Ever heard of Hodmedod’s? I discovered this company at the wonderful Hunters of Helmsley, which was selling British-grown fava beans in what appeared to be non-plastic packaging.
Moving forward, I eventually got round to looking at the Hodmedod website and was pleased to see they sold other British-grown pulses as well as grains and seeds. This was music to my ears but it is only at the beginning of this week that I put finger to screen and placed my first order.
500g packs are cellophane
Thank goodness I have a child who likes beans. I’ve got a bit of work to do on the grains and seeds but the important thing is that she is being exposed to good food.
Anyway, why British-grown beans?
As you may already have gathered, I am rather a fan of locally grown food as far as possible. What you may not be aware of is the fact that I used to be vegetarian and, while I do now occasionally eat meat, non-animal sources of protein are my preferred option.
In recent years, there has been a growing awareness that animal husbandry is a driver of global warming. I think at the same time that a few animals on a farm may bring benefits (manure for example); the food they provide is a natural source of B12 (which we can only really get in this form from eating animal produce) and because of our depleted soils, perhaps selenium falls into this category, too.
So, the meat we consume comes from our local organic farm and now I have found a way of obtaining plant protein without the air miles. What’s not to like!
If you’re interested, the Hodmedod website can be found here:
That’s a great find – locally grown pulses! I love fava beans, and grow them in early spring in my garden. They should grow in your garden too – they are quite hardy, and sown after the last frost, they are ready for picking in May. I even had some in my garden in France which I sowed in November, and they overwintered and produced beans in late March, early April.
A plus – they are nitrogen fixers and will enrich your soil as well, so just dig them under when they have finished producing.
Happy gardening
Connie
Thanks for this information, Connie!
I thought these might be peas and beans for sowing – but it looks like they are just for eating – am I right? I got a bit excited there at the prospect of new pea varieties
They are for eating, although with them being raw and organic it might be possible to grow from them. Apart from the lentils – according to the information from the company, it took 5 years of trials to grow them in the south of England.
Thanks for this. Maybe English fave beans would enhance our jalfrezis
They could, Derrick!