Do you spit or swallow it?

Dear Reader,

I hope you all had a lovely long Easter weekend last week and that it was made even more exciting still when I raised into your inbox that Sunday morning, and here we are again - talking all things dietary and unlikeable foods!

• Should you tell the waiting staff that you didn't enjoy your meal?

• What do you say to friends who have become converted vegetablists?

• Is protein a dietary requirement?

Any dietary requirements?
Yes, extra alcohol.

When asked in a restaurant if I have any dietary requirements or allergies, one of my stock replies is, “You’ll find out…”, which usually gets a quick giggle (or look of horror).

The question is valid, however. The onus is on the hosting party to ask the guests for any dietary requirements, which are not the same as food preferences.

No one really cares that you’re not keen on salmon. As I’ve said often, nothing fishy touches my lips, but if I were served fish at someone’s dinner I would do my very best to swallow as much as I could and think of England.

If your host fails to ask you, then be sure to let them know! Though veganism is predominantly a lifestyle choice (not allergy-based), do not automatically expect a vegan option from a carnivorous host. I once had a surprise vegan for dinner who four months previously had enjoyed Beef Wellington at my table but now was a confirmed lover of the lentil but not of my lamb shank.

Remember: Always let the host know if they haven’t already asked.

Full to the brim, are we?

No one likes a person who struggles to finish, and being at the dining table is no exception.

Who remembers being told, ‘Finish your plate!’ growing up? This is not without reason. When the luxuriate days of lavish Victorian banquets of pre-war Britain withered, the years of war rationing took over. Rationing continued after the Second World War, leading households to rightly despise waste.

Things have changed since the war. Here are my top tips for maintaining manners when you need to leave food, despite any pressures to the contrary.

Portion control

Serve yourself smaller portions if you lack the appetite. When served by someone else, it's forgivable to leave a little if you're stuffed.

Contemporary considerations

With food in abundant supply today, leaving food is less taboo but still frowned upon. Make an effort to eat as much as you can, especially from communal dishes or buffets.

Exceptions include raw or inedible food; don't swallow raw seabass out of courtesy. If you only realise mid-mouthful, I permit you to spit (discretely into a napkin).

Raising an issue

In a commercial venue, discreetly alert the waiter if served raw food.

In a private setting, quietly inform the host to handle the situation gracefully. Keep calm and carry on chatting where possible to not draw attention. This isn’t Come Dine With Me.

Leaving that aside…

If you can't finish certain items, subtly push them aside and focus on the rest. Remember as a child when you used to organise the leftovers to make it look like you’d eaten more than you really had? Employ that tactic if need be.

Be sure to eat with finesse whatever you enjoyed (or did not), and never underestimate the power of a witty retort to navigate culinary diplomacy…

Host: Did you like the dish?
Me: I enjoyed what I had…

Thank you so much for all your lovely comments about my other podcast Keeping Up Appearances: The Luxury Podcast, which has returned for two episodes a week and you may listen to here.

Have a marvellous week ahead,

William Hanson

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Do you have a dietary requirement?