The 5pm Dining blog enjoyed a recent survey from the SUBWAY® brand which found, among other problems, was that one in five Brits was embarrassed by their partners when eating out.

The research found millions of Brits have been left red-faced after their partner struggled to pronounce an order correctly, clicked their fingers at staff or complained unnecessarily about something.

The study also showed that a date being on the phone when ordering or speaking with their mouth full were amongst the list of reasons we’re embarrassed by our partners when eating out.

Other food faux pas include knocking things off the plate, ordering off menu and having a credit card declined. Being too greedy and haggling for money off the bill also get a mention.

While far from ideal, they seem a reasonably mild list of complaints to this scribbler. Unless there has been a punch-up, police involvement or a divorce involved then they won’t make our top five.

Poor at complaining

Anyway, the research also discovered that while Brits can find fault with their partners they are, unsurprisingly, pretty poor at complaining about the food or service they have received in a restaurant.

According to the survey, when eating out each year, the average Brit eats 36 meals with which they are not happy.

Moreover, 40% of the 2,000 people polled would never complain if a food order wasn’t right or tasted bad.

The study marks the launch of Subway’s new ‘Stay Picky’ campaign, which encourages Brits to be picky and proud.

Roger Cusa, Head of Marketing for the SUBWAY® brand in UK and Ireland, said: ‘When it comes to eating out it seems that for many of us there is a set of unwritten rules and behaviours that we expect our dates to follow. Failure to do so can often give the wrong impression…

‘It’s important people recognise that simply having the confidence to get the order they were hoping for is ok. There’s a tradition of people keeping quiet when receiving food they don’t like so as not to cause a fuss or seem picky. At SUBWAY® stores we want to champion people to stay picky to ensure they get their food just the way they want it.’

One imagines that staff in the SUBWAY® stores are delighted with the new campaign.

Top twenty dining fails

Here are the survey’s top dining partner embarrassments with this scribbler’s thoughts in brackets:

Sent back an order (Fair enough if done with good reason)

Complained about the service (As above)

Negotiate substitutes e.g. swapping an egg for an extra rasher of bacon (Bit iffy)

Ordered a dish that wasn’t on the menu (Very flash. We’re not in L.A.)

They asked for ketchup (Depends where you are)

They clicked at serving staff (Hanging offence)

They complained about the food (See ‘Sent back an order’)

They mispronounced something off the menu (No biggie. Who hasn’t mispronounced ‘Trockenbeerenauslese’ when they are already outside a half bottle of Gewurztraminer?)

Ordered too much food – they were greedy (guilty as charged, m’lud)

Refused to pay for their order (Depends on the grounds)

Refused to eat their order (Well , it will still be there come breakfast, young man)

They were a messy eater (Ask for a bib to encourage them to take more care)

They tried to get a discount off the bill (Should have used 5pm Dining to begin with)

Refused to pay for the entire meal (Only if it was an absolute shocker. But how did things get to this state?)

They were rude to the staff (It won’t help)

They knocked food off the plate (Try knocking the plate off the table for a better effect)

They were on their phone the whole time (Understandable if negotiating a house purchase, child custody, world peace. Otherwise, no)

They had a card declined (Who hasn’t?)

They spoke with their mouth full the whole time (Only acceptable up to the age of six)

They tucked their napkin into their collar (Bit old school)