Doffing our cap
We recently went for a meal in the lovely city of York.
After ordering drinks, the bread was brought to our table. Was the bread brought to us on a plate? No. Was the bread brought to us in a bowl? No. Was the brought to us in a basket? No.
In this restaurant, which shall remain nameless, the bread was served to us in a flat-cap. Yes, you heard correctly, a flat-cap!
Now we know we were in deepest darkest Yorkshire and we are sure the cap hadn’t just adorned the head of a Yorkshireman, but really? Who thought serving bread in a flat cap was a good idea?
We assume it was to illustrate the fact we were eating in Yorkshire, but we only had to look out of the window to see York Minister and the City walls to confirm this.
We’re all for a bit of theatre when we eat, but we thought this went a little too far.
Before we leave the subject of bread, what’s everyone’s view on getting it in the first place? Unless you have ordered soup, we’re with Gordon Ramsay who said he didn’t see the point of providing bread before a meal as it lessens the chances of people ordering several courses, being that it can be quiet filling – especially in establishments where you literally get served a full baguette.
Anyway, we digress. Let’s get back to the issue of what your food should be served on, or in. Call us old fashioned, and we’re anything but when it comes to food, but what’s wrong with good old fashioned plates?
We’re not quite sure why restaurants started serving food on anything other than plates, but the one that really gets our back up, and which is now increasingly common, is a wooden board.
How on earth can food eaten off a wooden board be hygienic? We are sure the boards go through a rigorous cleaning process before use, but the fact is wood can crack and warp, so there’s no way even the best washer up can ensure its 100% clean surely?
Aside from hygiene concerns, eating food off a wooden block is not easy. With no contours, the food can slip off, making your meal a messy, rather than theatrical experience.
We’ve also seen food being served in shoes, weighing scales and even on iPads. Yes, you read correctly, iPads. Some clever (not!) person came up with the idea of serving food on an iPad, with the image of a plate in the background.
So, let’s leave shoes for feet, hats for heads, scales for weighing and iPads for playing Pokémon Go, and bring back the great British plate please?
About Neil Shaefer
Marketing & Communications Executive of SK Foods.
Your food. Our Passion.
