Eating out certainly isn\u2019t what it used to be. Chefs are becoming more creative, not only in the food they serve, but also in the way it\u2019s presented. So much so that it seems the traditional table setting is distinctly \u2018old hat.\u2019 In fact, if you go to a trendy eaterie, you\u2019re more likely to be served your starter in that old hat than \u2013dare I say it? \u2013 A plate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We wouldn\u2019t dream of eating chips from a wheelie bin at home and yet it seems acceptable to be served them from a miniature version in a brasserie. Similarly I always thought that a shovel was for digging a hole or shifting snow, but it seems I\u2019m wrong. It\u2019s actually the perfect receptacle for a full English breakfast. Silly me…<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The list goes on: salads served on table tennis bats, starters served on a brick, Shepherd\u2019s pie served in a pint pot. And when you\u2019ve run out of solid options, how about looking in the cloakroom for inspiration? In some restaurants it\u2019s not uncommon to see bread served in a flat cap or slipper or deep fried brie balls in a training shoe? These are all real examples of food served to Daily Mail<\/em> readers, photos of which appear in a recent article.<\/p>\n\n\n\n No one can doubt the imagination that\u2019s gone into conceiving these dishes, but do we actually want this kind of thing? When most people go out for a meal, I\u2019ll wager that most would want the food served on a plate. That\u2019s certainly what comedian John Finniemore wants. He even wrote a song about it which featured on his BBC Radio 4 show John Finniemore\u2019s Souvenir Programme. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/em>For starters (no pun intended) there\u2019s the practicality of eating patatas bravas from a teacup or apple crumble and custard from a plank of wood. Perhaps of more concern, though, is the hygiene aspect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Plates are flat with a curved lip and are generally manufactured from glazed porcelain, china, stoneware or earthenware, or glass. Because they\u2019re flat they\u2019re easy to keep clean. They can go in the dishwasher or be washed by hand. Similarly bowls are easy to keep clean. We can actually see whether a plate or bowl is clean with our own eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The same can\u2019t be said for flat caps and slippers. Firstly, you wonder whether Anything that can\u2019t be washed easily is a food hygiene risk. Bare, untreated wood might look attractive and rustic, but it is porous. This means it can get wet and has several nooks and crannies where microbes can grow. Those microbes can be transferred to food and could result in food poisoning. Wicker baskets used to serve food are also difficult to clean and dry and can have the same result.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Extra care should also be taken if serving food or drinks from tins. If they\u2019re coated in plastic inside, they can be cleaned. But bare metal can react with certain food or drinks, especially if they are acidic, and contamination can occur.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Watching the Mary Portas show \u2018What Britain Buys\u2019 last night it seems that there has certainly been a shift from using plates at home. Instead people are buying more bowls. The reason? We don\u2019t sit around the table as a family as much. Bowls are portable; you\u2019re less likely to spill from them when you\u2019re sitting on the sofa. You can wander around the room with a bowl in one hand and your mobile phone in the other (a sign of the times?) But for hygiene\u2019s sake, let\u2019s hope that we stick with something that can be cleaned and dried properly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n All Our Available Food Safety Training Courses<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\nWhy plates are great<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
they\u2019ve been worn before. Secondly, even if they\u2019re lined with greaseproof paper, the fact that they\u2019re fabric means that they can pick up dirt and it\u2019s unlikely they\u2019ll be laundered from one use to the next. In the same way, miniature shopping trolleys and wheelie bins aren\u2019t as easy to keep clean. And as for bricks… you see where I\u2019m going with this.<\/p>\n\n\n\nIs fancy presentation putting food hygiene at risk?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n