Raw Cherry Wood Chopping Board | Unsealed & Untreated | Axe & Co

Pure. Safe. Beautifully Crafted.

Experience the difference of preparing your meals on 100% pure, unsealed timber. Our Raw Cherry Wood Chopping Board is handcrafted right here in New Zealand, designed not just to be a stunning centerpiece in your kitchen, but to provide the safest, most hygienic cutting surface for your family.

We skip the toxic varnishes, synthetic resins, and even the mineral oils. Why? Because nature already perfected the design.

🍒 The Beauty of Solid Cherry Timber

Cherry wood is a premium, tight-grained hardwood that brings a touch of elegance to any kitchen.

• Ages Gracefully: When you first receive your Cherry board, it will have a lighter, warm tone. Over time and with exposure to light, the raw wood will naturally oxidize and deepen into a stunning, rich reddish-brown hue.

• Incredibly Durable: The tight grain makes it highly resilient against daily chopping, while still yielding just enough to keep your expensive chef's knives razor-sharp.

🔬 The Science of Raw Wood: Why Unsealed is Safer

You might be wondering why our boards arrive completely bare. Recent food safety science—including studies published in the Journal of Food Protection—shows that untreated wood naturally fights bacteria better than plastic.

• Natural Bacteria Trapping: Because we don't seal our boards with oils or waxes, the wood remains naturally porous. Through capillary action, the raw wood pulls moisture and surface bacteria (like E. coli or salmonella) deep beneath the surface where it cannot multiply and quickly dies off. Sealing the wood blocks this natural defense mechanism!

• Zero Microplastics: Every time you chop on a plastic board, microscopic plastic shards end up in your food. With our raw Cherry board, you guarantee that nothing but pure, natural timber touches your ingredients.

🧽 Care Instructions: Keep It Raw, Keep It Upright

Because your Cherry board is a natural, breathing piece of timber, it requires a little mindful care to keep it looking perfect for a lifetime.

• Hand Wash Only: Wash with hot, soapy water immediately after use. Never soak the board, and never put it in the dishwasher.

• The Golden Rule – Dry Upright: Always stand your board on its edge to dry. Laying a wet board flat on your benchtop causes the top to dry faster than the bottom, which is the leading cause of warped wood.

• Skip the Oil: Let your board dry fully between uses and leave it unsealed so its natural antibacterial properties can continue to protect your food.

🛠️ What to Do If Your Board Warps

Because it is natural and untreated, your board may slightly bow or "cup" if it absorbs moisture unevenly. Don't worry—this is easily fixable using the Water & Weight Method:

1. Identify the "concave" (shrunken/bowed inward) side and lightly dampen it with a wet cloth.

2. Lay the board flat on your counter with the bulging (convex) side facing up.

3. Place a heavy, flat object (like a heavy pan or stack of books) on top.

4. Leave it for 24–48 hours. As the moisture equalizes, the board will press perfectly flat again!

📏 Product Specifications

• Timber: 100% Solid New Zealand-sourced Cherry Wood

• Finish: Completely raw, unsealed, and untreated

• Origin: Handcrafted to order at Axe & Co HQ, New Zealand

• Sizing: We strive to supply a 'standard' size which we deem optimal for a multipurpose chopping board. Boards will be within our tolerances to the specified dimensions listed. Any boards produced that are outside this tolerance will be listed separately with alternate sizing specified.

• Please Note: Although we strive to produce our boards as naturally as possible, some boards may include a very small amount of food safe, water resistant glue. This is only used when necessary to stabilize any small cracks or imperfections that may have occurred in the timber, during the initial drying and preparation process.