Q. Even in smart places, waiters have taken my plate away before I have finished, if my head is turned, or they take away a companion’s plate while I am still eating. I recently had a whole slice of beef fillet whipped away whilst I was chatting animatedly away to a fellow guest. How can I stop the waiters doing this? I refuse to hold on to my cutlery between mouthfuls!
— A.S., Petersfield, Hampshire
A. The waiter’s confusion is understandable since so many of those who can now afford to eat in restaurants are unfamiliar with the classic conventions of the table. For some, the signal to remove their plate is given at the moment they stop holding their knife and fork. Meanwhile, the traditional British eater sends the same message by putting knife and fork together in the six o’clock position.
Strategically position a water jug so that access to your plate is blocked unless a waiter can get your attention and expressly ask your permission to remove it.
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