Etiquette expert shares rule you should never ignore in restaurants
Sometimes, dining out with friends or family doesn’t always go as planned, leaving you in a quandary – do you voice your dissatisfaction, or swallow it down and stew in silence for the rest of the night?
Etiquette guru William Hanson humorously remarked on TikTok that “Brits absolutely love to complain” but also pointed out there’s a tactful way to do it, rather than creating a spectacle at the table.
He posed a question to his followers: “Are you guilty of not following any of these rules?” before unveiling “the correct way to complain about something” if you’re dissatisfied in a restaurant.
William encouraged diners to “complain as soon as possible” if they encounter a problem, to give the venue a fair chance to rectify it.
He advised: “There’s no point persevering with the meal and then flagging it – flag it the moment it’s an issue.”
When addressing a staff member, he suggested keeping the conversation “keep it as factual as possible” and removing “all emotion from it”. He quipped that this wouldn’t be difficult for Brits.
William also recommended that complaints should be made away from the rest of your group to spare them any discomfort or embarrassment.
In response, one commenter humorously retorted: “I’m afraid that you’re incorrect in this instance. The British way is to eat whatever monstrosity is presented to you and say it was delicious to whoever takes your plate away at the end.”
One grateful follower expressed their gratitude to William, writing: “Just wanted to say I truly appreciate your content! I always love learning more about proper etiquette and manners! You explain everything so well too! Please keep posting!”
An industry professional concurred with the guidance, commenting: “From a bar manager this is spot on advice. Let us know early if somethings wrong and it’s so much easier to rectify.”
Etiquette expert William Hanson recently made waves by suggesting that many of us are eating toast all wrong. He delineated that ‘posh’ toast should be square with crusts trimmed in the kitchen, while ‘middle class’ toast is cut into triangles and ‘common’ toast is served as rectangles, both retaining their crusts.
William, who lent his expertise to the production of the aristocratic drama ‘Red, White and Royal Blue’, nearly had a falling out with the prop team over incorrect toast presentation. He insisted on authenticity and ultimately triumphed, ensuring the toast was appropriately “cut down to size”.
Moreover, when it comes to bananas, William insists there is a “proper” way to consume them. He advises snipping off both ends of the banana and using a ‘fruit knife’ to peel it, then savouring the fruit in polite, bite-sized pieces.
