29 November 2023 , 16:09
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Despite being a staple item on our full English breakfast, people are only just learning that the haricot bean, which is used in baked beans, isn't actually grown in the UK.
Baked beans are a much-loved food item, as they can be eaten for breakfast, lunch and dinner. They are so ingrained in our culture, many people would assume they are completely made in the UK. You'd be forgiven for thinking so, as the UK has the world's biggest baked bean factory, which opened in Wigan in 1959.
There, three million tins of Heinz baked beans are made every day. Despite being such a well-known food, it turns out people are only just realising the bean which goes into making the tomato sauce-based dish, aren't traditionally grown in the UK.
Professor Eric Holub from the University of Warwick is one of the people working on the project (University of Warwick / SWNS)Many came to this realisation after it was announced that the first ever commercial crop of British-grown haricot beans had been canned at a factory in Lincolnshire. The project was developed by scientists at the University of Warwick - and it took 12 years to grow the seeds.
People were absolutely baffled to learn that the humble baked bean wasn't entirely British, with one person taking to X, formerly Twitter, to say: "Wait, where did the beans come from before? I had assumed they were already produced domestically. It's not like they're pineapples or avocados."
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Another person wrote: "Don't laugh and don't judge but I didn't realise baked beans are grown. Never ever thought about it before. In my defence they are apparently not grown in the UK," while another added: "Neither did I!"
The first ever commercial crop of British-grown baked beans have been harvested (University of Warwick / SWNS)
Andrew Ward and Professor Eric Holub (University of Warwick / SWNS)And they weren't the only ones, with a fourth person writing: "I didn't know baked beans aren't traditionally grown in UK," and another sharing: "Another thing I learnt today: haricot beans for baked beans are not grown in UK!"
Traditionally, haricot beans have been imported to create the classic side dish, because very specific climate and soil conditions are needed for them to grow. Most of the baked beans we eat in the UK are grown in the US, Canada, Ethiopia and China. However, now new farming technology means a new variety has successfully been grown.
More than two million tins of baked beans are eaten in the UK every day, and it is hoped this breakthrough will reduce the reliance on imports from other countries. Most of this year's harvest, which was taken in September, will be used to increase the seeds for the next season' planting.