A Glimpse at the Past
Hosting a dinner party is something people have always enjoyed doing. The rules, culture, and flow of the events have certainly evolved over the century.
An Edwardian dinner in the early 1900s was incredibly formal and luxurious. When you were hosting the event, your social status was firmly judged on the success or failure of the dinner party.
The status of the guests could also be determined by whom you were led into the dining room with, along with where you were seated at the table.
The meals were quite regimented, starting with hors-d’oeuvres and a cocktail, followed by soup and then a fish course.
Generally, the table would then be cleared and guests would be served a palate cleanser. This was usually a small bit size serving that was chilled and quite citrusy, to prepare the palate for the upcoming larger main course.
The main course had more substance to it and was generally a roast or some type of small game like a duck.
The plates would then again be cleared to make way for dessert. Desserts usually comprised of pudding or jelly, along with cheese and fruit.
The dinner was wrapped with the ladies retiring to a separate sitting room for coffee, leaving the dining room in the order of their social ranking. The men remained in the dining room with another round of wine and cigars.
The evening concluded with the gentlemen joining the ladies in the sitting room, and preparing to depart.
In the current 2018, we consider very different factors in planning a dinner. At Vintage Fork we have our own modern spin on the luxurious dinner from the past. We focus on providing hospitality that ensures each guest is of utmost importance and using the luxury of having countless ingredients available to create the most delicious dishes as possible.
We also consider economic and environmental factors to keep our service as sustainable as possible to tackle the more modern-day challenges.
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