup is to hold the cup foot with your fingers. To avoid the temperature of the wine being raised by the warmth of your hands. Use your thumb, middle finger and index finger to hold the cup foot, and place your little finger on the bottom of the cup to secure it. When drinking, you must never sip it. Instead, tilt the glass and drink it as if you are putting the wine on your tongue. Gently shake the wine glass to allow the wine to come into contact with air to increase the aroma of the wine, but do not shake the glass violently. In addition, it is impolite to drink it all in one gulp, look at people through the wine glass while drinking, drink while talking while holding the wine glass, drink while eating, and leave lipstick marks on the rim of the wine glass. Don't use your fingers to wipe the lipstick marks on the rim of the cup. It is better to use a tissue.

Through the above understanding and introduction, I believe everyone can have a certain understanding of this British table etiquette. At the same time, I also hope that everyone can be helped by the above knowledge. At the same time, I also hope that everyone can learn more about relevant Western table etiquette. At the same time, everyone should not forget their own table etiquette. It is best to know both, which is also a better thing.