The first British Baked Beans could soon be on the breakfast menu! Scientists successful grow haricot beans in the UK for the first time

By William On Oct 2, 2023

British-grown beans on toast could soon be on breakfast menus across the country after a crop of beans was successfully harvested in the UK for the first time.

Farmers had previously been unable to grow the variety because it was not suited to the country’s climate, meaning the UK had to rely on imported beans to feed its habit of producing two million tins of baked beans a day.

However, in what has been described as a “hugely exciting” achievement, scientists have now developed a specially adapted seed that can thrive in British soil.

It took 12 years and involved “one of the most stressful experiments” due to the unpredictable weather, but experts hope the result will be an ingredient loved by British families who are “baked bean connoisseurs”.

Traditionally, baked beans are mostly sourced from foreign markets in the United States, Canada, Ethiopia And China because of The specific climate and soil requirements needed for successful cultivation.

Breakthrough: Beans grown on toast in Britain could soon be on breakfast menus across the country after a bean crop was successfully harvested in the UK for the first time. The new variety of baked beans was named Capulet (middle and upper uncooked and lower cooked). Scientists also grew two other types of beans, Godiva (left) and Olivia (right).

History: Traditionally, baked beans are mostly sourced from overseas markets in the United States, Canada, Ethiopia, and China due to the specific climate and soil requirements needed for their successful cultivation.

History of baked beans

Baked beans are believed to be based on a Native American dish in which beans are cooked with fat and maple syrup.

It is believed that European settlers modified the recipe using pork and molasses.

Another theory is that the recipe can be traced back to the classic French bean dish.

Henry Heinz launched its baked beans in the US in 1895 and brought them to the UK nine years later.

Beans have become a staple of the British diet. Originally the product contained a small piece of pork. But the legalization of World War II put an end to that.

The Beanz Meanz Heinz logo dates back to the mid-1960s. In 2006, Heinz countered Branston’s threat to hijack it by reintroducing it to its marketing.

In the mid-1990s, a price war broke out, with some supermarkets selling their own-brand beans for as little as 3p a tin.

One enterprising independent grocer even gave consumers 5p every time they “purchased” a packet.

Farmer Andrew WardHe said, who planted legumes in a 13-acre field in Leadenham:The only seed available in the world of this variety is what we have here.

“We need to replant next year to increase the availability of British baked beans and reduce our dependence on imports.”

Half of the successfully harvested crop is now scheduled to be canned, while the other half will be used as seeds next year.

They can be planted in early May and harvested in September so they can grow in Britain’s warmest and sunniest months.

Professor Eric Holub, from the University of Warwick, said the beans were produced from “traditional plant breeding”.

He added that the new variety was derived from “heirloom materials that were used here on the university farm in the 1970s and 1980s.”

Research into creating a bean that could be grown in Britain began around this time, with three varieties produced in the mid-1980s and named Edmund, Marcus and Adrian after Shakespeare’s characters.

One of these beans, Edmund, is the mother bean of the new variety that has been successfully harvested for the first time.

They have been named Capulet to keep up with the Shakespearean theme.

“The other parent was a heritage variety that resembles a blonde bean and is known to grow in British sunlight,” Professor Holub told MailOnline.

The solution, he said, is to create seed that produces a variety of beans that is disease-resistant, able to thrive in the UK summer months, and that grows taller than usual so that it better meets the needs of the harvest.

Professor Holub explained: “If we just used a variety grown in Canada, for example, it wouldn’t be ready to harvest until about 3 or 4 weeks after the Capulet version, and by that time it would be too late for Britain to get rain.

The University of Warwick team say their harvested beans are part of a small-scale grassroots project, but the aim is to increase public interest in them for wider commercial introduction.

‘Plastic-free’ samples of Capulet beans are set to be sold in several stores across the Midlands next year – with more information to follow via the University of Warwick’s social media accounts.

The team behind the beans: Farmer Andrew Ward (pictured left) grows legumes in a 13-acre field in Leadenham. Professor Eric Holub (right), from the University of Warwick, said the beans were produced from “traditional plant breeding”.

Popular: Henry Heinz launched its baked beans in the US in 1895 and brought it to the UK nine years later (stock photo)

Several health food brands have previously attempted to market UK-grown beans as baked beans, but because they taste different from peanuts, they have failed to achieve success.

Rebecca White, crop specialist from agricultural consultancy Agrii and partner in the project, He told the BBC That families in the UK were “baked bean experts”.

“They would only accept the familiar taste and texture of kidney beans on toast, and that’s what we gave them,” she said.

Growing beans on a commercial scale in the UK will help reduce food miles and Scientists say that improving soil structure.

“Ensuring we can produce our own food is crucial in reducing our impact on the planet. British-grown beans can play a huge role in shaping a healthier future for us all,” Professor Holub previously said.

“It is a great addition to our diet and contributes to the emergence of flexible eating habits.”

Baked beans are believed to be based on a Native American dish in which beans are cooked with fat and maple syrup.

Henry Heinz launched its baked beans in the US in 1895 and brought them to the UK nine years later.

I’ve been beaten beans! Supermarket own-brand baked beans beat more expensive rivals in annual blind test… So which is your favourite?

The supermarket’s own brand baked beans beat rivals from more expensive brands in a blind taste test – with two cheaper tins voted best.

Asda’s own-brand baked beans, which cost 50p a packet, less than half the price of major rivals, achieved the highest score of 77 per cent on Which? Test flavour, appearance, texture and smell.

Supermarket own-brand baked beans beat rivals from more expensive brands in an annual test, with two tins voted the cheapest by blind tasters.

Cheaper Aldi came in second with 75 per cent, while Branston 90p cans were third with 74 per cent, losing points because the legumes were “too firm”.

Private label offers from Co-op, M&S, Sainsbury’s and Lidl all scored higher than Heinz and HP, which achieved 71 per cent and 67 per cent respectively.

Tasters praised the texture of Heinz sauce and beans, but more than a third said the flavor was “very weak”.