St Lucia Clay Coal Pot 

Coalpots have been the traditional way of cooking for generations, and the continued use preserves a unique piece of Caribbean history and heritage.

The pots are made by Ms Faucher in the beautiful community of Choiseul in St Lucia, a local craft woman, living in the shadow of the iconic Piton Mountains. Handcrafted from the clay soil, using skills handed down unchanged through the generations.

The earthenware cooker and grill fuelled by charcoal is a simple and efficient way, in which food can be slowly and succulently cooked, preserving the natural juices and nutrients, whilst imparting the food, with its’ delicious smokey, and earthy flavour!

How Do You Cook On A Coal Pot?

Charcoal is placed in the top bowl of the coal pot and lit from under the holes. Once coals are red hot a cooking pot is placed directly onto the coals.

Ashes fall through the holes to cool in the lower lip. More coal is added as needed. The deep, rich flavors of the ingredients mixed with earthy, smoky overtones guarantee a delicious meal at any time of day.

The Coalpots have already been received with interest by celebrity chefs Jamie Oliver Jimmy Doherty, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and was featured in Levi Roots new book ‘Grill it with Levi’.

Where Can I Buy A Clay Coal Pot?

Coalpots are a fabulous addition to your kitchen, great for outdoor use in the summer and a perfect gift for the foodie in your life.

Though they are used throughout the Caribbean, the Choiseul Quarter of St. Lucia is considered the original home of this cooking style.

Just about any cherished Caribbean meal can be cooked to perfection over a coal pot. Owing to their small size and portability, you’re also apt to see coal pots being put to good use most anywhere.

What is the size of a Coal Pot?

Coal pots are generally pretty small – usually about a foot in diameter. The modest size means they don’t hold a whole lot of coals. Thus, they don’t get super hot.

In this way, they offer more of a slow-cook meal prep experience, enabling the deep, rich flavors and nutrients of your food to shine through. The earthy, smoked flavor from the coals also provide a nice added bonus.

In other ways, or better said, places like the Choiseul Quarter of St. Lucia, nothing has changed.

Known as the Craft Capital of St. Lucia, Choiseul sits along the island’s lush, southwestern shore. Here, in the shadow of the Pitons, craftsmen and women continue to make clay coal pots in the same manner as those early colonial ones. This, of course, puts Choiseul high on the list of places to check out on your next trip to St. Lucia.

The first part brings the basin-like top in which the coals were placed. This basin contained holes in the base, which allowed the ash from the coals to fall into the second part, which is a hollow cylindrical foot.

The bottom compartment, or foot, has a hole on one side, which allows the ash to be removed, as well as allows air flow to the coals in the top compartment, which assists the lit coals to stay as hot as possible.