Soufflés: for they are risen!

Dear Reader,

Firstly, may I say thank you for all the support with my upcoming book, Just Good Manners, and also for my new solo tour, Solitary Refinement.

Launching two things in such close proximity is always a worry, but I am encouraged and very touched that so many people have shown enthusiasm and are willing to learn more about modern British manners from the book and have a luxury night out for the tour.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you.

Now, onto this week’s etiquette nail-biting dining dilemmas. So much dining etiquette has its roots in history and my cheesy choice of dish this week was no different.

The rise of the soufflé

The soufflé earns its name from the French word soufflér — to puff. Though the root of the recipe is said to go back to Vincent La Chapelle who pioneered an omelette soufflée in his Le Cuisinier Moderne circa 1742, it wasn’t perfected and made a desirable classic until the mid-1800s by Marie-Antoine Carême.

Known as "the king of chefs and the chef of kings", Carême was cooking for the then-new money circles of Paris, which coincided with emerging oven technology that heated food by air drafts rather than coal - the air fryer of the day, if you will!

This change was key to the growth of soufflé as the indulgent dish we know today.

Q: Do you eat sweet and savoury soufflés in the same way?

Not quite. Savoury soufflés should be eaten with just a fork and sweet soufflés are eaten with a spoon only as per pudding etiquette. Although savoury soufflés may not always be served in a small ramekin or similar dish, a sweet soufflé is and should always be served in one.

Too many Ps and Qs?

Despite my advice in this reel on how many times one should say thank you to the waiting staff (also referred to nowadays with equal appropriateness as ‘servers’ to do away with traditional genderised terms like ‘waiter’ and ‘waitress’), it was a bit of a mouthful to get out in 15 seconds insofar as etiquette advice goes, so I’ll sum up in writing:

1. You can’t say ‘Thank you’ all the time

For most ordinary occasions, the waiting staff may visit your table probably up to ten times in a single sitting, sometimes for bigger interactions, sometimes to top up the water. Saying thank you every time sounds like it loses its meaning, even if it doesn’t in sincerity.

2. Say ‘Thank you’ at least 50% of the time

It’s not a science, I admit. As a rule of thumb, you can say thank you for every dish that is placed on the table, plus when they take your order or your drinks are served.

3. One final, sincere ‘Thank you’

People remember lasting impressions as much as first impressions. When leaving an establishment, look your particular or the host in the eye and say ‘Thank you’ and tell them how lovely everything was.

Book & Tour Qs

Lots of people have asked two questions over the last week.

Will the book be available in the United States of America? The answer to that is yes, and I will have news for you soon.

Will there be any more tour dates? For now, no. I am starting with Bristol, Manchester and London as those are the three cities I have lived in, and as the tour is slightly introspective, I felt that was a good place to start. Tickets are still on sale

By the way, if you are a Sexted listener, we have some exciting news on Tuesday's episode regarding that live tour in May. Listen out and fasten your seatbelts!

If you are celebrating Easter this weekend, I hope you enjoy yourself good and proper. My late grandmother ('Etiquette Granny') used to always send me an Easter card - like a Christmas card but with a spring scene on the front. I always think of her, more than ever, at this time of year.

Wishing you only good wishes,

William Hanson

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