Complete your Kitchen with a Butchers Block

To add a bit more surface space to your kitchen and for a place to do your dicing in style, go for a butchers block

The kitchen is the heart of the home and one of the rooms where people spend the most time, whether cooking, eating, having a chat or relaxing with a cup of tea and a newspaper. It should therefore be as pleasant a space as possible and for functional reasons should have everything you need to cook up a storm. Butchers blocks have been around for years and they can really add to the aesthetic and the functionality of a kitchen.

The History of the Butchers Block

The butchers block was developed in the 1880s and was known as 'The Sanitary Meat Block'. It was invented because people in the butchery industry had expressed a need for a more stable and sanitary meat cutting surface. Parts of tree trunks set on legs were used prior to the butchers block and they were as you might expect, not nearly as stable as butchers blocks which were essentially a small flat, wooden table. They were also more sanitary as the tree trunk tables could crack, allowing blood and bits of meat to get stuck in them, where they would fester – yum! Butchers blocks were also much thicker than their predecessors which added to their stability and ensured butchers could safely place large pieces of meat on them.

Butchers Blocks Today

The contemporary butchers block, also known as a butchers block trolley when mounted on wheels, is often used for its aesthetic value as much as its functional benefits. Today a butchers block can be a wheeled trolley, a table top, a countertop, or a classic legged chopping block. Materials used in modern butchers blocks most commonly include tight-grained hardwoods such as beech, maple, teak, walnut and cherry. These materials compared to most kitchen countertops which are made of things like corian, granite and bamboo, generally last a lot longer. Some people still use butchers blocks for the same reasons the Victorians did: as a sanitary place to cut meat, while others use them as kitchen furniture, providing more surface space and storage space.

The Benefits of Butchers Blocks

As mentioned butchers blocks are used for a number of reasons, and this functional versatility is one of the things that attracts people to them. Benefits of having a good quality butchers block include the following:

Sanitation

This was the very reason butchers blocks were invented and today they can still be used as a stable and sanitary surface to cut meat and keep it separate from other ingredients.

Space

A butchers block or butchers block trolley adds extra surface space to a kitchen which could be particularly useful in smaller kitchens. A trolley can also be wheeled out of the way when it is not being used so it doesn't take up unnecessary floor space.

Storage

Many modern butchers blocks feature drawers and cupboards inside them and shelves around the edge for condiments, giving you some valuable extra storage space.

Style

As well as being highly functional, butchers blocks are now designed to look extremely stylish.

As the above 'S's illustrate that whether you want to add space, storage room, a sanitary surface or a bit of style to your kitchen, a butchers block will be the perfect thing.

Find a Top Butchers Block at Procook

If you want to add to your kitchen with a stylish and functional butchers block, Procook is the place to look. This company is the nation's largest specialist retailer of cookware and has everything you could need for a fantastic kitchen. For more information visit www.procook.co.uk