You’ve Been Eating Chips All Wrong! Etiquette Expert William Hanson Reveals What You Should NEVER Do When Enjoying Them
Not again.
Unfortunately, this time you’ve been eating chips the wrong way, reveals etiquette expert William Hanson.
In a TikTok video which has been viewed 2.5 million times, this connoisseur of behavior points out that when chips are served in a small basket, it is not according to the rules of etiquette, naughty readers, to pick them out individually by hand and eat them.
More correct is to ‘pour a few glasses on the side of your plate and then eat’.
And in decent company one should use a fork, although in certain cases it is also acceptable to eat with the hand.
In a TikTok video that has been viewed 2.5 million times, William Hanson points out that when chips are served in a small basket, it is not etiquette to unwrap and eat them individually by hand.
William told MailOnline Travel: ‘At a casual, relaxed dinner you can safely use your hands to eat chips – both to pour and to eat.
‘Watch out for greasy fingers, you know. A napkin or something is definitely needed.’
Can I use a knife to cut fries?
“Yes, use a knife to cut chips,” William said, “especially if they’re bigger or thicker. You don’t want a big, greasy one hanging out of your mouth when you try to swallow.”
Is it okay to eat multiple chips at once?
William said, “If you’re a punishment masochist, this is more or less okay. But probably less is more.”
Chips, says William, should be decanted onto the side of your plate. And you should use a fork unless you are eating in a relaxed environment.
Williams’ new book, Just Good Manners (Penguin Random House), is out September 12
And what are the rules regarding sauces?
William said, “You can dip in a little pot of sauce if you’re eating alone, or if no one else is eating the sauce. But if you’re eating with someone else, pour a little bit of sauce on the side of your plate and dip it in your own little pot of sauce.
‘It is only customary on the coast to squirt sauce over fries.’
What is William’s favorite thing to eat with chips?
He added: ‘Steak – medium rare – is always delicious, with apologies to the vegans and vegetarians. However, I cannot tolerate fish, so I fear the supposed British delicacy of fish and chips remains an abomination to me.’
For more from Mr. Hanson, visit his TikTok And Instagram profiles. His new book, Just Good Manners (Penguin Random House), is due out on September 12. It is described as ‘a witty and authoritative guide to British etiquette’, in which William ‘shares his definitive guidelines on how to charm and please those around you in any situation with idiosyncratic authority’.
