Appalachian Joinery Cutting and Serving Board Review

It is really hard to make healthy meals for your family with fresh whole foods if you don't have a cutting board. Call me crazy, but I love chopping veggies!  I love the smell, love giving my son tastes of all the fresh veggies, and maybe I love getting some stress out by chop, chop, chopping away. Having a great quality, food safe cutting board is definitely a must for me!

That is why I was so excited to receive a beautiful, sustainably harvested hardwood cutting board from Appalachian Joinery. (I was literally jumping for joy!) Out of Asheville, NC, Chester Shuey is the brains behind this awesome company. As a full time furniture maker and outdoor enthusiast, he says, "My first pledge is to the environment, and to use sustainable and salvaged resources to make our products." I really appreciate Chester's dedication, eco-friendliness and quality craftmanship. He also works in a pre-existing shop instead of building a new shop, and they use their small scraps to heat their shop in the winter and the ashes are saved to spread in their garden come spring. This is a company you want to take note of!

I received an 18" x 12" sustainably harvested handmade organic english walnut cutting and serving board. I know, isn't that awesome? It is inspired by the Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright, and Mediterranean design and lifestyle.

I love the backstory for this cutting/serving board. The wood for this board came from a tree in western Maryland where English Walnut is rare. The tree was damaged in a storm by lightning, and the salvageable material was saved and cared for. The wood has been air and kiln dried to eliminate warping, and moisture.

I also love that Chester uses finishes that are natural to the earth and food safe, so you don't have to worry about toxins getting into your food.

Now, let's talk about the beauty of these boards!  I wouldn't normally call cutting boards "beautiful," but this one definitely is. My pictures don't even do it justice. The side of the board, showing off the natural edge of the tree, really makes it special. You can even hang it up in your kitchen, if you would like.

I almost wondered if I should use it because I didn't want to wreck it. But, don't worry about that. You can use the backside for cutting, and then serve on the front side. Then, when you need to wash it, just use soap and water and allow it to fully dry. If you want, you can also use some mineral oil or olive oil to revitalize it a bit. It is very easy to keep it looking this beautiful.

Now that you are envious of my cutting board, you have to head over to Appalachian Joinery and check out all their products. He loves to customize things, so give him your ideas and let him work his magic. You can also track their work in progress on their blog or become a Facebook friend.  

*Appalachian Joinery provided me product to review, and I was under no obligation to review if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review in return for the free product.*