Poole Pottery "Legumes"

Poole Pottery Legumes was introduced in 1992 and was designed by Sarah Chalmers, a freelance painter and ceramicist. It is one of Poole’s more unusual tableware designs from this period, with a bold vegetable-inspired pattern that feels quite different from the factory’s softer floral and fruit ranges.

The design features hand-painted underglaze decoration with a variety of produce motifs, including aubergines, peppers, chillies, artichokes, sweetcorn and other legume-style forms. The colours are warm and lively, with greens, yellows, deep aubergine and reddish brown tones arranged around the borders of plates, bowls and serving pieces.

Legumes stands out because it has a more rustic, kitchen-garden character than many Poole patterns. The decoration is informal and expressive, with the hand-painted finish giving each piece a slightly individual feel.

For many customers, Legumes is a pattern they are trying to keep in regular use. As a discontinued Poole range, it is often sought out by those looking to replace a broken plate, find a missing bowl, or add useful serving and oven-to-table pieces to an existing set.

Availability depends entirely on what becomes available through the pre-loved market. As with many hand-decorated Poole designs, small variations in colour, brushwork and placement are part of the pattern’s character.