Many people have asked over time how best to care for their board, so we thought best to lay out our recommendations in detail. (There are also some good pointers on our FAQs page.)
1. How best to wash my board?
It’s fine to wash your board with soap and water. We advise you avoid dishwashers – and never soak it!
Depending on the particular board, the high heat that dishwashers kick out are likely to warp it. (It’s very unlikely the board will split as you may have found with other “joined” boards – our boards are made from one piece of timber.) The whole dishwashing process is a bit harsh (and probably a little over the top) for a natural piece of timber.
Soaking the boards will likely warp them (to a certain degree, wood will act like a sponge), and will perhaps discolour them.
So please wipe or scrub, with warm water and a mild soap. And allow to dry thoroughly in a rack or by hanging on a hook.
Very rarely, a small amount of colour will seep from certain boards. This is a natural tannin from within the wood (trees produce tannins to aid their growth and as a predatory precaution). This has only been brought to our attention once, and will stop happening after a few uses and washes. We advise to keep off any best linen while the board is drying!
2. My board went fuzzy after I wet it. Why?
We finish our boards with only olive oil. Many boards out there rely on petroleum-based sealants to finish their boards; we would rather stay as natural as we can, and so avoid these.
(We are however, currently developing our own natural finish that seals more efficiently than olive oil…..watch this space!)
So, the natural fibres will “fur up” on contact with moisture, creating a slight fuzziness where the board has absorbed moisture (this can also occur in a particularly damp environment). Don’t worry at this point, because we finish them to such a smooth condition that they won’t fuzz up too much. Additionally, any furring can be buffed back to a smooth state – you can do this using very fine sandpaper (240 grit or above), or a simple nylon scourer.
Timbers with a wider grain will likely show the greatest change in texture – London Plane generally has a very tight grain so will feel more fuzzy than anything else – British Elm, with its wider grain, will probably take on a bit more character and fur up a little more (this we feel, complements their rustic look and feel).
3. Should I re-apply olive oil?
Yes. You’ll see the result is very satisfying – the board is nourished and its natural colour re-invigorated.
Pour a little bit of oil (olive, rapeseed, vegetable etc) into the centre of the board and rub in, making sure there is no excess remaining. Wipe off and you’re good to go, your board as gleaming and as good as new!
4. Will the board be damaged if I cut on it?
Only to the extent that it will become marked – we encourage people to not be too precious with their board, because although very beautiful, they are very hard-wearing and will last a lifetime….. And scratches add character!
Another way to approach this is to chop on one side, and serve on the other.
5. Will certain foods stain my board?
Yes. As you might expect, some foods will leave a lasting impression – beetroot, (sometimes) strawberries, red meat juices. Depending on how you see it, these stains can add to the board’s character, and will soon blend in. Alternatively, avoid cutting such foods on your board, and always wash off immediately after use.
6. How long will my board last for?
All being well, it’ll last a very long time. There are no joints to come apart, and no real weak points; so if looked after, will last long enough to hand down to another generation. Along with the character it has picked up over the years.
We are very careful as we produce these boards, but it is sometimes impossible to know if a natural crack will appear several years along the line. If one does, just send your board back to us and you’ll soon have a new one.
Please email us info@hampsonwoods.com if you have any further questions, and happy chopping/serving!
Over the last couple of years we’ve worked with several restaurants, bars and cafes, providing them with boards to either serve from or display on. As well as from our standard range, we’ve also provided bespoke pieces – just the right size and shape to serve toast, bread rolls and burgers; or display cakes and croissants.
Just lately we’ve been creating some bespoke boards for the great British steak restaurant Hawksmoor – and also for their new venture, Foxlow; a “neighbourhood restaurant” on St. John Street. (If you’re curious, please click here.)
It started with a selection of small geometric boards, based on these from our current range, and progressed onto something much bigger!
From a particularly beautiful section of a London Plane tree (that was sourced from Oxfordshire), it reminds us of a landscape painted in oils – in reality it’s only how the tree chose to grow.
At this time every year, a collection of artists, makers and designers open their doors to the public on the burgeoning mews street where we’re based – Clarence Mews. Quite a creative hub, there’s plenty to see, things to buy and some mulled wine to be had!
If you’ve the need for some interesting gifts, furniture to be commissioned, or just fancy a good old nose around where it all happens, then Clarence Mews is for you!
Both Sascha and I will be there and have a wide range of our standard range of boards on offer; also for sale will be some Market Randoms and one-off specials – hopefully see you there!
Proud to announce we’re currently appearing in the show Material Matters in Merci, Paris. Located in the Haut-Marais district, Merci is widely known for its forward-thinking and beautiful array of homewares, fashion and design goods.
If you’re ever in Paris, it’s one of those places you have to go see, shopping or not!
We’re proud to say we’ve been allocated a permanent pitch on the main stretch of Broadway Market!
Dues have been paid in the Schoolyard, and we’ve been moved on up to join the wise and wizened main street regulars! Thankyou Broadway Market Management.
From now on, every Saturday, we’ll be up at the top end of the market by the Cat and Mutton pub. As always, we’d be happy to see you – and as always we’ll have some glorious wooden products on show! There’ll be our regular range, our Broadway Market Randoms (see previous post) and products that are making their way along the Hampson Woods Pipeline.
Every week we’re at Broadway Market in Hackney E8 – a teeming street market with a fine collection of foods, and a good array of products; many of them handmade locally.
As well as our regular range, it’s a good place for us to bring our Random Boards – the funny shaped ones that don’t quite fit in with the regulars………often they’re just made from little offcuts, the perfect garlic or lemon board; sometimes they’re experimental, a prototype or work in progress; sometimes they’re forms that our imaginations dictate on the day of making!
It means every one is different; every one is beautiful…… and it also means that there is very little waste in our workshop.
Once a month we’re on one of the main street stalls – the rest of the time we’re in the schoolyard extension of the market.
With father’s day not far off, we’re doing a prize-draw Father’s Day Giveaway……….. due partly to other news just in………….one half of Hampson Woods has just become a Dad! Congratulations to Mary, Sascha and our newest intern, little Jasper x
All you have to do is like our facebook page to be in with a shout (those who’ve already liked will be entered anyway) – and if you share our Father’s Day Giveaway post, you’ll be entered twice. Double your chances!
The board pictured above is the one up for grabs; a particularly decorative example of one of our size 1 London Plane Serving Boards.
Here are the Rules (you gotta have rules….);
– entrants are those that have “liked” Hampson Woods facebook page, from the beginning of our facebook, through to 3pm on Friday 7th June. (Those that also “share” the giveaway post will be entered twice.)
– board pictured measures approx. 350 x 120 x 17mm, and has a value of £35.
– postage to UK destinations only (sorry, those of you abroad!!), due to arrive prior to Sunday 16th June.
As much as we love the London plane, let’s not forget its wide use in la belle ville, Paris.
This leaning avenue and pollarded plane stand in le parc de Belleville, in the 2oth arondissement. Parisiens refer to them simply as “platane”.
It’s the same species as the london plane, and was first recorded in Spain in the C17th. The plane tree is used in cities all over the world; its bark soaks up pollution and its broad branch and leaf spread provide much needed city shade (in mainland europe at least…….).
In the spring of 2012, Hampson Woods introduced a new range of serving boards. Made from the London Plane tree, these boards bring a delicately crafted beauty into your home.
Plane trees come down often around London, and we work closely with an arborist who is able to collect and plank these towering giants of the city. We know the provenance of all of our pieces. Sometimes we have photos too.
Once in our hands, each part of the tree is considered, and the shapes of unmade pieces will start to reveal themselves. We rough-cut these pieces and allow for any future movement in the wood. Once we have ascertained the integrity of each piece, we then start to whittle and carve, relating to the same lines that the tree itself chose to follow.
After all, could we better the design of a tree?
Only by considering, handling and patiently crafting in this way, can you hope to do justice to the beauty that lies within the grain of the finished piece. And you can tell.
Every one is different. And every one is loved – even before it finds a home.
