The Proper Meal and the Family Meal

For Delia Smith the 'Proper Meal' becomes attached not only to ideas about tradition but also to our emotional and spiritual health. This is not simply about what one eats but how we eat - the 'Proper Meal' must take place at a table, shared and promotes sociability and conversation. For Smith this equates to home cooked Sunday lunch and is mirrored elsewhere in other texts and in the practice of the people.