Why are there big pepper grinders in British Italian Restaurants?
This is a feature of the more traditional Italian restaurants in the UK and also in the USA. I have heard theories that it was considered bad luck to have more than one pepper mill in the home, which has been transferred to the restaurant. I have also heard that when pepper was regarded as an expensive commodity, the large mill was a sign of wealth. There is, of course, something inherently phallic about it all, and it does seem to be male waiters who enjoy wielding them more! I think that the custom survives more in the UK, though, because us Brits have a dreadful tendency to want to add salt and pepper to a meal without tasting it. I suspect you will find that no self respecting Italian in Italy would do the same. Just look around you in a restauarant to see the number of people who automatically reach for the salt and pepper before picking up their knife and forks. We therefore do not object to the idea of the waiter hovering over us to grind pepper on our meal, before we know if it
