Bread and Butter Plates: Do You Need Them at Your Event?

The bread plate is the smallest piece of a place setting, and it takes up valuable table real estate. At a 60-inch round in a Chicago banquet hall, that 6-inch circle competes with glasses, the napkin and the centerpiece. This guide covers when it is useful, where it goes, and how to decide.

What a bread plate is for

The bread plate holds a roll and butter so crumbs and spreads stay off the dinner plate. It sits at the upper left of the place setting, above the forks. A small butter knife lies across the plate with the blade facing the center. A guest breaks off a piece of bread, butters it on the plate, and eats it with their hands.

When to include it

When to skip it

Skip bread plates if bread is not served, if the table is crowded, or if the budget is tight. Each bread plate is another piece to rent, count, carry and wash. At a table with 10 guests and a centerpiece, removing the bread plate frees up room for a wine glass or a menu card. See place setting spacing for the inches involved.

The BMW rule

Etiquette teachers use a memory trick, "BMW" for bread, meal, water, to find where things sit from left to right. Bread plate is to the left of the meal plate, and the water glass is to the right. Our multi-course etiquette guide goes through the order of courses, and the casual place setting diagram has a simpler layout.

Count and size

Order one bread plate per seat, plus a 5 to 10% cushion as a rule of thumb. Bread plates are small enough to be lost in a rental crate, so ask how they are packed. Standard bread plates are 6 inches. Some companies stock 6.5 or 7 inches; confirm the size before you finalize the table layout.

Alternatives that save space

• Serve bread on the dinner plate in a corner.
• Use a shared bread board in the middle of the table.
• Serve a roll with the salad on the salad plate.
• Use a tiny bread cone or a napkin-wrapped roll on the charger.

Each saves space and money. A shared board also cuts down on plate count for 8 or 10 guests.

Chicago note

Many Chicago caterers, especially at hotel ballrooms and banquet halls, serve bread and butter to the table for plated dinners and expect a bread plate in the setting. At loft and restaurant buyouts, they may skip it. Ask your caterer what they do by default, then adjust.

Butter details

Butter can go on the bread plate in pats, in a ramekin, or in a small dish shared by two guests. Shared dishes mean fewer pieces to wash. Whipped butter or olive oil dips are served in small bowls, which counts as additional pieces. List them on the order sheet so nothing is missed. For more small-piece details, see china rental guide.

Plan the small pieces too

Book a free 15-minute seating call and we will help you decide which plates your menu really needs, or request a quote for your Chicago-area event.