The Gouda Cheeseboard

The Gouda Cheeseboard - the idea and jointed realisation

There is already too much waste and fortunately there are many initiatives to convert waste into raw materials for the production of many useful products. Bart van Haperen, a furniture maker from Gouda, saw that too much wood is being thrown away in its environment. Wood a material that has a very long life for itself. The purpose was to show that wood can have a good second life and try to prevent unnecessary logging. The possibilities for Gouda's "waste" wood were given a new life.

This life is found in The Gouda Cheese Board.

- This cheese board is 100% made from waste / residual wood from the city of Gouda.
- The board is of course meant as a cheese shelf for the world-famous cheese type Gouda.
- And the name Gouda also emphasizes the cooperation between Gouda entrepreneurs who make this product possible.

Crafty and local production

Sustainability of The Gouda Cheeseboard is not only in the use of the raw material, but also in the process of processing this raw material. The Gouda Cheese Board is produced in Gouda with local material and ensures a very small CO2 footprint. In our workplace we are also continuously considering energy consumption.

The Gouda Cheese Board is produced in a crafty way and largely by hand.
The composition of the shelves is done by personal selection and eye for detail. Color and pattern combinations of the wood are combined creatively, creating unique boards.
Making a cheese board starts with the search for the right wood. A large piece of wood, or several pieces of wood, with a skilled look, the wood is selected. In order to use as much wood as possible and to produce as few waste as possible, the wood is used as it is, natural "mistakes" like knots or buns may occur. The available material is determined by dimensions and damage how it can be applied.
For our maker, the supplied material gives inspiration, which is used as much as possible in making these unique cheese board.

Maintenance Advise

The Gouda Cheeseboard is a natural product. With the tips below, the board stays beautiful and functional as long as possible:

Do not use aggressive cleaning agents and regularly apply a layer of oil. Oil protects the wood. The boards are always in contact with food, water and due to the temperature differences, they are expanding and shrinking.
Oil penetrates the wood and prevents water from penetrating, but at the same time it ensures that wood can keep breathing. Therefore, your cutting board will endure longer. Oil is easy to apply by rubbed it with a clean non-fluffy cloth. Virtually every natural oil you can use linseed oil, olive oil, sunflower oil. Depending on the oil used, the shelf may become darker or gelled.
Because oil is a natural product, you do not risk the ingestion of toxic substances. It is therefore a better solution than artificial coatings and mittens that could protect your cutting board.

The Gouda Cheeseboard