Acacia End Grain Chopping Block

End grain is what separates a chopping block from a chopping board. Instead of presenting the long side of the timber to the knife, the wood is cut and reassembled so the blade meets the fibre ends, which part and close again rather than being sliced through. The result is a surface that resists scoring, hides the marks it does take, and blunts knives far more slowly than a face grain board.

Acacia is a good choice for the job: dense, naturally oily and closer-grained than the beech or rubberwood usually used at this price. That density gives the block its weight, which is the other thing you notice in use, as it stays put under a heavy knife instead of skidding towards the sink. It handles bread, joints of meat, root vegetables and hard cheeses without complaint, and carries them straight to the table if you want it to.

Treat it like the piece of timber it is. Hand wash in warm water, never soak it, dry it standing on edge so air reaches both faces, and work in food-safe mineral oil every few weeks to stop it drying and splitting. Keep it out of the dishwasher entirely. Looked after, a block like this outlasts several plastic boards.

• Product type: end grain chopping block
• Material: solid acacia hardwood
• Construction: end grain, knife-friendly, scoring resistant
• Finish: food-safe
• Use: chopping meat, bread, vegetables and cheese; serving board
• Care: hand wash, never soak, dry on edge, oil regularly
• Dishwasher: not suitable