Is it ever ok to start eating before everyone has been served?!
Is it ever ok to start eating before everyone has been served?
Answers:
No. It's very rude.
Only if your have a rich family.. cause the rule of thumb was , you dont eat till everyone is served just incase someone comes up short everyone can pitch in off their plates to make 1 more.. thats why.. or if you have kids.. same rule applies... And to say grace...
True English etiquette is actually to start as soon as you are served.
Etiquette dictates not.
It depends upon the degree of formality of the occasion. For a formal lunch or dinner, then NO, you should not start until everyone is served.
Under less formal circumstances, particularly in a restaurant if there is a delay between dishes arriving, the host/ess may suggest that guests begin eating rather than let the food get cold.
etiquette states that you should wait until everyone has been served. however, sometimes at a restaurant when you're with a big group, people around you will give you permission to start before them so that your food doesn't get cold. then it's ok.
No not usually but if someone has to be somewhere at a certain time it is okay for that person to eat first as long as everyone else understands.
depends on how hungry you are, if your starving i would start straight away, if not i still would start straight away.
Yeah if they don't mind, if it's a child, and/or you're in a hurry.
Table Manners. Always wait until everyone's been served. I'm just glad that you sit around a table. These days it's microwave meals on a tray in front of the box! Good on you!
If you want to enjoy a meal as a ritual of togetherness, it's best to wait until others are served. Eating with others can be a very enjoyable social experience.
I don't think so; it's pretty rude. The only exception might be if your food will be ruined and there's will take a long time to arrived (like they were late)-- but even then it's a tough call. Have you seen that episode of Curb your enthusiasm where Larry does that? Good stuff...
Its polite to wait i guess ,but why let ya food get cold.If ya hungry sod it and it depends who ya eat with also.But lifes to short to care anyway,get stuck in.
Good question; I've read many ettiquette books on the topic. The general concensus is that in a small group, wait. However, at a large dinner party(50+), it is generally thought acceptable to begin after a few people (5-10)have been served. The best rule to follow, in cases like that is to do as your hos does, or tells you to do. If he(she) asks everyone to eat as soon as they have been served, do so! And if he begins eating soon after, you may begin as well.
You needn't worry about it in unformal occasions like a picnic. However, in a small dinner with a few friends, it is appropriate. Also, be aware if the host has any religious beliefs which require prayer before a meal. If that is the case, then you should wait till the prayer is said no matter what, just out of courtesy, regardless your own beliefs.
So, to sum up yes it is alright in a few situation: Very informal meals, and dinners with a very large attendence. For the latter, it is pretty much a matter of necessity to begin early, because it would take forever to serve that many. If your host is not currently present to observe their actions, watch the person in the group that you deem the most socially graceful and do as they do(not to the point of mimicry, remember).
Hope this helped; this is pretty much what was thought acceptable 50 years ago, and I find it rather safe to follow tose rules and be over careful than follow the rules of modern society and make a mistake.
Only if you are under 3.
In England, most certainly not.
However, at many functions that I have attended, where the tables are set for eight or more persons, I have been distressed to find the meat served first, uncovered, and then the vegetables served minutes afterwards, on tables where the settings are so cramped that the dishes cannot be passed around with ease. The result is that we end up with lukewarm meat and veg, and thus rely on that most awful example of English cuisine - to wit -gravy, to pour over our food in order to warm it up again.
I used to cook for 35 people at one sitting, in three separate dining areas. All areas had generous table room, and I insisted that hotplates (chafing dishes) were warmed and on each table, in order that food could be kept hot. I trained stewards to carve and serve at table, and nobody had to rely on gravy - even with roast beef. I did not serve gravy, but a beef, lamb or chicken 'jugged jus' was available (the chef will understand) - but all my meat and veg was served piping hot and distributed quickly, and with finesse, by my stewards.
It actually depends on the number of dinner guests .
At a family dinner or a small group You wait until everybody has their dish ;
At weddings or more elaborate parties , tables are served one by one .
In this situation You wait till the entire table - speaking of numbers around max. 8 to 10 persons - has been served .
In situations with long tables with dozens of people You wait until your neighbours have their plates , please don't wait till the entire table has their food because yours might be cold by then .
For adults i think it's bad manners, i always make sure if there are any kids they are eating first as they normally take longer and lose interest quicker. the sooner they start the more they'll eat!