Creating An Extraordinary Butcher’s Block Table

Steve loves any opportunity to design and make furniture in collaboration with his clients. On this occasion he was absolutely delighted when he was asked to create an extraordinary Butcher’s Block Table from green oak.
Until fairly recently butcher’s block tables were a centuries old tradition and found in all butchers shops. While no longer used in British butchers, they are still used in some European shops. In Britain we are now seeing butcher’s block tables used once again. This time in domestic kitchens. They make an eye-catching alternative to the usual kitchen island.
Substantial Bespoke Butcher’s Block Table
The story of this extraordinary Butcher’s Block Table is a little out of the ordinary. This is because Steve used unseasoned green oak sourced by his client to make it.
Steve’s client had been carrying out some necessary woodland management clearance. He was eager to find ways to utilise and celebrate the timber he had felled. Freshly felled timber is very wet as it is yet to be air and then kiln dried. This process takes a good number of years to complete. When you craft furniture out of unseasoned green wood it moves, shifts and cracks as it drys out.
Steve made this whopping Butcher’s Block Table from a single piece of tree measuring 4ft 6” by 2ft 6”. It has an exceptional depth of 6” thickness. The table top has been secured to four very sturdy rustic looking legs. It uses a number of sizeable chunky bolts. You can see where the movement and cracking of the unseasoned green English oak has been really embraced during its crafting. This sculptural looking piece of furniture is a truly extraordinary butcher’s block table.
If you would like a handmade table, handmade seating or handmade furniture created to your own specifications, please send an enquiry to info@handmade-oak-tables.com or call Steve directly on 07989 392421