Traditional table manners such as not talking with your mouth full and waiting until everyone has their food before eating are falling by the wayside as modern Brits claim they are stuffy and outdated.
A survey has revealed many Brits are ditching table manners, with 50% of respondents claiming mealtimes are far less formal affairs these days.
Three-quarters claim many of the stuffy rules which their parents and grandparents used to adhere to are now outdated.
Saying thank you for your meal (39%), not slouching (39%), and asking to leave the table (42%) are on the way out, according to the report, while 46% of those surveyed claim it’s common practice these days to start eating before everyone else has their food.
45% said always sitting around a table together was a thing of the past, while the same number said more people are ditching a knife and fork and digging in with their hands.
In addition, 38% of the millennials and gen z’s surveyed by plant-based food brand Vivera believe the days of using a napkin or serviette to protect clothes from food splatters are over.
22% claim that getting messy while eating food is no longer taboo – with 20% saying getting food all over your mouth and hands is part of the fun.
Said Karin Lowik of Vivera: “We absolutely love to see that Brits are beginning to lose their inhibitions when it comes to embracing new foods and great tastes. But we do understand there might be some caution.
The study also revealed a list of modern table manners that are replacing traditional ones, with no vaping at the table (60%) and not using your phone at the table (54%) emerging as important.
And when it comes to the top foods we enjoy getting messy while eating, the data revealed that pizza is number one (39%), followed by kebabs (34%), wraps (32%) and burritos (28%).
TRADITIONAL TABLE MANNERS THAT ARE OUTDATED AND STUFFY ACCORDING TO MODERN BRITS
- Never talk with your mouth full
- Never put your elbows on the table
- Don’t start to eat before everyone has their meal
- Eat always sitting at the table
- Always use a knife and fork
- Always ask before leaving the table
- Never slouch at the dinner table
- Say thank you for the food after the meal
- Always use a napkin or serviette
- Do not make a mess / get messy with your food
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