Ash food serving boards. Sealing & other wood to try?

[MrYorke]

Have had a restaurant asking me to make some serving boards out of ash. What would you suggest I seal them with. Also, can I use a varnish of any sort? I have a spray shop if that makes choices easier to recommend.

Also, what other timbers would you recommend I could offer to use?

Cheers

 

[Jacob]

Best unsealed as there is no seal which would withstand restaurant use. Oil (linseed or olive) perhaps best and could be re-applied as necessary.
I suppose ash would do but it's a bit open grained which would show. Better timber might be sycamore, maple, both trad for kitchen ware, or one of the close grained tropical hardwoods - teak, iroko, top of the list.

 

[undergroundhunter]

I made a chopping/serving board made from ash and have had no problems with it I just coated it in veg oil and reapply as necessary. I would thing that it would need to pass some sort of HSE reg if its to be used in a commercial environment.


Matt

 

[Waka]

You can buy food safe oil Chestnut do a good one.

 

[custard]

A restaurant isn't likely to treat the boards with kid gloves. Even if they keep them out of the dishwasher they'll scrub them with scalding water and dunk them in a sink. So I'd focus on getting quarter sawn stuff with dead straight grain and making sure any glue joints are bomb proof. Sycamore is the traditional wood choice for kitchen utensils, it's closer grained than ash so a bit less likely to retain food residue, sycamore's related to maple so that'd be a good alternative.

 

[Grahamshed]

Big question is would the restaurant want the hassle of having to keep reoiling them ? Do they really know what they are ordering ?

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

Beech is certainly one of the most common by a long stretch in kitchens. Theoretically you are meant to avoid "food" oils like olive etc because they're at risk of going rancid over the long term and should therefore use a food safe oil like the chestnut one. However, in practice, because stuff like that it used daily and washed daily, no rancidity would ever get the chance to develop.

However, theory and practice are all very well....the real issue is as a previous poster says ie what would H&S allow in a commercial environment.

 

[carlb40]

Big question is would the restaurant want the hassle of having to keep reoiling them ? Do they really know what they are ordering ?

They probably do know what they are ordering and will just be following the fashion. IE they are copying the various tv chefs who use wooden serving platters, some of which have live edges still.

 

[Jacob]

.....the real issue is as a previous poster says ie what would H&S allow in a commercial environment.

That's the restaurant's problem, not the OP's

 

[hammer n nails]

hi i make kitchen boards all the time and seal them with food safe Danish oil i use ash oak and beech perhaps you can offer to re- seal the restaurant boards say twice a year for a few extra quid or leave them unsealed but i dont think they will last long unsealed and they would mark

 

[Grahamshed]

.....the real issue is as a previous poster says ie what would H&S allow in a commercial environment.

That's the restaurant's problem, not the OP's

Thats true.
Speaking as a potential customer I would prefer ceramic plates anyway.

 

[Woodmonkey]

Walnut oil is good, it contains natural drying agents so won't go rancid like other food oils. Couple of quid for a bottle from supermarket.

 

[Harbo]

A lot of restaurants are now using slate - the amount of old tiles I've thrown away in the past!

Rod

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

.....the real issue is as a previous poster says ie what would H&S allow in a commercial environment.

That's the restaurant's problem, not the OP's

Fair comment but if he wants repeat business it always helps to make a product that meets all of the customers needs even if he/she doesn't realise they have them. I also like the posters suggestion that he offers a re-oil service periodically. Better yet, why not offer for a modest fee a complete renovate service where he re-sands and finishes so they remain looking their best....that way if a restaurant is going to buy then they're more likely to buy from the person that goes that extra mile.

If you own a drum sander that would be a doddle to actually do. Even without not exactly rocket science

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

A lot of restaurants are now using slate - the amount of old tiles I've thrown away in the past!

Rod

Aye - I've eaten off slate numerous times in the last couple years (I should probably ask SWMBO to let me off the roof now)

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I've not seen the need to have boards made - beech/birch/sycamore/maple ones can be bought for a couple of quid. Throw away when dirty. This is, of course, no use to the OP.

 

[Racers]

I have a mate who makes oak ones and seals them with mineral oil, he found the cheapest place to get it was at a local farmers merchant.

Pete

 

[bugbear]

Jamey Oliver uses some boards that are "full of character" on his recent TV shows; they look barely good enough for a wood pile. Holes, knots and waney edges.

BugBear

 

[Grahamshed]

Aye - I've eaten off slate numerous times in the last couple years (I should probably ask SWMBO to let me off the roof now)

I have eaten ON the slate a few times but never off it.

 

[lincs1963]

I was told that walnut oil is best for chopping/food serving boards as it never goes rancid. We have been using our butchers block boards for 3 or 4 years now and just wipe over with oil maybe once a month. Walnut oil can be found with all the other oils in most supermarkets.