napkins?

I know this sounds strange, but do English people use regular paper napkins at meals at home?  They're so super expensive at the supermarket and only come in small quantities.  And it seems like they're always with party supplies and most have patterns on them.  Is there somewhere else I should be looking? 

I'm British and I don't think my family have ever used paper napkins for meals at home... only for birthday parties and other special occasions (hence the reason for them being with the party supplies and having patterns on them).

For more formal meals (like at Christmas) or dinner parties at home we'll use cloth napkins in napkin rings, otherwise it's just paper towels for messier meals/eating with fingers... or no napkins at all .

I use cloth napkins all the time. Paper ones only for picnics, parties, etc.

I know this sounds strange, but do English people use regular paper napkins at meals at home?  They're so super expensive at the supermarket and only come in small quantities.  And it seems like they're always with party supplies and most have patterns on them.  Is there somewhere else I should be looking? 

I found some at Tesco with the paper plates but as you mentioned they are small packages.  I usually buy them at the 99p store, they are with the party supplies and you get 50 two ply per pack.

They don't use napkins. It's the weirdest thing!! But then again, my boyfriend has proven to be much more adept with the whole knife and fork thing than me. I asked him why they don't and he just said he doesn't get his hands dirty. They aren't as much into finger foods maybe? He eats his chips, pizza, and chicken nuggets with a knife and fork. Soooo weird. I brought back napkins from home, and if I make tacos or hamburgers sometimes I just rip a paper towel in half but alas his half always ends up just sitting there unused. I need my napkin in no uncertain terms so oh well!

I've also found this a bit strange. . I've always had a paper napkin with meals growing up, so it just feels strange if I wasn't to continue that..
My husband rarely uses his napkin, but I always set one out for him.  He shall certainly be the one to teach our children how to handle a fork/knife! Compared to him I appear as a small child with my fork and fingers.. 

I've found that IKEA has some great/low price napkins! Fun colours, big bag, very low cost. Tesco's were a bit cheaply made at a much higher price.

I too have searched for nice, inexpensive paper napkins. Daily we use paper towels (pretty patterned ones when I can find them). On special occasions (birthdays, holidays, when we entertain) we use cloth napkins.

I too found this weird...and when we were in the States my hubby's napkin would always sit next to his plate unused. I did buy some at the 99p store but they were really cheap and fell apart so easy that now I dont even bother.

On a side note, hubby and I were out to dinner one night at a local restaurant in New Hampshire sitting at the bar rather than a table. We noticed that an older couple sitting directly opposite us kept staring at hubby. We mentioned something to the bartender and she chuckled (she knew us) and she said she would find out what was up. Turns out they were discussing how hubby most certainly had to be English due to the way that he holds his fork and knife and how he uses them. I've tried my best to use my utensils as everyone does here, but obviously I have failed miserably...as I still need a napkin!

My mum used paper towels ("My best linen napkins" she would say  )  I never minded about paper napkins in the UK. I did use cloth ones for special occasions but mostly we ate in the kitchen -- handy for the kitchen roll.

We just use cloth napkins (more environmentally friendly, I guess), but my problem is my nose runs with hot (temperature-wise) or spicy hot food, so I always need to have a tissue as well, so mostly end up using that as a napkin.

I have never attempted to eat with a knife and fork the British way, I do quite nicely using the American technique, why make life hard on myself for no good reason! 

I have never attempted to eat with a knife and fork the British way, I do quite nicely using the American technique, why make life hard on myself for no good reason! 

I instinctively took to eating the Continental way around my teens -- don't know why. My father used to yell at me but I just did it without thinking.

We get a ginormous pack of larger white/plain napkins from Ikea for just a couple pounds. We'd buy the same ones at Ikea in the states.

Had a heated discussion with my coworkers (of mixed nationalities) about this and surprisingly my english coworker does use napkins but my south african boss said "what? you must be very messy if you can't eat without napkins!" And my polish coworker uses them occasionally. Haha mixed opinions all around 

Ha how funny - I never would have even thought about this!  We use napkins all the time, kids are always making messes when they eat, but even my husband uses them.  He has lived in states for 13 years so maybe just adapted.  I will have to ask him.

One funny side note - my father in law calls them serviettes - the French word for napkin.  Not sure if this is a Northern thing or just him?   And my husband calls paper towels "kitchen roll".   

Ha how funny - I never would have even thought about this!  We use napkins all the time, kids are always making messes when they eat, but even my husband uses them.  He has lived in states for 13 years so maybe just adapted.  I will have to ask him.

One funny side note - my father in law calls them serviettes - the French word for napkin.  Not sure if this is a Northern thing or just him?

According to Kate Fox's Watching the English, it's actually a class thing.

Apparently, the upper-class use 'napkin' (and I think maybe the lower-class too), but the middle-class, in a subconscious attempt to sound more upper-class than they actually are, say 'serviette'

And my husband calls paper towels "kitchen roll".   

I think just about everyone here calls it 'kitchen roll' (it's generally sold as kitchen roll or kitchen towel in the supermarkets) .

I'd never heard them called 'paper towels' until I went to the US (here, 'paper towel' is usually used to refer to the scratchy blue or brown paper towels they have in public bathrooms/public buildings).