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Nutritionists and doctors strongly recommend not to skip the morning meal, which helps to recharge your energy for the whole day. A beautifully served breakfast will give you a sense of celebration and charge you with a great mood. Do not neglect serving, because in such a seemingly trifle, love and care for yourself and your loved ones are manifested.
Table setting rules for breakfast according to etiquette
Tablecloth
Any service starts with her. Forget about taking out a tablecloth only for guests – this is a completely everyday element of the interior. There is also an alternative – a runner – a thin strip of fabric that spreads in the center and occupies the central third of the table. It fits square or rectangular tables. The runner should be complemented with fabric napkins with a harmonizing pattern.
Dishes
The choice of plates depends on what you plan to serve. Will breakfast be scrambled eggs or scrambled eggs? Don’t forget to put a large flat plate underneath them. Is there porridge on the menu? Then put a deep plate on top of a flat plate. To the left of the main plate is a pie plate for bread.
Cutlery
To the right of the plate, place the knife (blade to the plate), tablespoon and teaspoon (convex side down), to the left – fork (concave side up). Place a napkin next to the fork. It is customary to put a butter knife on a pie plate (blade to the left).
Glasses
The main morning drink is coffee. The coffee cup is placed diagonally to the right of the main plate. Above you can place a glass for water and a glass for juice.
Decor
The finishing touch of serving is decor. A bouquet of flowers or a vase of fruit will be a great table decoration.
Table setting for breakfast
Table setting ideas for breakfast
bright dishes
Don’t be afraid to use colored or patterned utensils. Bright colors will give a good mood right in the morning.
Rectangular plates
You can play not only with the color of the plates, but also with the shape. Why not use square or rectangular plates?
Appearance of the dish
The unusual shape of the dish is another way to create a special mood.
miniature compositions
Decor is an important part of serving. If there is no room on the table for a vase of flowers, decorate it with small miniature arrangements, such as a few flowers in a teacup.
Expert Tips
Etiquette expert Anna Dyyak shared with the readers of the KP a few useful tips.
Serving breakfast depends on several circumstances.
- The status and well-being of the family – that is, how magnificently the table should be set, whether the table area is sufficient for a full serving, what appliances are available.
- Dishes that the family prefers for breakfast – serving coffee with a croissant is different from serving porridge or scrambled eggs.
- Rituals that are arranged for breakfast – Sunday morning meal with the whole family will be different from breakfast on weekdays, when the family scatters on business at different times.
Let’s talk about the features of serving breakfast.
- Since different families prefer different dishes for breakfast, there is no single standard for breakfast.
- At home, with a shortage of space on the table, you can do without a bread / pie plate and a plate holder.
- In a classic setting, each guest has a cloth napkin. In a domestic home environment, to be honest, they can be neglected. But there should be enough paper napkins on the table.
- A salt, pepper and sugar bowl must be present on the breakfast table.
- It is not worth overloading the table with appliances that are not needed.
Standard breakfast service
A standard breakfast includes scrambled eggs, cheesecakes, pancakes, scrambled eggs, sausages with a side dish, etc. The service here is about the same. In addition to cutlery and individual plates, on the table, namely, in its center, there can be: paper napkins, a sugar bowl, a milk jug with cream or milk (optional), a basket or dish with bread or pastries, a butter dish, plates with pate, caviar, dishes with cheese or cold cuts, bowls with honey, jam, gravy boats with sauces. Additionally, you can put a vase with fruit and bowls or saucers for bones or petioles.
Serving breakfast with boiled eggs
Serving such a breakfast is different in that a poacher with an egg is placed directly on a subplate (flat plate). Eat a soft-boiled egg with a spoon. For the shell, you can serve a separate saucer. And you can not stand on ceremony and put it on a plate.
If you have a good appetite, you can put the poacher next to the main plate.
If there is no plowing machine or the eggs are hard-boiled, you can put the egg on an additional small plate or saucer, and, after cleaning it, transfer it to the main one.
Serving light breakfasts with pastries or sandwiches
If for breakfast you limit yourself to a croissant, a pie and a sandwich, you can do without a knife and fork and plates for second courses. But to the left and slightly above the tea pair, you need to put a pie plate (it is smaller than usual, but larger than a saucer).
Serving breakfast with porridge, liquid cottage cheese or muesli
Table service is almost standard. But for liquid dishes, a knife and fork is not required. A pie plate should be offered only if breakfast is additionally provided with bread or pastries.
The plate for porridge should be deep. The absence of a plate holder in a domestic environment cannot be considered a big departure from good manners.
Popular questions and answers
Answers popular reader questions practical etiquette expert Tatyana Baranova.