HOW TO SET A TABLE

Hello Dear Foodies! I hope you’re doing well. This week I want to explain basically how to set a table. Knowing it properly is a skill that comes to the fore when friends and family (maybe your Foodies who knows) set to descend on your mind exactingly planned dinner. Hosting a dinner for them is one of life’s great highlights. It’s a kind of excuse to slow down and enjoy good company over a delicious meal. A truly spectacular meal, whether it be a grand late morning breakfast or a more formal Sunday lunch, requires a beautiful table setting that suits the occasion. Something which continues to confuse even the most experienced of dinner party hosts is the various table setting rules which exist for different meals. If you’re facing your first formal dinner party, and the concept of multiple forks seems overwhelming, setting a table can be a daunting task. Where does the bread plate go, do I need a bread plate?!? How many forks is too many forks? And what about glasses? Dessert spoon, oh wait what?! So once you know how to do it right, you’ll have no problem setting any table (hopefully) even having a little fun with it. So without further ado, let’s learn the rules Foooooodies.

Formal Dinner Table

The foundation of a formal setting (and what sets it apart from a typical dinner setting) is the presence of a charger. The simplest way to understand how to lay a table with charger plates is to think of it as a decorative base plate on which all the other service plates rest.

Table linen should consist of a tablecloth that is either used to cover the expanse of the table or folded as a runner as well as napkins. Napkins should be placed to the left of the forks to allow each diner or a server to easily place napkins on laps.

– Don’t pick up your cutlery or start eating until everyone at the table has been served. This doesn’t apply to tables of 8 or more.

– Don’t put your elbows on the table.

– Ask to be passed a dish or condiment — never reach over anyone or their plate. But always offer to another guest first.

– If you need to leave the table, always excuse yourself.

– Place your cutlery together with the blade and tines facing upwards to 12 o’clock to signify that you are finished eating.

1. Cover the table with a tablecloth or placemat.

2. Set a charger at each seat. Place a salad plate and soup bowl in the center of each setting.

3. Place the bread plate to the left of the charger. Stick the butter knife on the plate with the handle facing right for easy reach.

4. Place a cloth napkin to the right of charger.

5. On the left of the charger, place the salad fork and dinner fork, from left to right.

6. On the right of the charger, place the dinner knife, salad knife, and soup spoon, from left to right.

7. Place water glass above the knives. Wine is set from right to the left in the order used. White wine is for the first course on the outside, the red wine is next for your entree.

8. Stick dessert utensils above the charger, fork handle to the left and spoon handle to the right.

9. When the main course is served, the charger should be traded out for the dinner plate.

Placemat: If you’re using one, this should be the first thing you lay down, as it will serve as a kind of guide for the rest of the setting. Place the placemat one inch from the edge of the table.

Charger: The charger is the term for the large plate that goes under all other plates — for a formal, served dinner, this is what the waitstaff will use to hold other plates when serving. In a more casual setting, you’d substitute this for the dinner, or largest, plate. Put this in the center of the placemat.

Napkin: There are several ways you can get creative with napkin placement. For a traditional layout, fold the napkin and place it to the left of the charger. Looking to switch it up? Try folding the napkin in a rectangle on top of the charger and under the salad plate, or using a napkin ring and placing it atop the plates.

Dinner Plate: The largest plate, this goes atop the charger, centered.

Salad Plate: Put this on top of the dinner plate. Note: depending on the meal being served, you may not have a salad plate, or have a soup bowl instead (in that case, put the soup bowl here!).

Bread Plate: The bread plate goes on the upper left corner of the placemat.

Forks: Place the forks to the left of the plates (usually on top of the napkin) in the order you’ll use them. That means salad fork on the outside and dinner fork on the inside. If you’re having seafood, place the fish fork accordingly. One exception: Hold off on the dessert fork!

Dinner Knife: Place this to the right of the plates, closest to them.

Spoons: Place these to the right of the knife, again, going outwards in in order of course (a good way to remember this is that RIGHT has 5 letters, like KNIFE and SPOON, the utensils that go there; LEFT has four letters, like FORK). Hold off on the dessert spoon.

Dessert Utensils: The dessert spoon or fork goes above the plates, centered.

Butter Knife: The butter knife can go either under the dessert spoon or knife or, if you have two dessert utensils, atop the bread plate.

Water Glass: The water glass goes on the top right corner of the placemat.

Wine Glass: Next to the water glass on the top right. Red wine gets the larger glass, white gets the smaller size.

Champagne Glass: Next to the wine!

Place Card: The place card traditionally goes above the dessert utensils, but if you’re entertaining, feel free to have fun with it. Put the card with a name atop the plates, write it on a piece of fruit or other accessory, or use an unexpected vessel, like a teacup!

Casual Table

Firstly decide whether guests are to be seated around the dining table or left to roam and enjoy their food wherever they land, be it in the neighbouring living room or left leaning against the kitchen work surface. If it is the latter, the table setting becomes more of a display of food as opposed to a place to eat. Therefore, think less about placemats and flatware, and more about filling the entirety of the table with a wide selection of coordinating serveware. You can use tableware as serving dishes if you run out too — a dinner plate can be perfect for displaying canapés and soup bowls suit side dishes and generous portions of sauce to spoon servings from.

To set a casual table, you’ll need a place mat, dinner plates, soup bowls, salad plates, napkins, dinner forks, knives, soup spoons, water glasses.

1. Put the placemat on the table.

2. Place the dinner plate in the middle of the placement. Put the salad plate on top of the dinner plate.

3. If you’re having soup, place the soup bowl on top of the salad plate.

4. Place a napkin to the left of the setting.

5. On the left of the plate, place the dinner fork on the napkin.

6. On the right of the plate, place the dinner knife and soup spoon, from left to right.

7. Place the water glass directly above the knife. To the right of the water glass, place the wine glass or a glass for another beverage.

Plate: Place the largest plate in the center of the setting, either atop a placemat or not!

Napkin: Place to the left of the plate or atop it (a napkin ring is a great way to add a pop to a casual table).

Fork: On the left!

Knife: On the right!

Spoon: On the right!

Glasses: Top right!

Once your table settings are complete, you’re ready to move onto the fun part: decorating your table! Add candles, flower arrangements, or unexpected elements, like fruits, vegetables, or your favorite decorative objects. The more unexpected, the more interesting.

There you have it how to set a table for your loving guests and Foodies.

Your friends and family (and you of course!) will love the extra effort you’ve put in to provide a wonderful experience. Your dinner parties will be unforgettable, and so will the memories that come out of it.

I wonder what food and drink will you serve? Let me know guys.

You all do know I love you ❤.

See you next week.