The best butchers' blocks

The butcher's block has always been an essential ingredient of the classic country kitchen, but these days it's also just as likely to be seen in more contemporary-style settings. From the well worn heavy oak surface of hold, the butcher's block has evolved into a compact mobile kitchen trolley at one end of the spectrum and a mini kitchen island at the other. All the options include a worktop, various forms of storage (drawers, baskets, shelves and racks) and often castors to boot. Look for smaller slimline designs that you can incorporate into an existing kitchen, or larger versions that you can factor into a new scheme. Let our selection of the latest butcher's blocks be your starting point.

Sturdy design with single drawer, one shelf and bottle rack. Back legs have castors for added mobility. A low-sheen lacquer provides added durability. Available in Putty (shown) or Cream. Oak with painted finish.

Padstow Butcher's Block, £599, Marks and Spencer

An elegant trolley that combines a sturdy end-grain top with a sleek chrome mounting. Features include pull-out pastry and chopping board, two utensil drawers, cupboard with central shelf, chrome storage basket and lockable heavy-duty castors. Beech.

Eddingtons Pewsey Butcher's Block, £849, John Lewis

Value kitchen storage trolley with an easy-clean tiled worktop. Has three shelves, two drawers, two wire baskets, a six-bottle wine rack, handle and castors.

Pine Tile-top Kitchen Trolley, £40, Argos

Gorgeous little island with a practical granite worktop, two dove-tailed drawers, a spacious cupboard, two rails for oven gloves and tea towels and a four-bottle wine rack. The reverse of the island is the same as the front. Oak and oak veneer.

Cotswold Kitchen Granite-top Butcher's Block Island, £649, The Cotswold Company

Lovely looking work surface-cum-table. The wood top is durable yet also gentle on your knives - sand and treat the surface as needed. Gives you extra storage, utility and work space.

Skogsta Butcher's Block Table, £200, Ikea

Stand-alone unit with polished granite surface that, strictly speaking, is more of an island than a butcher's block, but so lovely we had to include it. Two deep drawers, half-height wine rack, large central cupboard and two side hanging rails, plus dovetail joints, tongue-and-groove panelling and antique brass-style handles and hinges. The drawers and cupboard can be accessed from both sides.

Chiltern Grand Oak Granite-top Kitchen Island, £1136, Oak Furniture Solutions

Made from solid beech this robust French grey trolley is perfectly at home in traditional and contemporary kitchens alike. Features two utensil drawers, two removable storage baskets, two roomy shelves and steel towel rails and heavy-duty lockable casters.

Eddingtons Lambourn Beech Wooden Kitchen Trolley , £590, Robert Dyas

Country-style kitchen trolley topped with a 7cm-thick end-grain butcher's block and four heavy-duty lockable castors. Has two slatted shelves, one of which can also be used as a six-bottle wine rack.

Eddingtons Leverton Butcher's Block Trolley, £799, Lakeland

Crafted from white-finished wood with a complimentary bamboo top, this kitchen trolley is a practical storage solution. Providing space to store your favourite wines as well as one drawer for all your kitchen essentials, it is the ideal spot to prep vegetables for your dinner party.

Kitchen Cart with Wood Top, £134, Wayfair

This Wadebridge butcher's block combines solid oak and soft white painted acacia wood for a contemporary take on the classic country farmhouse look. This butcher's block unit offers handy additional surface space for preparing food, plus a drawer for utensils and slatted shelving underneath.

Wadebridge Butcher's Block Unit, £450, Debenhams