Boos Blocks

The History of the Traditional Brand

The company founder Conrad Boos was originally a blacksmith in Effingham. He constructed a robust three-legged block made of sycamore wood to absorb the blows of his heavy blacksmith's hammer. A local butcher heard about it and ordered another one for his purposes in meat processing. John Boos, Conrad's son, made the desired product for the butcher. Thus, over 125 years ago, the foundation was laid for John Boos & Company. From that point on, the company produced solid butcher blocks for meat processing businesses in the USA.

The German immigrant Adalbert Gravenhorst bought the company in 1892, recognizing its potential and the growing market demand for these products. The goal of producing the best butcher blocks with high quality and durability quickly led to a high reputation, true to the company motto: "Where steel and wood meet - at Boos Blocks® it's the best".

In 1900, at the Paris World's Fair, the high-quality wooden blocks from the USA were on display and quickly found their way into almost all butcher shops, restaurants, and grocery stores in the United States.

Certified Quality & Sustainability

All Boos products are designed for daily professional use. They are manufactured with great care to meet the highest quality and safety standards. The Boos Blocks® are certified with the seal of approval from the US health organization NSF (National Sanitation Foundation), which is a prerequisite for use in the catering industry in the USA. The strict NSF criteria include product quality, the entire manufacturing process of cutting boards and butcher blocks, as well as all materials and substances used. The NSF certification process also includes a review of the material to ensure that the products meet the requirements of the US Food & Drug Administration, the American authority for food and drug safety. For the production of cutting boards and butcher blocks, North American maple hardwood is preferred. This type of wood is extremely durable, resistant, hygienic, easy to clean, and above all, knife-friendly. It has also been proven to prevent bacterial growth. 

The company Boos Blocks has been committed to environmental protection and sustainable forestry for many years. Boos has taken a leadership role in this area. Environmental issues are understood as an essential part of business activities. The company uses only renewable, sustainable North American hardwoods and maintains a high standard of environmental protection throughout the entire manufacturing process. Only formaldehyde-free white glue is used in the production of Boos cutting boards. All excess wood materials are recycled. Boos has been a member of the NHLA (National Hardwood Lumber Association) for years. This association practices sustainable forestry and environmentally conscious forest management in the USA. Conclusion: Wooden cutting boards from Boos also make a good contribution to sustainability and environmental awareness in the kitchen.

The High Demands of Professionals

The everyday life of professional chefs in the catering industry is tough. They work with passion and commitment for many hours a day, and this over the years. Like any artist and craftsman, every chef must be able to rely unconditionally on their tools. Especially under high loads, the products from Boos Blocks® are confidently up to the demands. They were developed to function perfectly under the toughest professional conditions. Well-known and experienced chefs trust Boos Blocks products because they have proven to be extremely robust, durable, and reliable even in the most demanding gastro kitchens. This opinion is also shared by the American Master Chefs Association: John Boos & Company was awarded a gold medal by them for special achievements.

Wooden Boards or Plastic Boards - A Matter of Belief? 

Every hobby and professional chef eventually asks themselves which cutting board is right for them: plastic or wood. There are different opinions on both materials. However, the hygienic advantages of wooden boards are clear: boards made of North American hardwood inhibit bacterial growth. Plastic boards, on the other hand, often harbor bacteria in the cut grooves of the surface.

The German study "Comparative Study on the Hygiene Status of Wood and Plastic Cutting Boards" from 2014 demonstrates the advantages of a wooden cutting board under the following question: "Are plastic cutting boards more hygienic and safer than wooden cutting boards?" To clarify this question, a new study was conducted by Prof. Dr. Ulrike Kleiner in the Hygiene Research Laboratory at Anhalt University in Bernburg. The result of the study showed that high-quality wooden boards like Boos Blocks cutting boards, when properly cleaned and maintained, have the same or even better hygienic properties than plastic boards.

Wooden Boards Extend the Lifespan of Your Knives

Choosing a wooden cutting board is also advantageous in terms of the lifespan of your knives, as the surface material of the wooden cutting board is gentler on knife blades. Plastic boards, on the other hand, can quickly dull knives. But even with dull knives, we have a solution: Here we recommend our knife sharpeners category.

Cleaning and Maintenance

Even though Boos Blocks cutting boards are probably among the best of their kind: wood is a natural product, and with the right cleaning and maintenance, the lifespan of your Boos Blocks board can be further extended. Here in the magazine, you will find a small guide: Care instructions for wooden cutting boards

Maple or Walnut? Personal Taste Counts

Maple

North American maple hardwood is a renewable and sustainable hardwood of the highest quality. It offers ideal properties in connection with food. In American kitchens, it has become the standard hardwood for butcher blocks, work surfaces, and cutting boards. The North American hard maple (Latin Acer Saccharum, also known as sugar maple) offers the ideal hardness for durable utility items like cutting boards. Hard maple wood is stable, resistant, durable, hygienic, knife-friendly, and easy to clean. It also inhibits bacterial growth.

This tree species mainly grows in the area of the western Great Lakes, up to Nova Scotia in Canada, and in the area around Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Indiana. The wood is harder and firmer than that of all other maple species used as timber. Of great importance is the fine grain of the wood, which has a uniform and consistent texture. Unlike other types of wood, it has no typical smell or taste. This is ideal for products used in food preparation. Typical of John Boos maple cutting boards is the attractive light wood with a universal appearance. This color scheme fits any ambiance and kitchen decor.

Sustainability

The wood type North American Hard Maple reproduces quickly, is easy to transplant, and grows quickly. The company John Boos & Co is a member of the National Hardwood Lumber Association (NHLA). NHLA members engage in extensive forestry initiatives and solid forest management. The US forests grow one-third faster through the organization's reforestation program than they are harvested.

Black Walnut

The American black walnut (also known as black walnut or Juglans Nigra) can be found from the east coast of America to the American Great Plains and down to the Gulf of Mexico. The largest commercial growing area is located in the middle of the United States. In this region, almost three-quarters of all black walnut trees in the United States grow. Black walnut wood is a sought-after and valued wood due to its dark color and hardness. It is heavy and strong. While its sapwood has a creamy-white color, the color spectrum of the heartwood ranges from a light to a dark, chocolate-like brown. It sometimes appears with a purple hue and dark streaks. The wood develops an extensive patina. As it ages, the patina becomes shinier.

Sustainability

The American black walnut is a tree species that regenerates naturally and thrives quickly when replanted. This distinguishes the wood from many other types of wood. That is why black walnut is so successful as a timber.

Buy Boos Blocks Online at Butch

In our online shop, you will find a wide selection of current products from the Boos Blocks brand. Do you want to buy your Boos cutting boards online and have further questions? Then take a look at our FAQ section.