Edward Smith, Managing Director of Caesarstone UK & Ireland, discusses why conversations have shifted beyond aesthetics and price to focus on responsible procurement, material transparency, long term value.
With the engineered stone market evolving rapidly following new Health and Safety Executive (HSE) guidance and increasing industry scrutiny, Edward Smith, Managing Director of Caesarstone UK & Ireland, shared why developers are rethinking their approach to specification. He shares details on what developers are asking manufacturers today, and why Caesarstone believes its new ICON crystalline silica-free* surface technology represents the next chapter for the category.
What are the biggest changes you’ve seen in the way housebuilders approach worktop specification?
A few years ago, most developers wanted the same three things. They wanted a product that looked great, performed well and met budget. Those things obviously still matter, but today they’re only part of the discussion.
In the last six months I’ve sat in meetings with several major UK housebuilders where the conversation wasn’t about colour or price at all. It was about future-proofing specifications, material transparency and whether they should move towards a crystalline silica-free portfolio as their long-term standard.
That’s a completely different conversation to the one we were having even two years ago, and I think it reflects a much broader change happening across construction.
What’s driving that change?
Globally, the engineered stone sector has been through a period of enormous change. The HSE’s updated guidance in May 2026 brought welcome clarity around fabrication practices and encouraged businesses to work with engineered stone containing the lowest crystalline silica content possible to help reduce occupational exposure risks.
At the same time, developers are under growing pressure to demonstrate responsible procurement, strengthen ESG credentials and build greater resilience into their supply chains.
Did that catch Caesarstone by surprise?
No, and that’s probably the important point. Our investment in Caesarstone ICON actually began long before the latest HSE guidance was published because we believed the market was already moving in this direction.
We could see greater expectations around transparency, sustainability and lower crystalline silica content emerging internationally, so rather than waiting for regulation to drive change, we decided to invest ahead of it.
Can you give more detail and explain what exactly ICON is?
ICON is our crystalline silica-free* engineered stone technology. From our perspective, it’s the next evolution of engineered stone rather than a niche environmental product. It delivers the premium aesthetics, durability and performance people expect from Caesarstone, but with a completely re-engineered composition.
Just as importantly, we haven’t positioned it as an exclusive premium range. ICON technology now spans each of our price groups, and multiple design styles, allowing developers to specify crystalline silica-free* surfaces whether they’re delivering large-scale housing developments or high-end private homes.
Are developers genuinely changing specifications, or are they simply exploring their options?
We’re definitely seeing action. Some of the UK’s largest residential developers are actively reviewing standard specifications with the intention of moving towards crystalline silica-free portfolios over time.
Every business is moving at its own pace, of course, but what’s interesting is the nature of the conversations. Procurement teams are increasingly saying, “We don’t want to revisit this specification again in eighteen months.”
How has the conversation around cost evolved when specifying surface materials for today’s residential developments?
Today’s procurement decisions are about much more than achieving the lowest purchase price. Developers are weighing supply chain resilience, product transparency, sustainability and future regulatory direction alongside cost.
They’re asking whether a specification will stand the test of time, reduce the risk of claims or costly call-backs, and deliver better through-life value rather than simply a lower upfront cost. They’re also recognising that premium, proven materials can help differentiate homes, build buyer confidence and accelerate sales. That’s why value is increasingly being measured not just by what a product costs to buy, but by what it contributes over the lifetime of a development.
What are procurement teams asking you today that they weren’t asking two years ago?
The first question is often, “Show us the evidence.” Developers want to see technical documentation, certification, safety data, fabrication guidance and clear information about exactly what they’re specifying.
Frankly, I think that’s healthy for the industry. Specification shouldn’t rely on assumptions or marketing claims. It should be supported by robust documentation and transparency.
Are homebuyers changing the conversation too?
Absolutely. Millions of consumers have now read media coverage around engineered stone and respirable crystalline silica. They may not understand every technical detail, but awareness has undoubtedly increased.
As a result, sales teams are finding themselves answering more questions about worktop materials than ever before.
That’s another reason we believe manufacturers have a responsibility to educate the market. Developers shouldn’t simply receive a product, they should receive the technical support and information needed to answer customers’ questions with confidence.
Kitchen worktops aren’t usually discussed alongside structural products. Do you think they should they be?
Maybe not structurally, but certainly strategically. The kitchen is still one of the defining spaces in a new home and the worktop is probably the most visible surface within it.
Buyers interact with it every day. It influences their perception of quality, durability and value from the moment they walk into a show home or marketing suite.
When you combine that visibility with today’s focus on material innovation and responsible specification, worktops become far more significant than many people perhaps realised.
Is sustainability now driving these decisions just as much as aesthetics?
I don’t think it’s either-or. Developers still need beautiful homes that sell.
The difference is that sustainability, responsible manufacturing and innovation are now expected alongside great design rather than instead of it.
That’s very much how we’ve approached ICON. We wanted to develop a surface platform that doesn’t ask developers to compromise. Our new proprietary formula delivers premium, and commercially proven aesthetics and superior performance while aligning with the direction the industry is moving. With around 85% recycled material content, and a lifetime residential warranty that supports lasting purchase decisions, ICON is a pillar of our broader strategic ESG programme.
That’s a much stronger proposition than asking specifiers, or homebuyers, to choose between sustainability and design.
If you could give specification teams one piece of advice, what would it be?
Don’t assume every engineered stone is the same. We’ve almost drifted into thinking worktops are a commodity. They’re not.
The technology, manufacturing standards, technical documentation and level of manufacturer investment vary enormously.
Ask questions. Look at the evidence. Challenge sustainability claims. Understand how products are made and what support sits behind them.
Developers are making long-term decisions that will remain in homes for decades. Those decisions deserve the same level of scrutiny as any other strategic material specification.
Finally, where do you think the market will be in another five years?
Economic pressures, sustainability commitments and customer expectations will continue to evolve, but I also think we’ll see much greater emphasis placed on transparency and responsible innovation across the whole construction sector.
For Caesarstone, that’s exactly why we invested in ICON. We believe crystalline silica-free* technology represents the future direction of engineered stone, and we wanted to help lead that transition rather than wait for it.
Ultimately, the developers who will benefit most are those who see specification not simply as procurement, but as an opportunity to create more resilient, future-ready homes. That’s already happening, and I think it’s only going to accelerate.
