United Kingdom: Prosperous Entertaining - Part 2
From ExecutivePlanet.com
More valuable guidelines for entertaining
It used to be the case that you did not invite a business associate out until you knew him or her fairly well and that a woman would never invite a man, but such barriers have largely been dismantled (although it is still perhaps advisable for a businesswoman to invite a male colleague out for lunch rather than dinner). Perhaps only two taboos remain:
- invite only people of the same background and professional level (unless, of course, you are entertaining the whole team);
- do not discuss business (unless, of course, it is a working session or your guests bring up the subject).
Symptomatic of the greater informality in British business culture is the not uncommon habit of socialising in the local pub with one’s colleagues for an hour or so after work.
Beer is the most popular drink on such informal occasions. Traditional British beer is usually served at cellar temperature, may appear flat, and is usually available in an extensive range of varying brews and strengths. ‘Bitter’ is the most common style and most bars offer several brands. If none of your colleagues is able to guide you, then the barman will provide advice. Normally the alcoholic strength is clearly displayed at the bar; if you are still unsure, and want to keep a clear head, just ask for nothing stronger than medium (typically about 4% alcohol by volume). Alternatively, and bitter can be an acquired taste, you might prefer a chilled, lighter, fizzier ‘lager’ which is the English term for most imported beers [and their British-brewed imitators]. Again the alcoholic strength can vary greatly from brand to brand. On average the alcoholic content of most beers available in the UK is slightly higher than in the USA (sometimes considerably so). When ordering beer, women traditionally ordered half-pints and men pints but this custom is changing and it is now accepted practice for women to order full pints, too. By the same token, the rather macho British drinking culture frowns on men drinking halves.
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