Stylish dining through the ages is the focus of a talk being held tomorrow in Balluta. Photo: David Evans

The next lecture presented by the Decorative and Fine Arts Society in Malta will be looking at the development in stylish dining through the ages.

Dining was a spectacle at courts and palaces into the 20th century and continues today at state dinners and in the homes of the rich and powerful.

Banquets have always been about display – to impress the guests with the host’s wealth.

In medieval times, placement at table was very important and it was considered an insult to not be placed correctly at table.

Guests ate from trenchers made of bread, which were often given to the poor as alms after the nobles had finished.

The great hall in castles, a room used for many purposes including banquets, slowly evolved into the formal dining room by the early 19th century. This allowed a permanent display of tableware and sugar paste sculpture, the sugar later replaced by elegant porcelain figures made in Meissen, Sèvres and Limoges.

The talk in Malta will be delivered by David Evans. In his work for the National Trust, Evans has developed and delivered appropriate and seasonal table settings for many of the great houses.

■ Dining in Style is taking place tomorrow at 6.30pm at the Le Meridien St Julian’s Hotel and Spa in Balluta. For more information and tickets, e-mail: maltadfas@gmail.com.