How should you set the table

English Sandwiches and English Tea

A lot of people in England eat sandwiches for their lunch. There are a lot of sandwich shops in London. You can buy all sorts of sandwiches in these shops. You can get meat sandwiches, or salad sandwiches, or meat –and –salad sandwiches. And you can get cheese, egg or fish sandwiches. You can even buy fruit sandwiches. Each sandwich has 2 thin slices of bread. You put butter and meat between the 2 slices. Lots of foreigners don’t like English sandwiches. They like the kind of sandwich we call a roll. Some foreigners don’t like English tea, either. English tea is very strong. The Englishmen drink a lot of tea. They drink it with lemon, we drink tea with milk, so it is called the Russian tea.

Is the information in these sentences True or False?

1. There are a lot of sandwich shops in London
2. You can’t buy all sorts of sandwiches in these shops
3. You can even buy milk sandwiches
4. Each sandwich has 2 thin slices of bread
5. You put butter and meat between the 3 slices.
6. English tea is very strong.
7. We drink tea with meat, so it is called the Russian tea.

RULES

· During the meal, hands should be kept clearly visible at all times, never on the lap. The fork should be in the left hand and the knife in the right. The utensils should never be switched.

· Lay the knife and fork side by side across the plate to indicate you’ve finished. Crossing the utensils or positioning them on opposite sides of the plate sends the message that you wish to have more.

· Leaving food on the plate, especially at a dinner party in somebody’s home, may insult the host.

· In is considered impolite to put the elbows on the table.

· Knife and spoon are placed parallel, across the plate, when you’ve finished eating. The knife should never be brought to the mouth.

· The fork should not be turned over in the right hand and used to cut food.

· If a person has a spoon and a knife for the dessert, he should use both , placing food onto the spoon with the fork.

· It is recommended at the end of each course to put the eater’s cutlery in a straight line up the centre of the plate.

· It is considered polite to unfold the napkin and lay it on his lap soon after sitting down.

· You should take a napkin and clean your lips when it is necessary.

· Put your napkin on the left when you’ve finished the food.

· You put the napkin on the table only after the hostess.

Table manners.

· Guests of honour are seated to the right of the host or hostess.

· The guests are recommended not to take their seats until the hostess and the guest of honour are seated and you are invited by the host.

· It is considered to be polite to seat and serve women and older people.

· It is impolite to speak with the person’s mouth full or point with his knife.

· It is considered impolite to pour himself or herself a drink.

· Eat everything that’s on the plate.

· It is considered polite to compliment the host at a dinner table.

· It is considered impolite to ask for things that are not on the table, though it is acceptable to ask for a glass of water.

How should you set the table

The basic rule for cutlery, working from the outside in, we usually apply. For a meal with five courses in Britain, one would expect to see a small bread knife on the outside right, then a spoon; next to this is a fish knife, then a large table knife for meat or poultry, and last of all a dessert spoon.

On the left would be a small fork for salads, next to this is a fish fork, then a large fork for meat or poultry and finally a dessert fork.

Four glasses will normally be arranged at the top right-hand corner of each place setting. These are used in the opposite order to the cutlery. Working from inside out, you will find first a cherry glass (it served with the soup); next comes a small wine glass for white wine, then a large glass for red wine and finally a champagne flute (champagne accompanies the dessert). A large goblet for water may be placed behind these glasses.

SET MENU
STARTERS Bean soup Baked mushrooms Slices of raw fish MAIN COURSE Lobster and chicken salad Roast lamb with aubergines Beef cooked in honey with red peppers Slices of duck with cabbage		DESSERTS Fresh pineapple Strawberries with cream Mango sorbet Two courses &13.99 Three courses &16.99 Service not included

In a Restaurant