The ideal table

The ideal table

Returning from an invitation to lunch or dinner, a guest filling this will essentially remember the dimensions and layout of the dining room. However, even the most beautiful antique objects and furniture could not compensate for the bad impression left by a carelessly laid table. The guest will hardly remember the best menu, the finest dishes and an absolutely perfect evening if the dishes are not served in the appropriate setting. This is why other Britons make it a point of honor to have their dining room table set impeccably. Because, in the end, it will be in the guest's field of vision for a whole evening, so the table linen and napkins must be freshly washed and ironed, and new candles placed in the lever fields. . The silverware will have to be gleaming, and the Greens compete with sparkles, without fingerprints or lipstick.

However, even before these considerations, other savvy people will worry about the placement of their guests. The British continue to attach an almost paramount importance to it. More often than not, they ensure that the placement accurately reflects the social hierarchy. The householder usually occupies the place of honor, with the highest-ranking female guest to his right. The hostess is seated at the other end of the table, with the highest class male diners to her right. The spouses or companions of the two main guests are seated to the left of their high. There is another fundamental rule that no high worthy of the name is allowed to forget: spouses and cohabitants, including homosexual couples, must not be neighbors at the table. In addition, for a perfect alternation we will arrange to invite the same number of men as women.

Source: Very British - Lifestyle and traditions of the British Isles
Back to blog