It would need to be flexible enough to 'roll-over' the chamfered front edge
of the worktop

I don't think anything that flexible would be tough enough. You could chop off
the round edge, face the rest with Formica, then put back a shaped timber front
edge using biscuits. If its all straight runs I suppose you might be able to
get a stainless steel supplier to form a suitable edge on thin sheet, which you
could glue on?