COPYRIGHT © 2015 CHARLES MACPHERSON ASSOCIATES INC. All rights reserved. The use of any part of this publication, reproduced, transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, or stored in a retrieval system without the prior written consent of the publisher—or in the case of photocopying or other reprographic copying, license from the Canadian Copyright Licensing Agency—is an infringement of the copyright law. Appetite by Random House® is a registered trademark of Random House LLC. Library and Archives of Canada Cataloguing in Publication is available upon request. Print ISBN: 978-0-449-01680-0 e-book ISBN: 978-0-44901681-7 Cover image: © ImageZoo/Corbis Published in Canada by Appetite by Random House®, A division of Random House of Canada Limited, A Penguin Random House Company www.penguinrandomhouse.ca v3.1 To my father, Robert William MacPherson. Businessman, bon vivant, teacher and raconteur. Cover Title Page Copyright Dedication Introduction ETIQUETTE The Modern Greeting Line Order of Precedence Reception Protocol A Note on Notes Sending Your Notes The Language of the Butler Posture Greeting Guests Doors and Doorways Cars Making Introductions The Do’s and Don’ts of a Handshake How to Offer Your Business Card Cubicles How to Calculate a Tip Tips by Country ENTERTAINING Host and Hostess Gifts Dress Code Dressing Guide by Occasion Table Setting Basics China Cutlery Serving Utensils Glassware How to Hold a Dinner Knife and Fork Table-Setting Process Using a Butler’s Stick Napkin Folding Menu Cards How to Prepare a Cheese Plate The Perfect Bar Decanting Wine Popping Champagne Preparing to Eat Polite Table Conversation Top Ten Rules of Table Manners Afternoon Tea vs. High Tea How to Brew a Pot of Tea Coffee Styles Creating the Perfect Guest Bedroom The Guest Book BEFORE YOU GO … Food and Wine Pairings The Butler’s Foolproof Menu Plans Cookbooks Everyone Should Own Acknowledgements I HAVE SERVED AS MAJOR-DOMO for prominent families around the world, offering household help and staff training services in countless countries. It is my belief that there is no political or business leader, dignitary, king or queen, or movie star who can manage without domestic professionals in the wings. What a really good butler knows are the secrets of the trade that simplify housekeeping and entertaining at home. It’s the little luxuries—simple human kindness, decency and attention to detail—that make a dinner memorable or that turn a house into a home. Following the success of my first book, The Butler Speaks: A Return to Proper Etiquette, Stylish Entertaining and the Art of Good Housekeeping, I was consistently surprised by the feedback I received from readers. Although there was great interest in the domestic housekeeping section of the book, the questions I was asked most often related to etiquette and entertaining. I began to see the need for a more compact reference guide that would help readers share in the small pleasures available to all of us. I envisioned a book that would be geared towards young professionals, people who love to entertain and anyone looking to increase their comfort, social skills and knowledge in these areas. And I wanted to write something that would be well-loved and thumbed through time and time again. The renowned cook Julia Child once told me that her favourite part of signing her readers’ cookbooks was seeing all the messy, food-splattered pages. She loved knowing that her books were cherished and used often. After a great bottle of wine with my publisher, Robert, we decided to pursue this idea—an easy-to-follow book that would be a definitive and helpful resource that readers could truly make their own. And so, The Pocket Butler was born! Because, no matter who you are, you can conduct a more productive social life (and a more productive career, too) with tips and tricks learned from a professional butler. I consider myself lucky indeed to have worked as a butler for more than twenty-six years. I have had the opportunity to watch the most incredible events unfold within the walls of famous and opulent households around the world. How many people get the chance to witness a dinner in the state dining room of Buckingham Palace? Or stay in the private residence of the renowned Hôtel du Marc, owned by