Bread-and-butter rules

Dear Charles the Butler,

Could you please explain the proper etiquette for slicing bread at the table? Sometimes restaurants serve a small loaf of bread, which is supposed to be cut at the table and shared by the patrons. Do I cut it just for myself or for everyone? I have to hold the other side of the bread while I’m cutting it — isn’t this unsanitary for the other people at my table?

Rachel

Hello Rachel,

Lets start with the simplest ways to deal with bread at the table. If bread is served in a basket, already cut, then take one piece and put it on your bread-and-butter plate.

If you are served a small loaf in a restaurant, it would always be polite to cut several pieces and offer everyone at the table a piece.

In both cases you would always serve yourself last because it is polite to allow others to go before you. As well, hopefully the piece you were holding will become your piece.

Never draw attention to a task at the table; simply cut the bread, offer it around to everyone, then take your piece, all the while having conversations with everyone at the table.

Now, just as an aside, technically it is the hostess who deals with offering bread and cutting it, however in a more casual restaurant setting, this is something anyone can do at the table.

Once you have the slice on your plate, how do you deal with butter?

Use the butter knife to take butter from the butter dish to your side plate, then return the butter knife to the butter dish.

Now break a small one-bite size piece of bread and use your butter spreader from your bread-and-butter plate to put a small amount of butter on your bread and eat the entire piece of bread all at once.

Remember, the only time you can ever butter an entire piece of bread and eat it is at the breakfast table.

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