We would recommend using quartz worksurfaces as these are much more hardwearing and stain resistant and you get a much broader choice of finishes and colours. As quartz is manmade you can easily match tiles and splashbacks and you can also have matching quartz splashbacks as an option. Some quartz surfaces also include a built in anti-bacterial protection. We know Silestone have developed a formula for this.

If you really want the best then it has to be Corian. They now do a Natural stone range that looks just like granite but it is more hard wearing and can even be repaired if ever needed.

You will need the right amount of space. Firstly you need to have at least 1000mm gap between units and perhaps 100/200 mm more if you need to open a fridge into the space. As a rule they look generally look wrong if they are less deep than 900mm or less long than 1800mm. If they are very long then the worktop material may need a join which can be unattractive (although there are choices you can make that are attractive and different materials come in different lengths but ask the question of your designer if the length is more than 3000mm) They are sociable and practical choices for kitchens but do take up more space than u Shaped kitchen arrangements. If you put a sink or hob in the island you need to consider how you get services to the island (easier with a floor that can come up). It may not be possible to have an extractor because of where the venting might go, although there remain solutions for this but they are all more expensive than having a conventional extraction vented through an outside wall. Do you have measurements or a plan of the space you are thinking about?

Would you believe that a book entitled "Kitchen" was publish in 1966 in which it was suggested that Asbestos, finished with Castor oi,l was especially suitable for Pastry making! - A Design Centre Publication...