Unit 9.1
Food and drink: Establishments
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Most Common Establishments
- Bars are a retail business. They serve alcoholic drinks and other drinks such as mineral water and soft drinks and often sells snack foods such as crisps or peanuts, for consumption. It is common in the United Kingdom.
- Coffeehouses are small restaurants serving coffee, other drinks, and light meals. A café may share some of the same characteristics of a bar or restaurant. It is common in the United Kingdom.
- Pubs are places selling alcoholic drinks, which traditionally focus on beer and cider. They have at least one beer served from a keg or a cask. They may serve some food, but they do not have to. Pubs originated in the United Kingdom and they are really common here.
- The restaurant is a business which prepares and serves food and drinks to customers. In the United Kingdom, there are several types of restaurants. For example, there are fast-casual restaurants which are filling the gap between fast food and more formal restaurants.
Opening and Closing Times
- Usually, opening hours for shops are Mondays – Saturdays 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. or 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m./10:00 p.m.
- Sunday shopping has become more popular, and most but not all shops in towns and cities are open for business.
- In Free Church dominated areas, for example, Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis, very few if any shops are open on Sunday.
- In big cities, some of the big supermarkets like Tesco, are open for 24 h.
- Small shops in England and Wales can open any day or at any hour. There are no rules for them except for some restrictions in Scotland.
Social Conventions and Behaviour
- Everyone at the table is served at the same time.
- People should be waiting until all the dishes arrive.
- If the food is not satisfied, complaining should be made kindly.
- Call the waiter by raising your hand. Don’t wave or shout.
- Keep your hands on the table at all times during the meal but keep your elbows off it.
- Leaving tip is common in the United Kingdom.
Concepts of aperitifs according to the region
- An aperitif is a pre-lunch or dinner drink. It prepares the palate for food. There are some common aperitifs. These are vermouth, glayva and dry sherry.
- Yorkshire Pudding can be sometimes used as an aperitif.
Exercises
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