Dear ladies and gentlemen, during a cocktail party, if you take a small sandwich, should you place it on the plate or your napkin? When should you approach to a buffet? How to pass the food? Release yourself from these questions, continue reading!
Scenario 1: Cocktail Party
Rules About Food
In cocktail parties quite often you will find waiters serving food & drinks in trays.
For the convenience of guests, the food is served on toothpicks and can be eaten directly.
When eating, if the food is bigger in size, try to eat piece by piece, avoid having full mouth.
Always keep a napkin with you and ensure that you dispose the stick into the waste or on the small plates kept for this purpose.
Rules About Drinks
Hold your drinks in the left hand so that the right is free for introductions and handshakes.
Wrong example
Drink only when you have no food in your mouth, also make sure to dap your mouth with a napkin if you ate just before.
There are small & tall tables at the event, where you can leave a drink for rest. However, you’ll have to monitor it, otherwise the waiter will take it away.
There is a specific etiquette to hold your drink. Check our previous article to know more.
Scenario 2: Party with Buffet
You can meet a buffet event at weddings, business meetings, opening ceremonies and many other occasions. How should you behave?
After arrival, you should greet the host firstly, then if preferred, move to buffet table.
Do not rush to put all food you see on the plate. Take a walk and look at all the products before making a choice. Try not to block other people that are taking food during our tour.
Rules About Cutlery
Always place serving utensils (spoons, tongs) in the dish for which they are intended. This must be observed, firstly, because of hygiene, and secondly, it is possible that some of the guests are allergic to a certain product.
For the same reason, never add a snack with your fork or spoon. You can use hands to pick up tartlets, canapes on skewers and miniature pastries.
Rules About Food
Take no more than four snacks at a time in your plate. A lot of snacks in a plate looks ugly and sloppy. You can return to the buffet table 3-4 times.
According to etiquette, fish and meat should not be on the same plate. If you want to try a meat dish after a fish snack, change the plate.
It is strictly forbidden to take snacks for several people. This is a very bad tone. At the buffet table, everyone takes snacks only for themselves.
It is also forbidden to take any food after the buffet, unless the organizers themselves offer it.
Rules About Drinks
How much alcohol can be taken during the buffet – the issue is at the discretion of the owners. They are the ones who make up the evening’s alcohol menu. 2 times trip to alcoholic drinks are considered polite.
Used dishes must be cleaned on a special rack or trolley. Even if you took a sip of juice and don’t want to, remove the glass to the dirty dishes.
Scenario 3: Picnic
The weather is getting warmer, and there is a wish to have a picnic! And yes, picnic also means some kind of etiquette.
Rules About Food & Drinks
When you go on a picnic, the first thing you should think about is food. For convenience and environment protection, you can find a basket to store it.
Usually food is placed in the center, so everyone can reach the food.
You should put the food on your plastic plate and eat from it, holding in hands. Watch your glass with beverage so that it does not turn over.
If you need a snack from the other side of the mat, please ask your friends politely to pass food to you using napkin or plate. Never pass food with your hands.
What else you should do?
Although picnics are almost always informal event, don’t forget about elegance. Make sure your legs are covered and that you have a straight back. You also can sit on your knees, but never stand on the mat with your feet.
Picnic is also a good opportunity to fulfill a childhood dream. You could dress in elegant dresses of past centuries, put on a hat, arrange a tea party and a wonderful photo shoot with friends and families!
After picnic, be sure to clean after yourself and do not leave any trash. Everyone should take part in cleaning the place.
Having meal without typical dining setting can cause us inconvenience, but we hope that after our article you have no fear left!
Still having doubts? Let us know in the comments!
