The first thing you’ll notice about tableware from Rush Matters is the warmth and appeal of natural bulrush. Then you’ll appreciate the dexterity of the hands that have plaited, woven and coiled the stems into intricate patterns and textures. It’s only with great skill that mats, runners and coasters made in this raw material appear so simple.

The backbone of Rush Matters is forged from the dedication of founder Felicity Irons. For 30 years, Felicity has worked to keep the ancient craft of freshwater rush cutting and weaving alive. This isn’t an undertaking for the faint-hearted, which goes some way to explaining why Felicity is among the last of her kind. The process, from harvesting the rushes to finishing each piece, is done by hand with no machinery and no chemicals. Few modern products can claim to be so natural.

Life for Rush Matters tableware begins in the rivers Ouse, Nene and Ivel in Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire. From a 17-foot punt, bulrush Scirpus Lacustris is harvested direct from the riverbed using a slender scythe, in the same way it’s been done since Anglo-Saxon times. The drying process begins with bundles of reeds leaning against a hedge, during which time the weather influences the development of colour, from vivid green to honey gold.

Working in the surrounds of a 15th-century Bedfordshire barn, Felicity first dampens the dried bulrush to make it pliable, then sets about forming it. The process may be meditative, but it calls for concentration to form the woven and plaited patterns, as well as strong hands to coil and stitch the robust material into shape. Durable baskets, table mats and coasters are all conjured from rushes. The magic is multi-sensory and is experienced in the texture of the raw material, as well as in the weave. It’s seen in the gold-green colour that mellows to flaxen with age and can even be scented in the natural perfume of the material.