THE ART OF SETTING THE TABLE
Whatever your approach to the main Christmas meal – turkey with all the trimmings or an up-to-date twist on the traditional – we can help you make your feast look extra special on the table.
“Our forebears appear to have invented a spoon or a fork for every contingency, from spearing a pickle to removing the stuffing from a turkey, and while these are as unnecessary today as they were then, anyone who has them will be the better prepared for all eventualities.”
Debrett’s Etiquette & Modern Manners
Setting the Christmas Table is as much a part of the ritual of the festive tradition as the preparation of the food. Even if most meals throughout the year are eaten on our knees, with the occasional Sunday roast given table treatment, most of us try to make an effort at Christmas. After all, it’s a time of year where we hope to create moments which form lasting memories, and gathering around a beautifully decorated table to share a meal is central to that.
Of course it doesn’t mean that it has to be suffocatingly formal; with a cascade of cutlery you don’t know what to do with, stacks of crockery and serving dishes, leaving nowhere to put down your glass and which will keep you washing up late into the evening. Etiquette, old fashioned as that word can sound, can’t be overlooked. It is a system for social ease:
“The dinner table today, wherever it is located, has its accompanying conventions reduced to a useful few. Self-importance and ‘appearances’ count for little or nothing and there is flexibility in almost all aspects and on almost all occasions. The emphasis is on good food, good wine, relaxation and conviviality. But even though the form is relaxed, the need to know the ground rules remains, for only when people know what is expected of them can things proceed smoothly and everybody feel ‘at home’ and at their best.”
Debrett’s Etiquette & Modern Manners
HOW TO LAY YOUR CHRISTMAS TABLE
- Give some honest thought as to what you feel you can achieve as host, without giving yourself so much to do that it becomes unenjoyable. Considering the sort of menu you are planning might help you to decide the degree of formality you wish to include on the table.
- What number of guests are you setting the table for? It might seem obvious, but checking that there is enough cutlery to eat with, plates to eat from and glassware to drink from is key. Oh, and chairs to sit on…
- Depending in which order you host your Christmas celebrations, laying up the table the night before can really add to the anticipation (and your sense of organisation!).
- Leave space between guests, but don’t spread them out so far that they can’t pass things to one another.
- Never place candlesticks or centrepieces in the way of eye lines – your guests need to see each other to share in the experience.
Dinner Plates
Dinner plates should sit in the centre of the place setting.
Side Plates
Side plates always go to the left of the dinner plate, with a butter knife sitting on top of the plate.
Cup and Saucer
Always set the cup and saucer for tea or coffee - along with a suitable stirrer or spoon - a few centimetres to the right above the outermost piece of cutlery. These should only be brought out after the dessert course is finished and the rest of the setting is cleared away.
Bread and Butter Plate
This small round plate, commonly called a side plate, should be set to the left of the forks. It can also be placed slightly above the forks, as long as it remains to the left of the dinner plate. Place a small butter knife or butter blade horizontally over the plate, the blade facing to the left.
Cutlery Placement
Only set the table with cutlery you will use as part of the meal being served. Place your cutlery on the table in the order of use, starting from the outside and working inwards with each course.
Forks should be set to the left of the plate, with knives placed to the right, blade edges facing inwards. Soup spoons should be placed on the right of the knives. An oyster fork is the only fork placed to the right of the setting, if it is to be used.
Place the dessert fork and dessert spoon above the plate, with the fork prongs facing right and the spoon bowl facing left.
Glassware
Glassware should be set above and to the right of the dinner plate with a red wine glass, a white wine glass and a water glass.
Dinner Plates
Dinner plates should sit in the centre of the place setting.
Side Plates
Side plates always go to the left of the dinner plate, with a butter knife sitting on top of the plate.
Cup and Saucer
Always set the cup and saucer for tea or coffee - along with a suitable stirrer or spoon - a few centimetres to the right above the outermost piece of cutlery. These should only be brought out after the dessert course is finished and the rest of the setting is cleared away.
Bread and Butter Plate
This small round plate, commonly called a side plate, should be set to the left of the forks. It can also be placed slightly above the forks, as long as it remains to the left of the dinner plate. Place a small butter knife or butter blade horizontally over the plate, the blade facing to the left.
Did You Know?
You are supposed to break a bread roll up into bite sized chunks by hand. Butter should be taken from the butter dish with the butter knife and put on the side of your plate. Then you can butter each bite of bread.
Cutlery Placement
Only set the table with cutlery you will use as part of the meal being served. Place your cutlery on the table in the order of use, starting from the outside and working inwards with each course.
Forks should be set to the left of the plate, with knives placed to the right, blade edges facing inwards. Soup spoons should be placed on the right of the knives. An oyster fork is the only fork placed to the right of the setting, if it is to be used.
Place the dessert fork and dessert spoon above the plate, with the fork prongs facing right and the spoon bowl facing left. (In more formal settings these can be laid either side of the place setting, once the main cutlery has been cleared away.)
Glassware
Glassware should be set above and to the right of the dinner plate with a red wine glass, a white wine glass and a water glass.
Tea and Coffee
Teacup and saucer and teaspoon are placed on the table after the dessert has been cleared away.
Glassware and Barware
Select beautiful glassware for your table to add texture and height. The addition of a decanter to air red wine is a nice touch. We recommend lead crystal glass for special occasions and a wine bottle coaster to protect your tablecloth.
Extra Cutlery
There's plenty of specialist cutlery available if you plan on serving something a little different. Steak Knives, Fish Eaters and Pastry Forks, Oyster Forks, Lobster Picks, Snail Tongs can all be added to the formal table setting. All of these are available in the Radford cutlery range. Always remember to place them in order of use. However, remember to only set the table with cutlery you will use.
A Tablecloth
Nothing says 'special occasion' more than a crisp tablecloth, although the surface of a treasured table can sometimes be enough. If you do use a tablecloth it should fall at least a foot below the top of the table but not be closer than 15cm to the ground.
Before spreading the tablecloth, it's a good idea to lay a table protector over the table, or individual protectors under each table setting, to prevent spillages or hot dishes from marking it.
Napkins
There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to napkins. Either fold a napkin in half and place it to the left of the plate, underneath the forks, or fold napkins and place in the centre of the dinner plate. Napkin rings, place cards and other decorations add to the sense of occasion.
Choose linen or cotton napkins for formal dinners, or high-quality paper napkins for a more casual dining experience.
Tea and Coffee
Teacup and saucer and teaspoon are placed on the table after the dessert has been cleared away.
Glassware and Barware
Select beautiful glassware for your table to add texture and height. We recommend lead crystal glass for special occasions and a wine bottle coaster to protect your tablecloth.
Extra Cutlery
There's plenty of specialist cutlery available if you plan on serving something a little different. Steak Knives, Fish Eaters and Pastry Forks, Oyster Forks, Lobster Picks, Snail Tongs can all be added to the formal table setting. All of these are available in the Radford cutlery range. Always remember to place them in order of use. However, remember to only set the table with cutlery you will use.
A Tablecloth
Nothing says 'special occasion' more than a crisp tablecloth, although the surface of a treasured table can sometimes be enough. If you do use a tablecloth it should fall at least a foot below the top of the table but not be closer than 15cm to the ground.
Before spreading the tablecloth, it's a good idea to lay a table protector over the table.
Napkins
There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to napkins. Either fold a napkin in half and place it to the left of the plate, underneath the forks, or fold napkins and place in the centre of the dinner plate. Napkin rings, place cards and other decorations add to the sense of occasion.
HOW TO DECORATE YOUR TABLE
Decoration
Bring your personality to the table with additional décor, it doesn’t always need to be functional but items such as salt and pepper mills, candlesticks, flower or stem vases and napkin rings can all dress up a table as well as serving as part of it. Build up a collection of little extras that you can mix and match, depending on the occasion.
Foraged greenery and carefully dotted candlelight makes a warm statement, and ensures all who visit will feel warmly welcomed.
Colour
This year we have chosen warm coppers highlighting rich evergreens, you can take inspiration for your Christmas colours from anywhere you wish. It doesn’t need to be the traditional red, green, white or gold.
Select a main colour and an accent colour or two and mix up textures, prints and opacity, to create a base which can then be punctuated with handcrafted, vintage, lavish or minimal notes, as you choose.
Texture
Add and layer different textures on your table. You can do this with our textured cutlery patterns such as Honeybourne, Palm, Skye and Sandstone which all add an extra dimension and catch candlelight to make a statement on the table.
Use placemats made of natural fibres, with matching or contrasting tablecloths and add fresh greenery or small vases of flowers to add colour, height and interest.
Candlelight
Soft candlelight sets the mood, and brings a sense of occasion and ambiance to any table. Use tea lights for gentle light and taller candlesticks or groups of candle holders as part of a centrepiece.
Our well-thumbed copy of Debrett’s states: “Candlelight is indispensable both for setting the mood and making the table – and the people round it – look their best. Whether candelabra or candlesticks are used (…) as a rule, the shorter the candlestick the taller the candle”
Finishing Touches
Celebrations are a time to make memories, fondly reminisce, and begin traditions of new. Gathering your favourite pieces, some new, some old, to create a relaxed and welcoming dining experience is all a part of the process. Christmas is the perfect excuse to be a little playful, to add a dash of personality to your decoration and a touch of theatre on the table.
Experiment with name labels, do they need to be written? Are there old photographs or belongings of guests you could use instead?
Do you give table presents? It doesn’t need to be much, a token of your joy in celebrating with your guests. It is a personal touch which will make their experience all the more cherished.
Are there any vintage pieces or heirlooms you can add to your table? Talking points or witty gems? If not, it might be worth making a note of some conversation starters & a few games (for when everyone is full of food, and mirth!).
Elegant, rustic or modern, laying the table properly adds a sense of occasion to any meal. Whatever your style, we have the cutlery and tableware to match and you may find you’ll want to lay the table properly, every day.
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