Etiquette expert William Hanson claims that cooks who choose shop-bought Yorkshire puddings over homemade ones for their Sunday roast dinner are “cosmically lazy”.
William Hanson, an etiquette expert, has shared the correct way to serve and eat a roast dinner. The 35-year-old believes that how you pour your gravy, what you call your food items, and how you cook your Yorkshire puddings are all crucial factors to ensuring you’re eating in the best manner.
Kicking things off, William insists on using full names for food items, such as vegetables instead of veggies, Yorkshire puddings instead of yorkies, and roast potatoes instead of roasties. He also stated: “Collectively, they are never referred to as trimmings. We are not a carvery, ‘the traditional accompaniments’ is fine, however.”
While beef, pork and chicken are usual choices for meat, he suggests that traditionalists may frown upon chicken as “it used to not be seen as very exciting”.
For festive occasions like Easter and Christmas, turkey and lamb are acceptable, but the latter must not be served cold. In his book Just Good Manners, William also warns diners to treat friends, who order the wrong meat with Yorkshire puddings, with “extreme caution”.
The etiquette expert wrote: “Yorkshire puddings are a staple when having roast beef, pork, lamb or indeed anything that isn’t beef, as has sadly become the common custom.
“Friends who order them in restaurants to go alongside the incorrect meat are to be treated with extreme caution. Yorkshire pudding must, of course, be homemade on the grounds of taste (in both senses of the word).”
He labelled those who opt not to make their own Yorkshire puddings as “cosmically lazy”. The host of the Help, I Sexted My Boss podcast additionally shared his thoughts on gravy, which he believes is where “many come unstuck”.
According to William, the sauce should be “ladled and never poured even if the gravy boat has a spout” when it comes to serving it on the meat. He added: “If your hand accidentally slips a bit, however, and some of it splashes onto the Yorkshire pudding, oh well.”
Should you eat out for a roast and it’s not quite up to your standard, William has previously shared how to complain in a restaurant need be. In a TikTok video, the expert urged diners to “complain as soon as possible” if there’s an issue, to ensure that staff have a fair opportunity to do something about it.
“There’s no point persevering with the meal and then flagging it – flag it the moment it’s an issue,” he shared.
William also advises keeping the complaint “as factual as possible” while leaving emotions out of it.
Additionally, he claimed that you should “try to complain away from the rest of your party to minimise their own awkwardness and embarrassment”.
