Our Blue Ribbon Winner for 2023 – Professional Category

For our Third Annual Etiquipedia International Place Setting Competition, first-time competitor, Renita Jackson, was our Blue Ribbon Winner for the Professional category. Renita’s lovely setting for the place setting 2023 contest was a mid-century modern, post-World War II tea place setting for two in a mixture of whites and pinks.

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Renita Jackson is a native of St. Louis, Missouri in the United States and the founder of Jackson Etiquette. She is a graduate of Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville where she double majored in Mass Communications and Public Relations. After working in radio broadcasting and customer service in the insurance industry, she was trained in the etiquette business in 2004 at The Etiquette Institute of St. Louis, though her passion for etiquette and doing things the proper way goes back much further in time.
As a little girl growing up in St. Louis, Renita's mother taught Renita and her siblings the different aspects of etiquette and manners simply by consulting an etiquette reference book they had in their home. Those lessons instilled by her mother continue to spark the passion for teaching etiquette that Renita has today. 
Renita is a member of The Etiquette Institute and has affiliations with The Protocol School of Washington, The American Associations of Etiquette Professionals, and The National Association of Urban Etiquette Professionals (NAUEP) where she was also awarded the organization’s Etiquette Instructor of the Year for 2016 and served as the President of the organization from 2017-2019.
A busy wife, mother and grandmother, Renita teaches etiquette classes and social skills workshops to children and adults in public and private schools, universities, community organizations, businesses, and various other organizations.She is also an active member at Church On The Rock, where she serves on the Host Ministry Team and is a Youth Leader for the Uprising Youth Ministry. She has authored and co-authored several books. 
Her motto is: Restoring and refining social graces for everyone every day. You can learn more about Renita at www.JacksonEtiquette.com

Congratulations, Renita!

The simplicity of the typical post-WWII British tea table is reflected in Renita’s table setting elements. Even in 1953, Great Britain was still, like Europe, recovering from the war and was living with, and dealing with, an austere rationing environment. Any display of ostentation was considered in poor taste. The assemblage of roses, combined with the pink floral teapot and gleaming silver tea tray lend an overall note of elegance.

 The following is our interview with Renita:

1. How did you choose the menu and various elements you used in your setting, and why? Please explain each of the utensils at your setting… For which of the foods on your menu (or course) was each different item intended? 

I created a menu to replicate a selection that was a combination of traditional tea savories, such as the cucumber and egg sandwiches, scones, and butter cookies, as well as more contemporary pimento cheese sandwiches and tartlets. 

The savories, to be eaten first, would be placed on the bottom level of the tray. These are finger sandwiches and therefore there is no utensil provided for them. The middle tray holds the scones. There are two dishes on the table for the clotted cream and jam. The scones can be broken open to spoon on the cream and jam if desired. The individual knife on the place setting for spreading the cream and jam.  

The top tray holds the pastries. These are also finger foods and no utensil was provided for them. The small spoon on the place setting is for use with the tea.

2. Why did you choose this particular period in time to set your table? Please go into as much detail as you can. 

• Afternoon tea not only fulfilled a need to ward off the hunger pangs between breakfast and dinner, it was also a social time for the ladies to gather together and enjoy being in the company of other ladies to chat. Ladies would dress up for such a social event that was possibly the highlight of the day. I chose this particular period for my table setting because I think afternoon tea is a perfect and elegant setting for a gathering of friends to enjoy and share in each other’s company.

Afternoon tea not only fulfilled a need to ward off the hunger pangs between breakfast and dinner, it was also a social time for the ladies to gather together and enjoy being in the company of other ladies to chat. Ladies would dress up for such a social event that was possibly the highlight of the day. I chose this particular period for my table setting because I think afternoon tea is a perfect and elegant setting for a gathering of friends to enjoy and share in each other’s company.

3. Have you always enjoyed a properly set table? Or, if not, was the table setting something you learned to enjoy through your social life and/or business later on in life? 

• Yes. In our home, we try to always sit down to family dinner together. We always set the table. It is not always fancy and it may only consist of just a few needed pieces. I have sons and I raised them to learn how to set a proper table. I thought this was important for them to learn and they now know how to dine properly when they are away from home.

4. Did you do any research on table setting etiquette before setting your elements at the table?

• I know some of the basics, but I did review some of my books for ideas.

The embroidered vintage linen napkin adds a dash of color to the white china background on the tea set and milk-glass plates.

5. Do you plan on entering again next year? 

• Yes, I plan to enter again next year. I was very late getting started this time and entered the competition on the last day or two. I would like to get an earlier start and do a better job.

6. Do you have any special memory they had of watching the Coronation or the Queen’s funeral (if any)?

• I did watch the Queen’s funeral as well as the King’s Coronation. I don’t have any particular memories that I can recall at this time. However, I do recall that everything was done with great elegance and timing.

Elizabeth Soos and I wish to say again, “Congratulations on your Blue Ribbon winning table, Renita!” 👑
 – Maura Graber

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