Maybe you have seen displays of holiday tables in high end department stores, or while watching an episode of Martha Stewart’s show on cable. In all of the above, the table is set with a seeming extra plate of a contrasting and dramatic color under other plates or bowls. These are commonly known as “chargers” and they serve multiple purposes on the most elegant of tables.
What Is a Charger Plate and Uses?
The most basic answer to “What is a charger plate and uses?” is that this is indeed an extra plate– sort of. It’s much larger than a dinner plate and most people think it’s just for decoration. However, it has more to do with etiquette & more to do with clean eating.
Centuries ago, a charger under a plate was meant to catch dropped food from the lips of kings and queens. Royalty and their guests could choose to pick this up and eat it or leave it behind if they wanted to appear more dignified. Servants were not allowed to eat anything that fell from the lips of royalty, but the servants were still required to remove the chargers when the chargers became full of dropped or discarded food.
Nowadays, a charger has similar uses. It still has to do with etiquette because the charger is supposed to collect bits of dropped food that miss people’s mouths, but it is more & more about keeping table linens clean. Table linen materials absorb food and drink stains well, but those same materials make it impossible to keep the linens clean. Hence, things like the royal blue charger plates or gold chargers are pretty, but they keep the linens clean too.
If you want to rent royal blue charger plates, contact CV Linens today
Also, you can watch this related video 60 Second Place Setting Transformation (from Rustic to Glam!) on their YouTube channel.
