Since 1892, Berard, a French Artisan firm located in Northern Provence (Royans, in the Drome Department) has created quality hand turned utensils and accessories for kitchen and dining.  Mostly made of Olive wood, Beech, and Boxwood. 

The range of items the company produces goes from small spoons for jams and mustards, to large heavy hand turned olive wood salad bowls and cutting boards.    Olive wood has been used in the Mediterranean since Antiquity.  The olive tree grows slowly but it can attain a considerable diameter.   Although they rarely exceed 45 feet in height, they can become as wide as 30 feet in girth.  The wood has a yellow or light greenish-brown tint and is finely veined with a darker tint.  It is very hard and close veined which makes it valued by woodworkers worldwide.

Contrarily to what is often thought, wood is actually more hygienic than plastic for kitchen items  A study by the University of Wisconsin (Research Institute on Foodstuffs) has determined that bacteria, such as Salmonella and listeria will not survive longer than 3 minutes on wood (tests were done on 7 different types of wood and compared with plastic).

To keep the wood items in perfect condition, simply wash in warm water with soap.  Dry and they are ready for use.  

The company is subjected to strict French environmental laws, regarding the use of hardwoods and sustainable growth.  Only wood from those forests that are managed in a sustainable manner are used. 

A fine selection of Olive Wood Utensils from Touch of Europe