Ever wondered why some restaurants arrange their cutlery differently?
Etiquette expert William Hanson, known for his straightforward approach and ‘proper’ way of doing everyday things like eating chips, believes it’s because some establishments simply get it wrong. He recently explained the correct method in a TikTok video.
In his video captioned “there’s nothing quite like napkins to get me riled up”, he explained why napkins irk him so much – and why cutlery should never be placed on them.
He pointed out that “some restaurants set the table incorrectly” – indicating to the table he was sitting at where the restaurant had positioned the “cutlery on top of a napkin”.
This is incorrect as “the first thing you need to do is place the napkin on your lap”, and to do that “you have to move the cutlery”. He described this process as “tiresome”.
He further commented: “Some people say ‘Well I don’t want my cutlery on the dirty table’ […] If the table’s that dirty what are you doing eating there in the first place?”
In response to his video, one viewer suggested that the restaurant might have strategically placed the napkin, writing: “Isn’t it because you’re outside? Perhaps to stop it blowing away?”
Another sarcastically wrote: “Yes, very tiresome. I remember one time someone put cutlery on my napkin and it took me 30 minutes fumbling around trying to get my napkin. Then my food was cold.”
A third user remarked: “The table is dirty. Anywhere. Every table.” Another agreed, commenting: “Uhhh yeah I don’t care how clean the table appears to be, I’m not using cutlery that’s touched it.”
Wrapping up the banter, a final user humorously queried: “If the napkin goes on your lap, does that mean it’s okay to pick up any food that drops onto it and eat it?”
