Table Setting – Bread Plates

In the Gilded Age, bread plates often were sold with “butter pat” plates. Plates even smaller than bread plates. These fell out of fashion in the Unites States by the second quarter of the 1900’s. They are very collectible however and can make for more authentic historical place settings.

Bread and Butter Plates

These convenient little plates are used at breakfast and luncheon, and at family and other informal dinners. Since butter is not served at formal dinners, bread and butter plates, are not usually placed. However, there is now a tendency to place bread and butter plates on the table, except at the most formal dinners, many hostesses maintaining, and quite rightly, too, that these plates are of great convenience, in affording a harbor for the roll or bread and for the celery, radishes, and nuts that are passed at dinner. Bread and butter plates are removed after the salad course, with the salts and peppers.

🍽Etiquette Enthusiast, Maura J. Graber, is the Site Editor for the Etiquipedia© Etiquette Encyclopedia