The term ‘things can’t stay the same forever’ seems to be ringing particularly true in these credit crunching times, as it appears Brits are opting to buy the cutlery set minus the knives – an item which could be considered unnecessary and a luxury by some.
However, Debenhams are determined this country won’t go to the dogs with its mal dining etiquette, so proud they are of the Great British tradition (or could it have something to do with em… selling more knives… ergo money – cynical – moi?)
It appears in the age of ready prepared/pre-packaged/microwave/oven/take-away meals – we don’t actually need a sharp blade to chop at our food while we pin it down with our pronged fork – its already been done for us – hooray! Never mind the brilliant minds that came up with the ingenious concept after eons of messily clutching and pulling at food with our bare and unhygienic talons. Nope, it looks like we are following in the American footsteps (or should that be hand-steps), as we opt to dig into our big plates with one fork in hand.
Debenham’s sales figures reveal that rather than buying cutlery sets, people are mixing and matching their pieces, and more often than not, buying three times as many forks compared to knives.
And it seems it is not just home dining where the traditions are fading – even restaurant etiquette is shifting as diners are now presented with a plate of food that does not require to be knifed. Hadi Aknin, the maître d’hôtel at the Launceston Place restaurant in Kensington, west London. “Of course, if you have a steak you will need a steak knife, but many of the nouvelle cuisine-style dishes we do nowadays have so much preparation in the dish that there is less work for the diner. We see many customers eating with just the fork, although I always give them the option of the knife.”
Debenhams carried out a study that revealed 32 per cent of customers did not buy as many knives as they much preferred using a fork on its own. A further 24 per cent were totally confused by the concept of place settings, while 28 per cent found fish knives a complete waste of time. Nineteen per cent could spot the difference between and soup spoon and a dessert spoon (shock horror, call the etiquette police!)
So what can we do about this tragic situation – the loss of our stuffy, unnecessary traditions? Well fear not, as Debenhams have the answer – the Civilised Dining Campaign – a sort of preservation of die-easy habits if you like. Spokesman Ed Watson said, “Using both a knife and a fork to eat has held this country in good stead for centuries. It’s one of the mainstays of being British. It’s about maintaining standards, before the single fork habit becomes ingrained in the next generation. Bad table manners can turn an enjoyable meal into an embarrassment.”
Yes we are an embarrassment aren’t we? So, if you happen to drop into one of the retail giant’s stores from next month, you can expect to encounter “advisers on dining etiquette” to show you the way to perfect table manners and dining salvation. Great.
