שולחן ערוך יורה דעה · סימן פ״ח

English

Prohibition of Serving Meat and Cheese on the Same Table It is forbidden to serve meat, even from wild animals or poultry, and cheese on the same table, for fear that they might be eaten together. But they can be placed together on the sideboard.

English

This prohibition applies only when the two people to whom these different foods are served know each other, even if they are on bad terms; but it is permitted when it comes to two strangers who do not know each other. Even in the first case, it is permitted when the foods are separated in an obvious way, for example, when each diner uses a special tablecloth, or when a bread is placed in the middle. G LOSS : But in the latter case, the diners must not eat the bread placed in the middle of the table, otherwise, it would be taken as the bread serving the meal. But if a drinking vessel serves as a separation, the diners can drink from it if this vessel is not usually placed at that spot on the table. The separation is even more valid when made using a lamp or another object. The diners must take care not to drink from the same vessel, as food adheres to it; they must, even more so, not eat from the same bread. It is also customary to serve each diner another salt shaker, due to the crumbs that sometimes remain when dipping the foods.