In busy professional kitchens, knives get used day in, day out slicing, dicing, chopping and trimming nonstop. Over time, blades dull. Tips chip. Edges warp. And too often, those knives end up in the bin far earlier than they need to. But what if the solution wasn’t having to bin or waste time sharpening knives yourselves?

That’s where professional knife supply and sharpening service comes in, and we’ll demonstrate how Nella Cutlery Services’  helps commercial kitchens stay sharper for longer.

The hidden cost of throwing knives away too soon

A good kitchen knife is not a disposable item meant to be tossed aside. But a lot of foodservice operations treat them that way. If you haven’t sharpened your knives regularly, you might think replacing them is the only choice.

But have you considered this?

1. Commercial-grade knives aren’t cheap. Buying new sets every few months can add up very quickly.
2. Dull knives slow down prep time and increases kitchen fatigue.
3. Blunt knives are actually more dangerous than sharp ones because they require extra force and risks slipping.
4. Throwing away knives creates unnecessary waste such as steel, packaging, transportation, and carbon emissions.

Are you really getting value from your knives or just cycling through them?

Why sharp knives are better for performance, safety, and sustainability

Sharp knives will totally change the way your kitchen runs. With a sharp blade, your chef can deliver cleaner cuts, preserve the integrity of ingredients, and support faster, more consistent prep, making a visible difference in every service.

Here’s exactly what regular sharpening improves:

• Efficiency: Sharper knives cut quicker with less effort. That means speeding up prep and less overwork.
• Food quality: Dull blades damage produce. Sharp ones make clean, precise cuts that maintains texture and freshness.
• Hygiene: Clean cuts reduce food smearing and make knives easier to clean and manage.
• Workplace safety: When knives are sharp, less force is needed which make accidents less likely.
• Sustainability: Keeping your knives in shape means fewer replacements, lower costs, and less waste.

If you’re finding that knives are being binned regularly in your kitchen, maybe its time to consider a helping hand.

Knife sharpening vs. replacement: a cost comparison

Replacing a single commercial-grade chef’s knife can cost anywhere from £60 to well over hundreds depending on the brand and type. Multiply that across a full kitchen kit and you’re easily spending hundreds, even thousands of pounds every year.

In contrast, Nella Cutlery Services provides a cost-effective solution by supplying your kitchen with a full set of professional Nella knives, then collecting, sharpening, and replacing them on a regular schedule. Our sharpening service delivers a finer edge than many factory-new knives, specifically tailored to professional kitchens. We also offer reliable national pickup and delivery as part of our scheduled sharpening service.

With Nella, you’re provided with a full knife supply and maintenance solution.

Signs your Nella knives need sharpening

Wondering if it's time to send your Nella knives to be sharpened? These signs are easy to miss in a busy kitchen, but they directly point to a blade that's past its best:

• You’re putting more pressure on the blade to cut through food.
• The knife slips on glossy surfaces like tomatoes or onions.
• Slicing herbs results in bruising, rather than cutting.
• You notice fraying or tearing, especially on softer items like bread.

If this sounds familiar, your knives need some special attention. Sharpening regularly keeps them working well and helps your team operate smoothly.

That’s where knife sharpening by professionals makes the real difference, as restoring the blade through proper care improves the cutting edge while supporting your entire kitchen’s workflow.

What’s the best way to sharpen kitchen knives professionally?

One of the best ways to sharpen kitchen knives professionally is using whetstone sharpening done by trained experts. This method carefully preserves the edge for much longer and avoids the damage caused by machines or improper DIY methods. With Nella’s nationwide service, your kitchen receives a freshly sharpened set of knives on a regular basis, while your used set is collected and restored by hand.

The problem with DIY sharpening

Many kitchens attempt to sharpen their knives themselves in-house with honing rods or basic sharpening kits. While these tools can help maintain edges between services, they don’t fully fix the problem at hand.

Why?

• Honing rods don’t sharpen – they realign the edge but don’t remove material to restore sharpness.
• Inconsistent results – sharpening requires precision and experience. Poor technique can make the blade worse.
• Uneven wear – machine-based tools often grind too aggressively, reducing blade life.

Furthermore, sharpening knives yourselves can be very time consuming. In a commercial kitchen this isn’t ideal, as every minute could make a huge difference in your service.

This is where our professional, consistent knife sharpening really makes the difference.

Why Nella’s whetstone sharpening is the smarter solution

At Nella, we sharpen over 150,000 knives every week in our five factories across the UK and Europe. We use traditional whetstone sharpening by hand, a time-honoured technique that delivers a finer, longer-lasting edge that truly shines.

Here’s why it works better:

• Greater control: Our experts know how to sharpen at the correct angle for every knife type.
• Blade longevity: Whetstones gently remove only what’s needed, preserving the blade’s structure.
• Consistent quality: Every knife is individually assessed and sharpened by hand, guaranteeing precision.

When it comes to extending the usable life of your knife, whetstone-based knife sharpening undoubtedly produces the most reliable, long-term results.

This forms part of our complete knife supply and replacement service, so that you don’t have to worry about dull knives slowing down your kitchen. We deliver professionally sharpened knives directly to your kitchen on a scheduled basis, replacing the used Nella set which we collect and resharpen for you.

Are you ready to stop replacing and start sharpening?

If your kitchen is stuck in a cycle of replacing dull knives again and again, let’s start to rethink the process. With Nella’s professional knife supply and replacement service, you’ll not only reduce waste and increase performance, but also save money on the long run.

Ask yourself:

• How often are your knives replaced?
• Could regular sharpening reduce your spend?
• Are you giving your team the tools they need to work safely?

Let Nella help extend the life of your knives so you can focus on serving better food, faster.

Book your knife supply and sharpening service with Nella Cutlery Services today.

Keep your kitchen sharp, safe, and sustainable. Contact our team to get started.