The following are the British table etiquette rules that I have carefully collected and organized for you. I hope you like it! More information is here!

In Western food, it is difficult for British food to be as different as French food. The food is compared with Italian food, and the British are famous for their love of "fast food". This makes it even more difficult for Chinese people who love food and have a long food culture to have a sense of identity. However, the British's emphasis on the choice of dietary ingredients and table manners is indeed something that few Western countries can match.

The British are probably world-famous for their emphasis on etiquette. On weekdays, "Thank you" and "I'm sorry" are never left out of your mouth. As long as you feel that you have caused a little bit of trouble to others, even if the other person is hurt by you. If someone steps on someone's foot, they will rush to say "Sorry!" to you. It sounds like a joke, but it is a true portrayal of the British. In a restaurant, British people will say "Thank you!" when they get the menu, "Thank you!" when ordering, "Thank you!" when the food is served, and "Thank you!" when they get the bill. When he pays you, he will also say "Thank you!" to you. Even the Chinese who come from a country of etiquette may find it difficult to adapt to such "thoughtfulness".

Regarding table manners, the British pay great attention to the cultivation of children from an early age. From the first day their children sit at the table, parents begin to provide them with tangible or intangible table manners education. I hope to help. Children develop good eating habits and learn good dining etiquette. So in a British restaurant, you won't hear anyone shouting "waiter" or "lady" loudly, nor will you hear people at any table talking loudly. On the contrary, even if they may have thought about what to eat today the day before, they will read the menu patiently, and then sit there quietly waiting for the waiter to come and order; even if they sit in a corner that is easily forgotten, Will try to communicate with the waiter with eyes or waves and avoid making any noise as much as possible. When dining, everyone will eat quietly in their seats, talk quietly, and even smile instead of laughing, for fear of disturbing the people around them. Of course, traditional Western food etiquette, such as not making any noise when drinking soup, chewing food with your mouth closed, and speaking only after the food is swallowed, are also important parts of British table manners.

Major parts of British table manners

1. Reservation:

In the West, when going to a restaurant to eat, you generally need to make a reservation in advance. When making a reservation, there are several points Pay special attention to making it clear. First, state the number of people and time, and secondly, indicate whether you want a smoking area or a seat with a good view. If it's a birthday or other special occasion, you can tell us the purpose and budget of the party. It is basic courtesy to arrive at the scheduled time. If there is an emergency, you must inform in advance and apologize for canceling the reservation.

No matter how expensive casual clothes are, you cannot wear them casually to eat in high-end Western restaurants. Dressing appropriately is common sense for Europeans and Americans. When going to a high-end Western restaurant, men should dress neatly; women should wear evening gowns or suits and heeled shoes. Women should wear heavier makeup because the light in the restaurant is dark. If formal attire is specified, men must wear a tie before entering. When in a restaurant, men should open the door first and invite women to enter. Women should be asked to walk in front. When taking a seat and ordering wine, you should ask the lady to taste and decide.

Generally, the business hours of western restaurants are from 11:30 to 11:30 in the afternoon, and dinner starts after 6:30 in the evening. If guests arrive early, they can have a drink at the bar before entering the main restaurant.

What you must know about British table manners

2. Take a seat

After you are seated, you don’t have to rush to order. If you have any questions, you can ask the waiter directly. They are usually very happy to answer any questions you have and will ask the restaurant manager or chef if they are not sure.

Although the portions of high-end Western appetizers are small, they are exquisite and worth savoring slowly. After the meal, you can choose dessert or cheese, coffee, tea, etc. Different countries have different tipping habits. But be sure to add compliments and show gratitude.

To a large extent, eating Western food is about eating with atmosphere: marble fireplaces, sparkling crystal lamps, silver candlesticks, colorful wines, plus people’s elegant and charming manners, this in itself is A touching oil painting. In order for you to behave more skillfully when you first try Western food, it is worth spending some effort to familiarize yourself with these dining etiquette.

Don’t mess around with the tableware already placed on the table before eating. Fold the napkin in half and place it gently in your lap. Napkins can be used to wipe your mouth or hands. They should be folded diagonally into a triangle shape, or parallelly into a rectangular shape. All stains should be wiped inside, and the appearance will always look clean. When leaving your seat, even temporarily, you should take off the tablecloth and fold it into a square or triangle at random and place it on the side of the plate or on the foot of the table, preferably on your seat.

When sitting, sit upright, do not put your elbows on the table, and do not cross your legs. It is better to keep the distance between the person and the table to facilitate the use of tableware.

A few things you must know about British table manners

3. Use of knives, forks and spoons

Placement rules: When using knives and forks to eat, move from outside to inside When taking a knife and fork, generally (left-handers can hold it the other way around, but they should put it back in the original position after eating). Hold the fork in the left hand and the knife in the right hand. When using the knife, the blade should not be outwards. When you put down your knives and forks during a meal, they should be placed in a "eight" shape and placed on the edge of the dinner plate. The blade of the knife is facing towards you, indicating that you will continue to eat. After each dish is finished, put the knife and fork together on the plate to indicate that the waiter can remove the utensils. If you are talking, you can hold the knife and fork without putting it down. When you are not using a knife, you can hold the fork in your right hand. However, if you need to make a gesture, you should put down the knife and fork. Never wave the knife and fork in the air, nor hold a knife or fork in one hand and a napkin in the other hand. When wiping your mouth, do not hold a wine glass in one hand and a fork in the other hand to pick up food. Remember, never place a knife and fork with one end on the plate and the other end on the table.

What you must know about British table manners

The knives, forks and spoons used in Western food have their own uses and cannot be substituted or mixed.

Knives are used to cut food. Do not use the knife to pick up food and bring it to your mouth. Remember: Hold the knife in your right hand. If three knives of different sizes appear at the same time when dining, the generally correct usage is: the one with small serrations is used to cut meat; the medium-sized one is used to cut large vegetables into small pieces; A small knife with a rounded tip and an upturned top is used to cut the bread, and then use it to pick some jam and butter to spread on the bread.

The fork should be held with the left hand, and the movement should be gentle when picking up the food and bringing it to the mouth. Pick up an appropriate amount of food and put it into your mouth at one time. When the fork picks up food and puts it into your mouth, your teeth only touch the food. Do not bite the fork, and do not let the knife and fork make any sound on your teeth or on the plate.

Spoons, in formal occasions, there are many kinds of spoons, small ones are used for coffee and desserts, that is, sweet desserts; flat ones are used for spreading butter and sharing cakes; larger ones are used for Drink soup or hold broken small food; the largest one is specially used for sharing soup and is common in buffets.

4. Eat elegantly

When eating bread, break it into small pieces and put it in your mouth. Do not bite the whole piece of bread. When spreading butter and jam, break the bread into small pieces before spreading. When eating, keep your mouth closed and chew. Do not lick your lips or smack your lips and make no sound. Do not make sucking sounds when drinking soup. If the soup is too hot, wait until it cools down slightly before eating. Do not blow it with your mouth. When drinking soup, use a spoon to scoop it from the inside out. When the soup in the soup plate is almost finished, use your left hand to slightly tilt the outside of the soup plate and scoop it out with a spoon. When you finish eating the soup, leave the spoon in the soup plate (bowl) with the spoon handle pointing toward you. When eating fish, meat and other dishes with thorns or bones, do not spit them out directly. You can cover your mouth with a napkin and spit them gently on the fork and put them on the plate. To eat noodles, roll them up with a fork and then put them into your mouth.

A few things you must know about British table manners

5. Desserts and drinks

If you need to add milk or sugar when drinking coffee, stir it with a small spoon Evenly spread, then place a small spoon on the coffee plate. When drinking, you should hold the cup handle with your right hand and place the saucer on the left hand. Don't drink it by the spoonful. When eating fruit, do not bite the fruit whole. You should first cut it into four pieces with a fruit knife, then use a knife to remove the skin and core, and eat it with a fork.

A few things you must know about British table manners

5. Pairing of drinking and food

What food should be eaten with drinking often puzzles people , for hundreds of years, choosing the appropriate food when drinking seems to have formed a rule. However, with the continuous emergence of new foods and new alcoholic beverages in modern society, these rules seem outdated and increasingly inappropriate.

How to pair drinking with food? First of all, you should understand that life varies according to personal preferences, and there is no doubt that the pairing of drinking and food should be matched according to personal taste. You can order wine and food according to your own taste, even if it is not allowed by the rules, or if your friends at the same table firmly object, there is no need to be shy or embarrassed. There are many things in life that seem inappropriate to go together, but they still look so harmonious. However, what should you do when you still can't make up your mind about what wine to have with dinner? Should you turn to those rules for pairing? Over the years, I have accumulated some experience that can solve the problems you encounter. These so-called "principles" don't tell you what to eat when drinking, they just explain how food and alcohol affect and interact with each other. The important thing to pair with food when drinking is based on taste. Food and wine can be divided into four tastes, which also defines the scope of wine and food pairing, namely: sour, sweet, bitter and salty.

Acidity: You may have heard that wine should not be paired with salad because the acid in the salad greatly destroys the aroma of the wine. However, if salad and acidic wine are used together, the acid contained in the wine will be broken down by the lactic acid of the salad. This is of course an excellent match. Therefore, you can choose to eat acidic wine with acidic food. Acidic wines work well with salty foods and taste great.

Sweetness: When dining, you can also choose desserts according to your personal taste. Generally speaking, sweet foods will dilute the taste of liqueur. If you choose a California Chardonnay and serve it with a small piece of grilled swordfish, the wine will be sweet. However, if you add salad to the fish, the fruitiness in the wine will be muted.

Therefore, when eating desserts, desserts with too much sugar will cover up the taste of wine and lose the original flavor. You should choose wine that is slightly sweeter. This way the wine can maintain its original taste.

Bitterness: still use the "personal preference" principle. The bitterness of bitters is reduced when consumed with bitter foods. So if you want to reduce or remove the bitterness, you can pair bitters with bitter foods.

Salty taste: There is generally no salty wine, but there are many wines that can reduce the salty taste of salty foods. In many countries and regions around the world, lemon juice or alcohol is used when eating seafood such as fish. The main reason is that acid can reduce the saltiness of fish, making it more delicious when eaten.

What you must know about British table manners

6. Toasts

As the guest of honor when attending a banquet held in a foreign country, you should understand the other party’s toasting habits, that is, why When people toast, when to toast, etc., in order to make the necessary preparations. When clinking glasses, the host and the guest of honor clink first. If there are many people, they can raise their glasses at the same time, but not necessarily clink glasses. Be careful not to cross and clink glasses when toasting. When the host and guest of honor are delivering speeches or toasting, they should pause their meals, stop talking, and listen carefully, and do not take this opportunity to smoke. Stand while the national anthem is played. After the host and guest of honor have finished speaking and clinking glasses with the VIP guests, they often go to other tables to toast. In this case, you should stand up and raise your glasses. When clinking glasses, greet each other visually.

Toast each other at a banquet to express friendship and liven up the atmosphere, but avoid drinking too much. Drinking too much can easily lead to blunders or even loss of posture, so it must be controlled within one-third of the amount of alcohol consumed.

A few things you must know about British table manners

7. Encountering unexpected situations

During the banquet, due to carelessness, abnormal situations occurred, such as using force. If you use too much force, the knife and fork will hit the plate and make a sound, or the tableware will fall to the ground, or the drink will be spilled, etc. You should be calm and don't worry. If the tableware makes a sound, you can gently say "I'm sorry" to your neighbor (or to the host). The receptionist can give you a drop of cutlery if you drop it. If the drink spills on your neighbor, you should apologize and help wipe it up; if the other person is a woman, just hand over a clean napkin or handkerchief and let her dry it herself.