David Cuff (Founder), Big Chop

My great grandfather, Henry Chesterman, was a pioneering timber merchant in the 1800s. From his mill in remote southeast Tasmania, he prepared hardwoods and sailed the cargo to Hobart on his ketch, the SV May Queen, for domestic and export trade. Built in 1867 with a sweeping deck of Celery Top Pine, the SV May Queen is AustraliaÕs oldest trading ketch and one of only four of her era still afloat in the world. In 2017, 150 years on, she is moored at HobartÕs waterfront and represents the design, vision and fine craftsmanship of those early artisans working with beautiful, long-lasting Tasmanian timbers. And so tradition continues with Big Chop and this new range in honour of my great grandfather.

A work of art in itself, this presentation board is crafted from Tasmanian Blackwood and Celery Top Pine sourced from TasmaniaÕs sustainable forests. The Chesterman 1867 range adds a contemporary piece to your serveware. Perfect to present your culinary creations.

Size: 50 x 34 x 2 cm

Like all quality products they need to be maintained in order to get the maximum out of them. Things you should do :

Seasoning and caring for your new Big Chop Board.
The first thing to do with your new Big Chop timber board home is to season it. Do not even use it to cut or chop anything until you season it for the very first time. This is much like seasoning a cast iron pan, but you are applying it to a wooden cutting board. After years of testing various food grade oils that disappointed, we developed our own: Big Chop Timber Board Nurturing Cream. This cream is a recipe of a blend of oils and waxes including lemon oil that conditions the board and leaves a lovely citrus perfume. Wooden cutting boards have their own natural oils and for the most part they are antibacterial. To season a timber board is to add another layer of protection to it. Big Chop Timber Board Nurturing Cream will help to seal the pores of the wood and keep out particles and bacteria as well as help prevent warping. Now apply a coat of the cream, to the board liberally for the first coat massaging in with paper towel. I usually do 3 to 4 coats of seasoning the first time, letting each layer of cream I apply to dry for at least six hours, so overall this can take a day or two, but believe me in the long run you will be glad that you did this. So take your time and apply those coats even if it takes a day or longer.

Maintaining and caring for your Big Chop Board
To clean the big chop: brush of any loose bits. Wipe the surface with a warm soapy dish cloth then wipe off excess moisture. Never put timber boards in a dishwasher or immerse in water. Timber boards are porous and they will absorb water and can split when they dry. If a board is submerged in water by mistake, dry off with a towel as soon as possible. Store boards flat to help prevent warping.

Important
Once a fortnight or when your board looks a little dry apply sparingly Big Chop Timber Nurturing Cream onto the surface with paper towel, massage in, until absorbed and allow to dry. Once every few months sprinkle your board with coarse salt or baking soda. Using a lemon half with the cut side down, scrub the surface, rubbing all the salt or baking soda into the board. Let sit for 5-10 minutes, and then scrape the excess off, give the board a good clean with a wet cloth, leave to completely dry. When the board is totally dry re apply Big Chop Nurturing Cream.

If you wish to get more information or to purchase the cream then click this link to see the cream.