So this is chip board covered in a bit of a plasticky veneer. But it is exactly the right size for beside the settee where my mum can now keep her reference books for easy access and still use the top as a chair side table. It is really sturdy and my dad managed to put it together easily. 
It has adjustable shelves which made it perfect and rare in this size of shelf and it was super cheap. I literally looked at shelves  costing hundreds of pounds, but only this one fit the bill