How to behave at the table

What should I do or not do when I am eating in Britain?

The British generally pay a lot of attention to good table manners.

We eat most of our food with cutlery

Even young children are expected to eat properly with knife and fork.

Things you should do:

• If you cannot eat a certain type of food or have some special needs, tell your host several days before the dinner party.

• If you are a guest, it is polite to wait until your host starts eating or indicates you should do so. It shows consideration.
• Always chew and swallow all the food in your mouth before taking more or taking a drink.
• Always say thank you when served something. It shows appreciation.

• Food is eaten with a knife and fork and dessert with a spoon and fork.
• You may eat chicken and pizza with your fingers if you are at a barbecue, finger buffet or very informal setting. Otherwise always use a knife and fork.

• When eating rolls, break off a piece of bread before buttering. Eating it whole looks tacky.
• On formal dining occasions it is good manners to take some butter from the butter dish with your bread knife and put it on your side plate (for the roll). Then butter pieces of the roll using this butter. This prevents the butter in the dish getting full of bread crumbs as it is passed around.

• When you have finished eating, and to let others know that you have, place your knife and folk together, with the prongs (tines) on the fork facing upwards, on your plate.

Things you should not do:

• Never lick or put your knife in your mouth.
• It is impolite to start eating before everyone has been served
• unless your host says that you don't need to wait.
• Never chew with your mouth open. No one wants to see food being chewed or hearing it being chomped on.

• It is impolite to have your elbows on the table while you are eating.
• Don't reach over someone's plate for something, ask for the item to be passed .
• Never talk with food in your mouth.

It is impolite to put too much food in your mouth.

• Never use your fingers to push food onto your spoon or fork.
• It is impolite to slurp your food or eat noisily.
• Never blow your nose on a napkin (serviette). Napkins are for dabbing your lips and only for that.
• Never take food from your neighbours plate.
• Never pick food out of your teeth with your fingernails.

Dining

• Food may be served in one of several ways: "family style" by passing the serving plates from one to another around the dining table;

• "buffet style" with guests serving themselves at the buffet;

• and "serving style" with the host filling each plate and passing it to each person. Guests usually wait until everyone at their table has been served before they begin to eat.