The etiquette of canapés

Canapés are one of life’s delights and surprises – surprises because drinks party invitations usually give nothing away. Perhaps because ‘nibbles’ is such a hideous word, or perhaps just because of invitation convention, hosts tend simply to put ‘Drinks, 6.30 to 8.30’ on the Paperless Post card. So you arrive with no idea whether you’re in for two hours of fizz on an empty stomach, or for a culinary treat in a succession of miniatures. Always braced for the worst-case scenario – starvation in high heels – I’m overjoyed to spot a tray of canapés coming towards me through the throng, and am pathetically grateful to the host for this beneficence. For women, especially, eternally trying not to eat too much, canapés enable the perfect combination of two hours of active greed, while still not having as much to eat as you normally would for supper.

‘Little bites of heaven’ is how caterers portray canapés in their publicity material; and they’re right.