Table manner

1. Table manners
Table manners are important in both professional and social situations.
In Britain, even today, people are judged by their table manners, especially
when eating out or attending formal functions. Different cultures observe
different rules for table manners.
FORMAL DINNER PLACE SETTING
1. Napkin
2. Fish Fork
3. Main Course Fork
4. Salad Fork
5. Soup Bowl and Plate

2. 6. Dinner Plate
7. Dinner Knife
8. Fish Knife
9. Soup Spoon
10. Bread and Butter Plate
11. Butter Knife
12. Dessertsilverware
13. Water Glass
14. Red Wine Glass
15. White Wine Glass
TABLE SETTING ETIQUETTE
1. Service plate positioned so that patterns of the place face the diner.
2. Butter plate should be placed above the forks at the left hand side of the place
setting.
3. Wine glasses, positioned according to size.
4. Salad fork, placed directly to the left of the plate.
5. Meat fork, positioned to the left of the salad fork.
6. Fish fork, positioned to the left of the meat fork.
7. Salad knife, just to the right of the plate.
8. Fish knife, positioned to the right of the meat knife
9. Butter knife, positioned diagonally at the top of the butter plate
10.Soup spoon and/or fruit spoon placed outside the knives.

3. 11.Oyster fork, if shellfish is to be served, beyond the spoons. This is the only
fork ever placed on the right.
12.The napkin is placed on top of the charger (if one is used) or in the space for
the plate.
13.At informal meals, place the napkin in your lap immediately upon seating.
WHEN TO START EATING
At a small table of only two to four people, wait until everyone else has been
served before starting to eat. At a formal or business meal, you should either
wait until everyone is served to start or begin when the host asks you to.
EATING
Things you should do:-
 If you are at a dinner party wait until your host(ess) starts eating or
indicates you should do so.
 Chew and swallow all the food in your mouth before taking more or
taking a drink.
 Soup should be spooned away from you. Tilt the bowl away from you.
 Break bread and rolls with your fingers not with your knife.
 Break off a small piece of bread (or roll and butter it. Do not butter the
whole slice or half a roll at one time.
 You may use a piece of bread on a fork to soak up sauce or gravy. Never
hold the bread in your fingers to do this.

4.  Only clear consommé should be drunk directly from the soup bowl, and
then only if it has handles.
 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.
Things you should not do:-
 Never chew with your mouth open.
 Never talk with food in your mouth.
 Never put too much food in your mouth.
 Never mash or mix food on your plate.
 Do not blow on hot food or drink.
 Do not sip from a coffee spoon or teaspoon.
 Never use your fingers to push food onto your spoon or fork.
PASSING DISHES AND FOOD
Things you should do:-
•Soup spoons, coffeespoons, and dessertspoons should be placed on the service
plate or saucer when youare finished eating. Never leave them in the bowl, cup
etc.
•Always pass to the right.
•Initiate the passing of rolls, butter, and condiments even if you do not want
any.

5. •Pass jugs, gravy boats etc. with the handle toward the recipient.
Things you should not do:-
•Never reach across the table. If anything isn't directly in front of you, ask for
it to be passed.
RESTING UTENSILS
When you pause to take a sip of your beverage or to speak with someone, rest
your utensils by placing your knife and fork on your plate near the center,
slightly angled in an inverted V and with the tips of the knife and fork pointing
toward each other.
MEALS END
At a formal affair, plates are removed by a professional staff. But as most
informal meals areserved without help, the hostess clears the plates, often with
the help of a guest or two. At a family meal, members clear their own plates.
Do and Don’t of table etiquettes:
Do Don ’t
 Sit up straight
 Talk quietly
 Speak nicely to others
 Listen to the server
 Signal the server quietly
 Order food on menu
 Slouch
 Talk loudly
 Insult or speak rudely to
others
 Ignore the server
 Yell for the server

6.  Keep food over plate
 Use silverware to eat
 Chew with a closed mouth
 Use dinner-topic conversation
 Putnapkin on plate when done
 Leave appropriate tip
 Pay for what you eat
 Demand food not available
 Throw food on table; at others
 Play with silverware
 Chew with an open mouth
 Use street -talk conversation
 Stack dishes when done
 Leave too small or large tip
 Leave without paying