The Perfect Christmas Table When is the one time you pull out all the stops and cover your d<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g room table with the best of everyth<strong>in</strong>g? Christmas of course! We asked the team at local cutlery firm, Arthur Price, for their top tips for creat<strong>in</strong>g the perfect Christmas table. ............................... Arthur Price CEO, Simon Price, said: “We are often asked at this time of the year for our thoughts on how to create the perfect Christmas table. “We love a table full of treats, delicious food and of course some sh<strong>in</strong>y cutlery. I’m a creature of habit… I always prepare the table at home on Christmas Eve. I polish the cutlery and glassware and then I close the d<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g room door ready for Christmas morn<strong>in</strong>g. “At the end of the day, there is no right or wrong way - the most important th<strong>in</strong>g is spend<strong>in</strong>g time with your nearest and dearest.” Lay<strong>in</strong>g the Table Crockery - D<strong>in</strong>ner plates should sit <strong>in</strong> the centre of the place sett<strong>in</strong>g. Then stack the starter plate and soup bowl on top. Side plates always go on the left of the d<strong>in</strong>ner plate. Cutlery - Place your cutlery on the table <strong>in</strong> the order of use, start<strong>in</strong>g from the outside and work<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>wards with each course. Forks should be set to the left of the plate, with knives placed to the right, blade edges fac<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>wards. Soup spoons should be placed on the right of the knives. Place the dessert fork and dessert spoon above the plate with the fork prongs fac<strong>in</strong>g right and the spoon bowl fac<strong>in</strong>g left. Glassware - This should be set above and to the right of the d<strong>in</strong>ner plate and should, depend<strong>in</strong>g on what you are eat<strong>in</strong>g, <strong>in</strong>clude a red w<strong>in</strong>e glass, a white w<strong>in</strong>e glass and a water glass. The water glass should be nearest to the top of the knives, then the white w<strong>in</strong>e glass, and the red on the outside. Napk<strong>in</strong>s - Where your napk<strong>in</strong> sits will depend on how <strong>in</strong>tricately you plan to fold it. If it’s just a simple arrangement, place it to the left, ideally on a side plate that you can also use for bread. If you plan on some serious napk<strong>in</strong> origami, pop your f<strong>in</strong>ished effort <strong>in</strong> the middle of the place sett<strong>in</strong>g. Top Tips for your Table • Don’t leave it to the last m<strong>in</strong>ute It’s best to dress the table the night before Christmas. This gives you plenty of time to hunt down miss<strong>in</strong>g cutlery and crockery, to check glasses are free of watermarks, and means you won’t be thrown if your guests arrive early. • Give the table a theme Hav<strong>in</strong>g a def<strong>in</strong>itive colour scheme or theme makes the table look extra special and ref<strong>in</strong>ed. Start with a simple base – a pla<strong>in</strong> table cloth or runner is best. Then work with a handful of tones. You can either go with the latest trend or stick with the traditional sett<strong>in</strong>g, opt<strong>in</strong>g for festive and complement<strong>in</strong>g with raw materials such as wooden-handled cutlery or wicker placemats. • Create an eye-catch<strong>in</strong>g centrepiece Every table needs a focal po<strong>in</strong>t and there's so much you could try - a glass bowl filled with candles or baubles, a beautiful silver candelabra, a m<strong>in</strong>i Christmas tree or a festive floral display (just make sure it's not too tall to block anyone's view when seated!). • Make it personal Make sure everyone is welcomed to the table with a place sett<strong>in</strong>g, so there's a seat reserved for granny and you can add a personal touch. Place cards can be tucked <strong>in</strong>to a fancy folded napk<strong>in</strong> or rest<strong>in</strong>g on the edge of a w<strong>in</strong>e glass, and you could even add a little present or a few sprigs of rosemary. F<strong>in</strong>d out more at www.arthurprice.com or pop <strong>in</strong>to the UK’s biggest cutlery shop – the Arthur Price Factory Shop, Britannia Way, <strong>Lichfield</strong> WS14 9UY. W<strong>in</strong> your Christmas Table Cutlery! <strong>Citylife</strong> and Arthur Price are giv<strong>in</strong>g you the chance to w<strong>in</strong> your Christmas cutlery. There are three canteens of Warwick Cutlery from the Arthur Price Signature selection to be won by three lucky readers! Each set conta<strong>in</strong>s 42 pieces (6 sett<strong>in</strong>gs) and is worth £255. To be <strong>in</strong> with a chance of w<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>g a Warwick canteen, simply answer the follow<strong>in</strong>g question correctly: On which day of the week does Christmas Day fall this year? a) Monday b) Wednesday c) Sunday To enter, send your name, contact details and answer to Christmas at competitioncitylife@gmail.com or post your entry to <strong>Citylife</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>Lichfield</strong> Ltd, PO Box 7126, <strong>Lichfield</strong>, WS14 4JS by the clos<strong>in</strong>g date of 22nd Nov <strong>2019</strong>. One entry per household. Multiple entries will be disqualified. No cash equivalent offered. You must be 18 or over to enter. All entrants’ <strong>in</strong>formation is processed <strong>in</strong> l<strong>in</strong>e with GDPR Data Protection Regulations and our Privacy Policy (to view visit citylife<strong>in</strong>lichfieldltd.co.uk). Full competition t&cs on page 57. 8
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