Mind your manners
The company has employed super nanny Rachel Holland to develop a manners scheme, which trains all staff to support adults eating out with children in the development of childrens' manners.
Every restaurant will have a 'manners maestro', whose responsibility is to ensure that all waiting staff are trained to encourage good manners by treating children in a more adult way, both in terms of what they eat and how staff interact with them.
New research by PizzaExpress into table manners claims switching off mobile phones during meals and not speaking with your mouth full are UK consumers top concerns.It's difficult to underestimate the importance of instilling good table manners in our children from an early ageRachel Holland
The report claims British consumers no longer uphold Victorian-style manners like speaking when spoken to and finishing everything on our plate, according to the PizzaExpress poll, and 77% feel table manners are getting worse.
Victorian traditions like chewing food 32 times have been replaced by more modern manners such as keeping noise down and being polite to waiting staff, which was a key concern of 68% of those polled.
"It's difficult to underestimate the importance of instilling good table manners in our children from an early age," comments Rachel Holland.
"This doesn't necessarily mean using the correct fork or spoon, but generally being polite and having the ability to communicate with family and waiters. This is the kind of scheme that other restaurants should adopt."
Around 86% of those surveyed think offering an interesting children's menu that echoes the adult version is the best way for restaurants to support people eating with children and foster a grown-up, well-mannered eating environment.
PizzaExpress has just launched a new three-course childrens' menu and has also created a bambinoccino (like a cappuccino without the coffee).
Research findings87% feel not speaking with your mouth full is the most relevant table manner related to children in today's society77% feel table manners in the UK are getting worse84% of 55+ age group believe manners are in decline75% think that children's manners in the UK are getting worse76% feel that good manners most contribute to building social skills89% think that manners have changed over the last 15 years62% think we should be taught good manners pre-school88% feel sitting down for meals as a family is the best way to encourage good manners in children.
