You’ve probably noticed that more and more restaurants and catering companies are providing their meals on wooden boards instead of using traditional plates. It’s a move that some people dismiss as nothing more than a trend, but the fact is that using wooden boards comes with quite a few compelling advantages.

Here are just five benefits that should whet your appetite for more.

  1. Rustic Simplicity

Okay, so the basic appeal of wooden boards is simple to understand. Instead of evoking a sense of stuffy fine dining, they have a traditional charm that hearkens back to a simpler time. As such, serving food on wooden boards fit well with more casual restaurants and dishes.

  1. Simpler Placement

Plates are seldom flat, instead sloping inwards slightly. They also tend to be a little smaller than wooden boards, mainly because they are circular instead of rectangular. This means that it can be quite hard to get everything on the same plate without mixing foods together, a job wooden boards perform easily.

  1. Convenient Cleaning

Wooden boards also tend to be a little easier to clean than traditional plates. All you need to do is wipe them down since foods and sauces don’t tend to adhere as easily. You’ll also be able to prepare and serve on the same surface, a move that cuts down on the number of items your staff needs to keep clean.

  1. Gentle on Cutlery

Cutlery will become blunt faster when pressed against a traditional plate, and the scratches cutlery makes on a plate will often be permanent. Scratches only add to the character of a wooden board, and the wood is a lot more forgiving on the cutting edge.

  1. Perfect Heat

One problem with traditional plates is that they are very cold at first but become very hot when used for hot food. This can cool some foods too quickly; alternatively, it can make plates too hot to touch comfortably. Wood is a very effective insulator, so wooden boards will keep your customer’s food warmer for longer, and your waitstaff aren’t going to complain about scalding their fingers while serving.