How To Be On Your Best Buffet Behaviour This Christmas

Nothing says Christmas party season like a groaning festive buffet table with eager guests lining up to fill their plates with mini carby treats in the hope of soaking up all that booze!

Yes, it seems the traditional buffet is alive and kicking as a new study reveals that 77 per cent of Brits say they love a good party spread while 80 per cent of the 2,051 survey participants see it as a British institution!

It’s little wonder then that we take our buffet etiquette seriously and have some strict dos and don’ts for navigating the table.

48 per cent of those polled deemed pushing into the queue among one of the rudest things you can do at a buffet table, only second to coughing and sneezing over the table (58 per cent).

Fighting someone for the last item of food (45 per cent) and grabbing something which someone else is reaching for (43 per cent) were also cited as top buffet faux pas, along with sending someone else to get more food for you so as not to appear greedy.

The research by KP Nuts, also found Brits believe it only polite to wait for AT LEAST five minutes after the food is laid out, before heading over to help yourself.

The survey revealed that a second trip to the table is OK, but a third is seen as greedy, and 17 per cent of Brits agree that asking someone to go up for you again is totally unacceptable.

Liz Brewer, a UK expert on social behaviour and etiquette says: ‘There is something about beautifully displayed food and a room of hungry individuals that makes people go a little nuts.

‘My advice would be never to breathe or cough over the table, and do not scramble to be the first in line. Never hover at the buffet table, it does not belong to you.

‘Don’t indulge in the veggie or vegan options just because you like the look of them. Leave these for those who are dairy intolerant and/or vegan.

‘Avoid flowy kimono-esque sleeves that may drag into the hummus as you reach for the smoked salmon.

“And, at all costs, resist the urge to photograph your meal for Instagram, it is regarded as the height of bad manners.’

As for the content of our buffet tables, the research shows that treats like cheese and pineapple on sticks, trifle, coronation chicken and vol-au-vents are being consigned to buffet history.

These days, your average festive buffet is more likely to feature barbequed meats, sourdough bread, smoked salmon and tomato and mozzarella salad.

A few classic buffet favourites remain however, with nuts (31 percent) and pork pies (27 percent) making the list of modern- day buffet essentials.

The concept of eating a buffet, meaning a small side table in French – arose in mid-17th century France, when gentleman callers would unexpectedly arrive at the homes of ladies they wanted to woo. Their surprise arrival would throw the kitchen staff into a panic and the only food that could be served was a selection of what was found in the cold room.

But the buffet we know and love really took off in Las Vegas, in the 1940 when impresario Herb McDonald created the first “All You Can Eat” buffet, where people could choose from a selection of cheap salads and cold meats as well as expensive seafood.

The goal was to keep people inside the casino longer, where they would spend more money on the tables and the slots.

Kevin McNair, Marketing Director at KP Snacks who commissioned the research said: ‘Our research shows that Brits still love a buffet and with the party season upon us we need to brush up on our buffet etiquette. We were pleased to see that nuts are still a firm favourite at the buffet table and so have updated our nut caddies with a festive design to help get the party started.’

TOP TEN MODERN DAY BUFFET FAVOURITES
1. BBQ meats (wings, ribs) 50 per cent
2. Pork pies 47 per cent
3. Smoked salmon 31 per cent
4. Nuts 31 per cent
5. Hummus 29 per cent
6. Rare roast beef 28 per cent
7. Tomato and mozzarella salad 27 per cent
8. Greek salad 22 per cent
9. Sourdough bread 20 per cent
10. Sushi 19 per cent

FOODS CONSIGNED TO BUFFET HISTORY
1. Pineapple and cheese on sticks 24 per cent
2. Cucumber sandwiches 23 per cent
3. Vol-au-Vents 22 per cent
4. A prawn ring 21 per cent
5. Devilled eggs 21 per cent
6. Prawn cocktail on a bed of lettuce 20 per cent
7. Trifle 19 per cent
8. Sausages on sticks 18 per cent
9. Coronation chicken 16 per cent
10. Quiche Lorraine 13 per cent