You’ve been holding and using a fork all wrong.
But thank goodness, etiquette expert William Hanson has created two now-viral TikTok videos in which he gives masterclasses in fork handling. These lessons are a cut above the rest.
Willem reveals in one clip that the correct way to hold a fork is to grasp it with your non-dominant hand, with your index finger extended along the fork, “stopping just short of the bridge.”
He adds: ‘Make sure you hold the handle in the palm of your hand and don’t extend it out. And this is how you hold a fork.’
In a separate videoWilliam underlines that one of the ‘big no-no’s in British dining etiquette is turning your fork to eat’. In other words, scoop food with the tines pointing upwards and use the fork as a spoon.
You’ve been holding and using a fork all wrong. But luckily, etiquette expert William Hanson (above) has created two now-viral TikTok videos in which he gives a masterclass in fork handling
A cut above the rest: William reveals that the correct way to hold a fork is to grip it with your non-dominant hand, with your index finger extended along the fork. He adds, “Make sure you hold the handle in the palm of your hand.”
William says, “When using a knife, the tines of the fork should always point downwards.”
Are there foods where it is acceptable to eat with the tines of the fork upwards? Peas for example?
William told MailOnline Travel by email: ‘In British dining the fork is only turned upwards when held in the dominant hand, while the knife remains on the table. Foods such as pasta, risotto, curries and cottage/shepherd’s pie can be eaten this way. It is perfectly acceptable during a casual dinner. Although it’s also often a lot easier to use a knife for just about anything, as it gives you extra attention to the food and prevents it from falling or splattering.
‘Peas are eaten by spearing them on the tines of the fork, using the back of the knife for pushing.’
Make sure the tines of the fork always point downward when using a knife, says William
Staff! I Sexted My Boss by William Hanson and Jordan North is out now
William said the British fork convention comes from “habit over time,” adding that it has not yet caught on in America.
He said: ‘In America they have a different style of eating, which they call ‘Zig Zag’. This is where they begin to hold the knife and fork in the conventional manner, cut a piece of food, then rest the knife on the top right corner of the plate, turn the fork over and move it to the right hand, and then insert it into the piece they just cut and then eaten. Then they switch the fork back to the left hand, tines down, pick up the knife again and repeat. Tiring.’
Food for thought for America.
And when the meal is ready, how do you leave the knife and fork on the plate?
William said: ‘When you’re done, the most important thing is that the cutlery matches, which lets the waiters know you’re done and ready to clear the plate as soon as everyone else has finished.
‘In Britain the correct angle – imagining the cutlery as the hands of a clock – is 6.30pm. In the US it’s more like 4:20 p.m. Some European countries do it at 3:15 am. I don’t worry too much about the corner, as long as the cutlery comes together, that’s all the staff is looking for.’
Staff! I sexted my boss by William Hanson and Jordan North is available now (£20/CAN$42.95), published by Penguin Random House. For more information from Mr. Hanson, visit his TikTok And Instagram profiles.