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It may be the season to be merry, but getting too merry is the worst social faux pas dinner party guests can make, according to an olive magazine poll.

'Getting blind drunk' topped the list of worst possible blunders by a guest at a festive gathering, according to the poll of 1,344 readers of ´óÏó´«Ã½ Magazines, publishers of popular food title olive.

'Complaining about the host's food' was the second worst faux pas, narrowly pipping 'failing to let the host know about specific dietary requests'. More traditional breaches of etiquette such as tucking into food before other guests have started and taking the wine back home featured further down the list.

For the host or hostess there is also a wide range of potential festive pitfalls to avoid. Unsurprisingly, 70 per cent of people surveyed listed 'giving a guest food-poisoning' as the worst social mishap by a host. An inebriated host/hostess is also seen as unacceptable. Serving meat to vegetarians was also listed as a big no no, but presumably only if the guests had already flagged up their requirements. But while poor planning is to be avoided at all costs, too much planning can also lead to an entertainer's downfall. Nearly one in five respondents listed making guests wait for an overly-elaborate menu as a terrible blunder.

Christine Hayes, olive magazine's editor said: "Making everyone wait for a succession of overwrought dishes designed to show off your cooking skills is just daft. Your guests want to share a meal with you, not watch a food demonstration! They'll be far happier digging into a decent roast or simple tagine than oohing and ahhing over your attempt to 'do a Gordon'."

olive's January issue, on sale now (£3.40), contains everything you need for the perfect dinner party, including 100 recipes for easy entertaining, a guide to avoiding the pitfalls of dining and a free Come Dine With Me booklet.

NOTES TO EDITORS
About the Survey
The survey was conducted via the ´óÏó´«Ã½ Magazines' Insiders online panel of readers across the UK, on behalf on olive magazine. 1,344 respondents took part in the survey, and they could pick up to two top faux pas from each list provided.

We asked: what are the worst dinner party faux pas a guest could make?

• Getting blind drunk 54.02%
• Complaining about the food 46.88%
• Not letting host know in advance about dietary requirements 46.73%
• Taking the wine home if it hasn’t been drunk 19.94%
• Starting to eat before everyone has been served 10.04%
• Not bringing wine/a gift 3.13%

We also asked: what are the worst dinner faux pas a host/hostess could make?

• Giving a guest food poisoning 70.09%
• Getting blind drunk 49.93%
• Serving meat or fish to vegetarians 36.68%
• Making hungry guests wait for an overly elaborate dinner-party menu 18.23%
• Not offering a drink as soon as guests arrive 8.63%
• (Other 2.60% )

About olive Magazine - olive is the stylish, monthly magazine for food lovers with an emphasis on getting great value. It has 86,117 monthly readers according to the last Audit Bureau of Circulation (ABC) figures.

Sarah Williams-Robbins