Although disposable finger towels are practical and often used in informal environments to cleanse the hands after eating messy food, in a formal environment you may be presented with a finger bowl as part of a dessert service or alone, even if your hands appear clean.
In a traditional European dining environment the custom is for [...]

In Canada dessert is generally served and brought in from the kitchen, or served at the table by the host. However at a very formal meal, served traditionally you may be presented with a dessert service.
A dessert service consists of a dessert plate. On the plate, there will be a finger bowl placed on a [...]

A while back I wrote an article called ‘What Not to Wear to the Company Picnic’. I received lots of great feedback on the article. However it is not just how you look at the company picnic that is important. How you behave at the company picnic counts just as much. Since picnic and barbeque [...]

Although dining etiquette and many dining traditions may not seem crucial while eating in front of the TV, our table conduct is still considered important during social, business and formal occasions. Whether we like it or not, how we conduct ourselves at the dining table can and will likely influence others’ perception of us, impacting [...]

As an image and etiquette consultant, I am often asked to do corporate and group workshops, on the topics of dining etiquette and table manners.
A long time ago etiquette and table manners were established as a way of keeping the peace and domesticating our behaviour.  Over time, these rituals were handed down from generation [...]