Thread: Which wood for butchers block?

We cut some blocks( about 800mm diam and 800 high) for butchers blocks and they specified Rough Barked Apple, which I think use to be an Angophora but it's probably had a name change by now.

Originally Posted by pommyphil

We cut some blocks( about 800mm diam and 800 high) for butchers blocks and they specified Rough Barked Apple, which I think use to be an Angophora but it's probably had a name change by now.

I asked a local expert on local trees what apple was and he reckons it is Angophra Florabunda. Makes excellent butchers blocks.

Here in the UK Beech is the preferred wood for end-grain Chopping boards and despite everything they try and get you to believe it has been proven that they are as hygienic to use as those plastic things.

On the anti-microbial effects of wood, there is a bit of positive evidence btw.

See post 12 at http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com...pine+parasites

Originally Posted by dr4g0nfly

Here in the UK Beech is the preferred wood for end-grain Chopping boards and despite everything they try and get you to believe it has been proven that they are as hygienic to use as those plastic things.

I am 70 years old and butchers here in Australia have been using wooden chopping blocks long before I was born and I have been eating meat off them for all those years and I am still around and still healthy.

Plastic hasn't been around all that long and it does have a dodgy past as far food is concerned and I think the jury is still out on that. Plastic can taint the flavour of food. My father-in-law has a water tank made from resin coated fibreglass and it makes the water taste terrible.

We refuse to keep any foodstuffs in plastic and use glass containers.