A service charge (tip) of 12.5% to 15% may be added to your bill but the practice is not universal in UK restaurants. And it may not always be easy to discover whether it is either. Some restaurants print their service charge policy on their menus (long gone by the time you pay your bill), while others make the service charge very clear on the bill. Don’t be embarrassed to ask. And don’t be too flustered to read your bill. It is not uncommon for waiters to leave the “total” line blank on credit card devices, tacitly inviting you to add a tip when you’ve already been billed for service. If service is included, you are not expected to add anything further, but you may want to add a small sum for particularly good service or extra attention. If service is not included, plan to leave a tip of 10 to 15 per cent.

You are not expected to tip with cash for drinks in pubs. If the barman gives you especially good service or fills several big orders for you, you can offer a small sum (the price of half a pint of beer, say), with the words, “and have one for yourself” or something similar. The barman (or barmaid) may pour themselves a drink on the spot or may put the money aside to have a drink later. You’re not expected to tip for food in pubs either but, with the growth of gastro pubs, this has become something of a grey area. If you feel the “pub” is more of a restaurant with a bar than a pub that serves food, you may want to leave a tip similar to what you would leave in a restaurant.

About 10 per cent of the total fare is usual for licensed, metered taxis. Rural taxis and cabs usually charge a pre-agreed, flat fare and many people do not add an additional tip.

Tipping hotel staff is not necessary, but is always welcomed. You can tip a bellman a pound or two for helping with your bags or a doorman for getting you a taxi. Valet parking services are uncommon and, when available, there’s usually a charge for them, so tipping is unnecessary. Some hotels have started adding an optional service charge to bills. This is most common at hotels with spas and gyms, where staff are expected to perform extra services for you, and is supposed to be distributed to staff members. If you would rather control the amount you tip individuals, you can have that service charge removed from your bill.