Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Forking around in Bradford.
I was in my hotel in Bradford last night, sat in the bar reading the newspaper whilst waiting for my dinner. I turn to page 7 and I am shocked by what I am reading.
... Women wearing trousers? All right, if they have to. Men giving up ties? It had to come, perhaps. But abandoning the knife and fork as eating utensils? Is nothing sacred? Not according to research by Debenhams, which has identified a profound and shocking change in Britain's dining etiquette: people are giving up the knife and fork at table in favour of the fork on its own. Forks now outsell matching knives by almost two to one across the country, the department store revealed yesterday.
In its place, the American habit of using a single fork in one hand is gaining ever more ground, the figures suggest, because knives are not needed for the pre-cut pizzas, chips, burgers and pasta we increasingly consume. Sales figures across Debenhams' 155 UK stores have revealed that large, main meal forks are outselling their matching knives by almost two to one. London branches are leading the way, with customers in the capital buying almost three forks to every knife. Restaurateurs also report that the trend is becoming visible in dining out. "The knife will always be there, but people are definitely using fewer of them," said Hadi Aknin, the maître d'hôtel at the Launceston Place restaurant in Kensington, west London.
...Well I cannot be having any of this slovenly behaviour. I think that eating with only a fork is gross. What is the world coming to? I like my knife and fork thank you very much, even though friends find it strange that I use a knife and fork to eat a poppadom. I agree with the comments made by John Walsh on this forking issue.
...What a ghastly, babyish way of behaving – as if Nanny used to cut up your meat and potatoes in the nursery, and you never grew out of it.
...Well said John, adults know how to eat and we should not be behaving like children, especially in public. Then my dinner came, a nice little number, a special of the day, roast chicken with Indian potato. What was in the paper napkin? A fork and thankfully a knife! A nice spot of civilized Adult Dining.
I was in my hotel in Bradford last night, sat in the bar reading the newspaper whilst waiting for my dinner. I turn to page 7 and I am shocked by what I am reading.
... Women wearing trousers? All right, if they have to. Men giving up ties? It had to come, perhaps. But abandoning the knife and fork as eating utensils? Is nothing sacred? Not according to research by Debenhams, which has identified a profound and shocking change in Britain's dining etiquette: people are giving up the knife and fork at table in favour of the fork on its own. Forks now outsell matching knives by almost two to one across the country, the department store revealed yesterday.
In its place, the American habit of using a single fork in one hand is gaining ever more ground, the figures suggest, because knives are not needed for the pre-cut pizzas, chips, burgers and pasta we increasingly consume. Sales figures across Debenhams' 155 UK stores have revealed that large, main meal forks are outselling their matching knives by almost two to one. London branches are leading the way, with customers in the capital buying almost three forks to every knife. Restaurateurs also report that the trend is becoming visible in dining out. "The knife will always be there, but people are definitely using fewer of them," said Hadi Aknin, the maître d'hôtel at the Launceston Place restaurant in Kensington, west London.
...Well I cannot be having any of this slovenly behaviour. I think that eating with only a fork is gross. What is the world coming to? I like my knife and fork thank you very much, even though friends find it strange that I use a knife and fork to eat a poppadom. I agree with the comments made by John Walsh on this forking issue.
...What a ghastly, babyish way of behaving – as if Nanny used to cut up your meat and potatoes in the nursery, and you never grew out of it.
...Well said John, adults know how to eat and we should not be behaving like children, especially in public. Then my dinner came, a nice little number, a special of the day, roast chicken with Indian potato. What was in the paper napkin? A fork and thankfully a knife! A nice spot of civilized Adult Dining.
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I blame it on the introduction of foerign food into our society. Chop sticks, forks with spoons for spaghetti or just plain using your fingers to eat a pizza.
Europe is no longer coming, it's here!
Europe is no longer coming, it's here!
# posted by 
: 23 July 2009 at 17:47
: 23 July 2009 at 17:47
Billi-ann, thank you for leaving a comment.
I disagree with you here as I rather like foreign food. However, I always use a knife and fork to eat the food regardless of what our friends think. My favourite is Middle Eastern food, followed by Indian. These dishes make me feel that British food is dull, tasteless and boring. I do not like Chinese, Thai, Oriental and food of the Far East. I cannot stand any form of pasta.
Still, I support diversity and the world is one big kitchen. Enjoy!
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I disagree with you here as I rather like foreign food. However, I always use a knife and fork to eat the food regardless of what our friends think. My favourite is Middle Eastern food, followed by Indian. These dishes make me feel that British food is dull, tasteless and boring. I do not like Chinese, Thai, Oriental and food of the Far East. I cannot stand any form of pasta.
Still, I support diversity and the world is one big kitchen. Enjoy!
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