Nalbari Small Mango Wood Chopping Board - Natural

A long, narrow board, 38cm by 15cm and 2cm thick, with a short paddle handle at one end. The face is not one piece of wood: it is built up from small wedge-shaped segments laid in a chevron, and the tones run from cream through honey to olive-brown, so the pattern reads as a patchwork rather than as grain. The same blocks show end-on along the long edge. The handle is shouldered where it meets the board, pierced, and carries a leather thong knotted into a loop.

At 38 x 15cm this is the smallest of the three Nalbari boards, narrow enough to sit beside a hob or on a short run of worktop. The shape suits a board that goes from the kitchen to the table: a wedge of cheese with crackers beside it, antipasti, a sliced loaf. The loop hangs it flat against a wall or a rail when it is not in use.

The board is mango wood, pieced together from segments rather than cut from one plank, which is what gives the colour variation across the face. Mango trees are grown for fruit first and harvested over a number of years; a tree is only cut for timber once it has stopped bearing, which lets the grower plant again and takes a second crop from the same tree. The wood is food safe and finished natural, and the colours will shift as the board is used. The Nalbari is made in three sizes.

Is the board one piece of wood?

No. It is pieced together from segments of mango wood laid in a chevron, which is where the variation in tone across the face comes from.

How is the wood oiled?

Rub an edible oil such as olive oil or walnut oil into the surface with a dry cloth to nourish and protect it. Oiling may darken the tone.

How is it washed?

In warm soapy water after every use so it does not stain. Rinse it and dry it immediately, and do not let it soak.

Is it food safe?

Yes.

What sizes does the Nalbari come in?

Three, all 2cm thick. This is the small at 38 x 15cm; the others are 50 x 16cm and 60 x 20cm.