Our strategy for sourcing the best Ash in the world
And why we are embracing European Ash alongside American.
If you’ve ever worked with American Ash, you will know this cost-effective wood is for its strength, beauty, and versatility. But recently, sourcing quality Ash has become a real challenge, especially from the United States. The culprit? A devastating beetle infestation that’s drastically reduced the trees population.
In this post, we’ll dive into why buying Ash from the U.S. is tougher than ever and explain why, at Thorogood Timber, we’re now turning our attention to European-grown Ash, to run alongside our log-sawn Horizon American Ash with all the benefits of grain selection and stability that it brings.
The Emerald Ash Borer.
A tiny but destructive beetle. It has been wreaking havoc on Ash across the United States for years. This invasive pest attacks trees by burrowing under their bark, disrupting the flow of nutrients and water, eventually killing the tree. Since its discovery in the early 2000s, millions of Ash trees have been lost, transforming vast forests into skeletons and limiting the availability of quality ash timber.
For timber buyers and woodworkers, this means a shrinking supply of American Ash that meets the high standards required for fine furniture, flooring, and speciality uses. The trees that remain are often smaller, of lower quality, or simply not available in the volumes needed. Prices have climbed, colour grown more varied and sourcing reliable, consistent quality has become a frustrating ordeal.
Faced with these challenges, we at Thorogood Timber made a strategic choice: to seek out European-grown Ash as an alternative. Europe’s forests have had their own challenges but the Borer is not one of them, and the timber harvested there offers some clear advantage — when selectively sourced. By carefully curating our European Ash supplies, we ensure that we deliver only the best to our customers.
Looking Ahead
The time spent by our buying team is already paying off. While the beetle infestation continues to impact North American Ash supplies, we’re proud to offer a valuable alternative that keeps your projects thriving without compromise. Compared to most general merchant stocks imported to the UK today, Thorogoods European Ash shows paler, more consistent colour and tone.
We’ll be keeping a close eye on developments from both sides of the Atlantic and sharing insights with you as new opportunities arise.
Stay tuned for more updates and timber tales from Thorogood Timber — where quality, service and expertise meet.
Blog | 1 month AGO