Cutting Boards

First, the structure. I work in three profiles: end grain (vertical wood fibres up to the knife, the kindest to the blade), edge grain (the side of the wood, lighter and more affordable), and round (the Compass Series — wedges that radiate from the centre). Because each construction serves a different cook, the shop carries all three. As a result, you can choose by use case rather than settling for what’s in stock.

Looking for something heavier than a board? End grain butcher blocks use the same construction principles, scaled up — 1.5 inches and thicker, sized to sit still under a cleaver and survive a full beef breakdown. Same shop, same finish, same one-of-one approach.

What makes a Northern Prairie hardwood cutting board different

Most boards sold in big-box stores are flat grain or laminated softwood, built to a price. Meanwhile, every hardwood cutting board here is solid hardwood with mineral oil and beeswax finish — food-safe, repairable, built to be passed down. Most importantly, each board is a one-off when it ships. The pattern can be cut again, but the figure of that particular slab cannot.

How to choose one

Start with size. So a single cook leans Cabin (12×10) or Homestead (15×10.5); a working kitchen leans the full Homestead 18×12 or the Boreal 20×12 butcher block. Then choose the wood — walnut for depth, cherry for warmth, maple for the blank canvas, acacia for density. Either way, every board ships with care instructions and the assumption it will outlast the kitchen it lives in.

Care, custom work, and shipping

First, wash with warm soapy water and dry flat. Second, never soak. Finally, condition with butcher block oil monthly for the first season, then every quarter. Custom commissions welcome — engraving, alternate species, alternate sizes. Ships from Virden, Manitoba via Canada Post with tracking, typically arriving in 1–2 weeks across Canada.