Ask chefs about chopping boards and you get the grudging concession that plastic is still the default. Professional kitchens often require colour-coded plastic boards to deal with allergens and the risk of cross-contamination. Home cooks use them because they’re dishwasher-safe. My pick would be the boldly coloured Veark slabs used by chef Chuck George of restaurant group Chuck’s, which come with tilted sides for easy lifting.
For the sake of your knives, however, many prefer Japanese-style boards. “My favourite is an Asahi Hi-Soft chopping board made from rubber,” says Pophams executive chef Phil King. “These boards are gentle on the fine cutting edge of Japanese knives that can be damaged with harder materials.” The hitch is they’re designed with a Japanese cutting style in mind: “Purposeful vertical cuts as opposed to the rock-chopping style of western cooking,” says King. “The blade slightly sinks into the soft surface of the board and can catch if you try to change direction in a twisting movement as you would while rocking a knife through herbs.”
Parker Asahi soft board, £140, cuttingedgeknives.co.uk
Katto walnut chopping board, £100
For personal use, wood remains popular because it’s kinder on knives than plastic, more sustainable and hygienic (wood is antibacterial) and won’t leach microplastics into your food. Somehow it also makes cooking and bartending more enjoyable, especially if your board is customised. I’ve heard of chefs getting theirs engraved with initials, Game of Thrones quotes and even swear words. I love handling my black walnut board from British brand Katto, which comes with a flat carving/chopping surface on one side, a grooved bread surface to catch breadcrumbs on the other and a bespoke dock that doubles as a cookbook stand. “Chopping boards are the starting point for so many feasts,” says Katto founder Josh Roberts. “If you treat them well, the wood lasts forever and gives you lots of joy in the process.”
@ajesh34