Poole Pottery "Fresco Alternative (Made for Heal's)"

Poole Pottery Fresco Alternative (Made for Heal's) refers to a limited and much less commonly seen design closely connected to Poole’s well known Fresco range. The overall look will be immediately familiar to Fresco collectors, but this version uses a pepper motif rather than the olive and olive leaf decoration found on standard Fresco pieces.

The design was made exclusively for Heal’s, the London department store long associated with modern design and distinctive homewares. Like Fresco, it uses softly brushed colour, simple hand-decorated motifs and rounded white earthenware shapes, giving the range the same relaxed, Mediterranean feel.

This Heal’s version is seen in a number of colour variations, including green, terracotta, blue and yellow. The pepper motif, together with the coloured border and simple inner line, makes it a close companion to Fresco rather than a completely separate-looking pattern.

For many customers, these pieces are collected alongside original Fresco. Some use them as accent pieces, while others mix them into a Fresco service where the colourway and shape work well together. Because this version was made for Heal’s and appears to have had a more limited run, it is considerably harder to find than standard Fresco.

When matching this pattern, it is worth checking both the decoration and the backstamp carefully. Later tribute-style pieces inspired by discontinued Poole designs may look similar at first glance, but the shapes, backstamps and finish can differ from original Poole Pottery examples.

Availability depends entirely on what becomes available through the pre-loved market. As this Heal’s version is rarely seen, individual pieces may only appear occasionally, and some colours or shapes may be especially difficult to source.