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About us

Nella Knife Sharpening Service

The Nella knife sharpening story began in the small Italian village of Carisolo in the northern region of Trentino. In 1901, Emilio Nella, moved away from his native land to seek a better life elsewhere in Europe. Pushing his grindstone barrow, and travelling on foot, Emilio began an epic journey.

One year on, Emilio arrived in Deptford London establishing a reputation as a master grinder and sharpener. Local caterers and butchers soon became loyal customers and word spread of Emilio’s skill and reputation. The Nella legacy was born.

In the mid-1920’s Emilio’s two sons, Pietro and Camillo learned their father’s trade, taking over the business when their father retired. Pietro Nella was joined in the mid-1950’s by his son Pierfranco Nella and in the 1980's Pierfranco's sons Emilio and Mark joined the business and continue to this day alongside, their sons and daughters.

Timeline showcasing the history of Nella's business from 1901 to 2025, highlighting key milestones such as the founding, family involvement, expansion, and innovative services
The milestones in Nella's business history, tracing its evolution from a small grindstone operation to a modern service provider catering to over 42,000 customers across the UK

Fast forward to 2025 - we’re proud to service thousands of customers across the UK, Ireland, and Europe. With our fleet of over 100 vehicles, and a team of 200, we remain dedicated to our core service - supplying sharpened knives to help our customer’s kitchens run smoothly. From local restaurants, takeaways, hotels and butchers to national pub and restaurant chains, contract caterers and food production factories, we tailor our services to meet each customer's unique needs.


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OUR PHILOSOPHY

Our guiding principle is simple: don’t purchase new! Restore to like-new condition.

At Nella, we are committed to providing cutting edge kitchen tools to simplify food preparation, making it easier, more cost-effective and safer for operators across the foodservice, catering and hospitality sectors.

Our precision knife sharpening, chopping board resurfacing and catering equipment servicing empowers our customers to work safely, efficiently and hygienically.

Restore and Reuse is at the heart of our business to help you reduce waste and unnecessary costs.

OUR CORE Services

Nella Cutlery Services of today has retained and maintained the core values established by its founder in 1901. High quality products, a reliable service and value for money.

Our customers cover a wide range of businesses, locations and sizes, from local restaurants, takeaways and butchers, to 5* hotels and national pub and restaurant chains. 

With 5 knife sharpening factories across Europe and the UK, today Nella Cutlery services over 42,000 customers with professional knife sharpening services, cutting board resurfacing services and catering equipment supply and servicing.

Knife Supply, Sharpening and Replacement

We supply your knives so you never need to buy new! You choose your knives, tailored to your business and we supply and regularly replace with a super sharp set. Your knives will always be sharp and ready for action. No need to buy. No more blunt, dull or damaged knives. No hassle.

Cutting board supply and Resurfacing

Our innovative chopping board resurfacing service eliminates all damage and regularly replaces your kitchen with boards 'as good as new'. Don't replace, resurface. Save money. Improve hygiene. Reduce waste.

Catering Equipment Supply and Servicing

We supply and service a huge range of catering equipment. With a nationwide service, we collect faulty equipment, diagnose, quote for repairs and then return your machine when work is completed. We can even provide loan equipment so there's no downtime.