High table
High Table dinner is a formal three-course plated meal that is held on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday evenings during term time.
Dinner should be booked by using UPAY before 12 noon two days before the event. Nuffield Fellows can sign up for any High Table dinners in the same term in advance.
If you wish to cancel your booking, please cancel by 10am the day before the meal, or charges will apply if applicable. For cancellations beyond the booking deadline, please contact the Front of House Team ideally via email or in person.
Guests may be invited to a maximum of three per College Member.
When signing up for the High Table dinner, please ensure you add the following information for yourself and each guest who is attending.
- Guest’s name
- Allergen notification (for you and your guest if applicable)
- Additional diets not listed in the notification – e.g. allergy to chickpeas
- Dinner Wine (Optional items)
- Second Dessert (Optional items)
- Second Dessert Wine (Optional items, can only be booked with Second Dessert)
- Additional requirements – e.g. seating requests, charging information
A pre-dinner drink reception is held in the SCR from 18:45, at no charge. You will be called to Dinner at 19:15. Please leave all drinks in the SCR.
A Grace of 'Benedictus Benedicat' is said by the Presider before dinner and 'Benedicto Benedicatur' after the meal has ended.
Second Dessert
After the High Table dinner, the Second Dessert is available by pre-booking. The Second Dessert includes cheese, fruits, and crackers with optional dessert wine.
Those taking Second Dessert are to move directly to the Fellows Dining Room. There is no seating plan at dessert except for the Presider, who sits in the center with their back to the window, and ideally, you should not sit next to those whom you sat next to at dinner. No grace is said at dessert. Those who have not signed up for dessert may take coffee and post-dinner drinks in the SCR (please sign up for all the drinks taken).
Click here to book a meal
Students are entitled to attend the High Table dinner and Second Dessert. The number of students is limited to six per dinner.
If you have any special dietary requirements, please refer to the information given on the main meals page.
Dress code
Lounge suit or smart casual. Fellows and students are required to wear gowns during dinner. No gowns need to be worn during the second dessert.
For any additional information, please contact Front of House.
A drink reception is held in the Senior Common Room from 6.45pm at no charge.
You will be called to dinner at 7.15pm. Please leave all drinks in the SCR.
A grace of 'Benedictus Benedicat' is said by the Presider before dinner and 'Benedicto Benedicatur' after the meal has ended.
Those taking second dessert should move directly to the Fellows Dining Room after dinner. There is no seating plan at the second dessert except for the Presider who sits in the centre with their back to the window, and ideally you should not sit next to those whom you sat next to at dinner. No grace is said at dessert.
Those who have not signed for second dessert may take coffee and drinks in the SCR. (Please sign for all drinks taken.)
The second dessert concludes after 30 minutes, and attendees are required to leave the FDR. They have the option to consume hot or cold beverages in the SCR, or to continue their evening elsewhere.
The attendees' lists are available to access via Upay when booking a meal (whilst choosing the date of the meal).
Once a meal has been booked, you can find the attendees' list under the 'booked events' tab (before and after the deadline.
Second dessert is held after the High Table dinner in the Fellows Dining Room.
Second dessert includes:
- Selection of cheese
- Savoury crackers
- Fruit platter
- Port, claret and sweet wine
A note on the tradition of passing Port
It is the custom to pass the port to the left, with the first person pouring a glass for their neighbour on their right, before the Port moves around.
Ideally, the decanter should never stop its clockwise progress around your section of the table until it is finished.
If the decanter should ever stall it is considered very bad form to ask for it. Instead, you ask the person hogging the decanter "Do you know the Bishop of Norwich?”. If they are au fait with Port etiquette, they will immediately realise their faux pas and pass along the decanter with an apology. If not, and they answer in the negative, you should say "He's a terribly good chap, but he always forgets to pass the Port."
Seminar Hosts should select Entertainment allowance or College business during the booking process and enter the seminar title/subject into the box below the applicable question to ensure the correct account is allocated.
If this selection is not available to you (students), please make comments at the end of the booking of charging details.