An etiquette expert has revealed the 'polite British' way to eat a doughnut in a 'formal Western setting' - and cutlery is involved.
Although we may be tempted to grab the sweet treat with our hands and dig in, influencer Lucy Challenger revealed what to do if you find yourself confronted with the baked good in a more fancy dining situation.
The London and Berkshire-based TikToker says to use a dessert fork - 'because it has a side specifically for cutting the pudding' - or knife to achieve one bite sized morsel at a time.
'I would take the fork and then I would simply cut through the doughnut,' she demonstrated in a clip, which has had more than 7,000 views.
'Repeat the action and then spear the doughnut with the fork, and place a near bite sized portion into my mouth to eat.'
An etiquette expert has revealed the 'polite British' way to eat a doughnut in a 'formal Western setting' - and cutlery is involved
Lucy explained that you can do the same exact thing with a filled doughnut, and scoop up the jam or cream with the piece you cut out.
'It stops it being so messy,' she added.
'Of course to eat your doughnut you can pick it up with your hands,' the etiquette expert explained. 'Although doughnuts typically are covered in a lot of sugar, so it can become a rather messy affair.'
However, commenters rushed in to defend the old-fashioned grab and grub technique, slamming the use of cutlery to eat a doughnut as 'no fun'.
Lucy Challenger has more than 554,200 followers on TikTok, where she has racked up some 12.7 million likes
The London and Berkshire-based TikToker says to use a dessert fork - 'because it has a side specifically for cutting the pudding'
Although we may be tempted to grab the sweet treat with our hands and dig in, influencer Lucy revealed what to do if you find yourself confronted with the baked good in a more fancy dining situation
However, commenters rushed in to defend the old-fashioned grab and grub technique, slamming the use of cutlery to eat a doughnut as 'no fun'
'In the USA Canada and most of Scandinavia you'd raise eyebrows if you ate a doughnut like this even in a formal setting,' another poster remarked. 'I think it's a UK thing.'
'As an English person I just put it in my mouth and chew and then swallow,' a user added.
A third, saddened, comment simply read: 'You mean no finger lickings????'
However, not everyone was as skeptical.
'Nearly every German household has dessert forks like this,' one European foodie shared. 'We call them cake forks and that name tells what we use it for. Very delicate.'
Another remarked: 'It's very nice the way you eat doughnuts.'
Lucy has more than 554,200 followers on TikTok, where she has racked up some 12.7 million likes.
The expert has made a range of videos explaining the proper way to eat various foods, some more tongue-in-cheek than others, encompassing a range of delicacies from pizza to chocolate bars.
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