Boos, a blacksmith was asked by a butcher to make him a wooden block when he saw how the block had absorbed the shock of Boo's hammer. That was the first of millions to be produced by the Boos Company. With nothing but the best, John Boos cutting boards offer an array in style from the simple butcher block maple wood cutting board right on up to kitchen furniture.

By the 1940s, butcher blocks were found in every restaurant, food store and butcher shop in America. Then came World War II, which was instrumental in changing the manufacturing philosophy of the management at John Boos and also the course of the business. The John Boos plant operated from a blacksmith shop until 1892 and then it moved across town, and began producing the Boos blocks, cutting boards and kitchen furniture as we know them now. Along the way they also become known as the Mercedes of wood cutting boards and butcher blocks.

End grain butcher blocks are built from short solid wood elements glued in such a way that only the end grain shows on both the top and bottom sides. As these elements are usually rectangular in shape, the whole board gets a mosaic or chess board pattern. End-grain butcher blocks are more durable, feature a harder surface than regular chopping blocks, and are easier on knife blades. The end-grain construction absorbs the knife between the fibers of the wood.

Made from only the highest quality American maple, the Boos Broadway Butchers Block offers charming country kitchen design alongside premium space and performance. Built to withstand the rigorous demands of a commercial kitchen, the thick end grain block, with ‘Varnique' finish, provides a work surface that is extremely durable yet easy on knives and resistant to nicks and gouges. The maple butcher-block bench top is kiln dried, electronically glued, then cured, sanded smooth and finished with a penetrating mineral oil for protection.

John Boos expands the highly popular Cucina Rustica line of butcher block island work tables with two offerings featuring added shelf space. This distinctive line of butcher blocks and kitchen work tables is constructed using only the finest in hard rock maple and features a wide variety of sizes and configurations designed to meet the demanding needs of today's chefs. Naturally beautiful and durable, the work surface is constructed in classic butcher-block style, with bonded squares of select end-grain Northern hard maple sawn horizontally, sanded smooth, and finished by hand. The butcher block's resiliency and shock absorption protects knife edges while standing up to even the heaviest cleaver. The end grain gives a true butcher block nostalgia.

A past recipient of the Gold Medal for Excellence in Foodservice Equipment, The John Boos Company is a leading manufacturer of residential and commercial chopping blocks, cutting boards, butcher block counters and furniture, and stainless steel tables and countertops.