As part of the Food Foundations’s campaign to get the UK doubling their bean consumption, we are spilling the beans on UK grown and produced beans and pulses.
The Food Foundation want to see a UK where everyone – regardless of income – is empowered to cook and eat beans.They want to see more beans available and in more delicious ways: on supermarket shelves, in schools, and on menus when eating out and about. All of which makes them much easier to access and more appealing for you! With food prices rising again, beans and pulses offer an affordable, healthy and sustainable solution. More than that you can buy locally grown and produced bean and other pulses right here in the UK.
Why are we banging on about beans?
Because beans are a win-win-win for climate, health and your wallet.
If you are wondering where to buy your UK pulses, Hodmedod’s is the place to start. They specialise in a wide range of British Grown Pulses many of which are less common. From Fava (broad) beans to Carlin Peas, from Flamingo Peas to Olive Green Lentils, you can buy these British grown pulses canned, dried or roasted. Some of their varieties are “forgotten” or less widely grown — like fava beans (broad beans), and a variety of carlin peas (the original northern mushy peas). Places you can buy these beans and pulses include Hodmedod’s own website, Ethical Superstore, Suma, Leeds Veg Box, Greens Grocers, Natural Food Store Headingley, Holland and Barrett, the Bold Bean Co use their beans for many of their products. Bold Beans Co are stocked in Leeds by Waitrose, Tesco, Morrison and Sainsbury’s.
“Beyond health, beans and pulses’ nitrogen-fixing properties boost soil health, reduce reliance on fertilisers, and help meet biodiversity and climate goals—all with a low carbon footprint.”
Fresh Campaign to double bean consumption for health and planet.
The Food Foundation and Veg Power, funded by The National Lottery Community Fund, today announced the November launch of a new UK-wide campaign with a simple mission: to get people eating more beans and pulses.
Strategic and creative agency ARK—founded by Mat Goff, former Adam & Eve CEO, and Mike Wilton, former Anomaly MD—has been appointed to deliver the ambitious digital campaign.
This new initiative builds on the proven success of Eat Them To Defeat Themand Peas Please, which have reached 36 million people since 2019 and driven over 1.1 billion extra portions of veg sales across the UK.
With food prices rising again, beans and pulses offer an affordable, healthy and sustainable solution. They are high in fibre, rich in protein, and provide key nutrients including potassium, magnesium, iron and zinc—all while counting towards 5-a-day. Yet only 4% of Brits get enough fibre and just 17% hit their daily fruit and veg target.
Beyond health, beans and pulses also support the planet. Their nitrogen-fixing properties boost soil health, reduce reliance on fertilisers, and help meet biodiversity and climate goals—all with a low carbon footprint.
The Food Foundation and Veg Power are calling on chefs, retailers, manufacturers, wholesalers, food service companies, youth organisations, community groups and caterers to join the “bean revolution” by serving, selling, and promoting beans like never before.
Will you join the campaign?
Beans aren’t just good for you—they’re good for nature, good for the planet, and good for your wallet.
Up for the Challenge?
Can you eat double the amount of beans and pulses?
From lentils, to broad beans to peas, there are so many varieties to choose from. Help your own health and the health of the planet with just one more portion of beans every day this autumn.
An apple a day keeps the doctor away, but they are also good for the planet. So let’s get juicing!
Apple Day is an annual celebration of apples and orchards. From the start, Apple Day was intended to be both a celebration and a demonstration of the variety we are in danger of losing, not simply in apples, but in the richness and diversity of landscape, ecology and culture too.
It traditionally falls on 21 October, the date of the first such event in 1990 set up by Common Ground, but events happen throughout September and October
Thanks to Leeds Urban Harvest and Fruit Works Co-operative we have apple pressing and juicing equipment available to hire or borrow in Leeds and Bradford. As a result many local community hubs, allotments and other outdoor spaces can hold public and private Apple Days.
There are 100+ fruit orchards in Leeds and this great system we have where people can rent or borrow juicing equipment means lots of home-grown apples that would otherwise go to waste, get picked, juiced, eaten and stored, saving much food waste.
Your Autumn 2025 line up of Apple Days in Leeds and beyond.
14 September The ChemicApple Pressing 2pm – a family friendly public event. Bring along your apples for pressing Arrive from 11am to help sort apples.
17 SeptemberKeighley Apple day at Yorgreen CIC with Fruitworks
Bradford is juicing up fresh solutions to the Cost-of-Living and Climate Crises
Tonnes of apples go to waste all over Bradford District. Fruit Works Co-operative have established a coordinated juicing equipment library and service that diverts these surplus apples to four communities hubs.
This year, in autumn 2025, the project is supported by Fruit Works, but going forward it will be a self-funding enterprise for the four community hubs in Keighley, Shipley and Bradford. There are 4 ways the equipment can be used, depending on your needs.
Juice it yourself Juice it for Fun Juice it for you Juice it with you.
Juice It Yourself You borrow the kit for yourself, your family, friends, street or community group to make your own juice.
Juice It For Fun The kit is used as part of a Community Apple Day, where people come together to celebrate the harvest.
Juice It For You You bring your apples to one of the community hubs and they press them and bottle the juice for you.
Juice It With You You bring your apples to one of the community hubs to make your own juice there, with their equipment.
In Leeds with Leeds Urban Harvest we are lucky enough to juice it up across the city.
Like Bradford, each year, thousands of fruit trees across Leeds go unpicked or unused because their owners can’t harvest them or there is too much fruit to use at one time.
Leeds Urban Harvest is a volunteer run community project that lends picking and processing equipment to groups to make juice from their excess apples.
Because there are more apples than people to juice them they also press and make use of surplus fruit donated by people, which would otherwise go to waste.
Fourways you can get involved in Leeds and fight the Cost-of-Living and Climate Crises
Learn how to press, juice and more by volunteering here
Let’s share the abundance
Browse our website for more Cost-of-Living and Climate Crisis solutions including:
Leeds Food Aid Map Find 140+ pantries, cafes and food aid businesses if you need emergency food.
Healthy Holidays More about Healthy Holidays ( HAF) recently funded for the next three years! Read more.
Healthy Start Go to this page for information on Healthy Start and for links to other Family Food and Wellbeing services such as free school meals and uniform, money and welfare advice and more.
Incredible Edible sites map (who have 20 groups, 70 sites and 150 raised beds across the city offering free vegetable, fruit and herbs to the public and other
Introducing the ‘Good Food Cycle’, a fresh recipe for a healthier nation!
The government has served up its new “Good Food Cycle” today (15 July) – a recipe aimed at driving a generational change in the nation’s relationship with food.
Here’s a taste of what they are proposing:
A vibrant food landscape promoting healthier and more sustainable food sales
Access for all to safe, affordable, healthy, convenient and appealing food options.
Conditions for the food sector to thrive and grow sustainably, including investment in innovation and productivity, and fairer more transparent supply chains.
We are pleased to say that Leeds is one of over 100 network members of Sustainable Food and Places (SFP) and as a local food partnership, we are already driving many locally-rooted food initiatives. We were recently mentioned in a recent SFP report highlighting the local force for climate action. You can read more about this in the report here.
SFP brings together pioneering food partnerships from towns, cities, boroughs, districts and counties across the UK that are driving innovation and best practice on all aspects of healthy and sustainable food. Sustainable Food Places is a partnership programme led by the Soil Association, Food Matters, Sustain: the alliance for better food and farming, Food Sense Wales, Nourish NI, and Nourish Scotland.
Browse our website for one of the many food initiatives and campaigns happening across the city from Just One More to the Food Aid Map to the pioneers in our Good Food Stories.
We recently had a discussion in our local community about Carlin peas, a type of traditional northern mushy peas. A few people shared memories of “Carlin Sunday,” a special day dedicated to these peas, which falls on April 6 this year. This tradition is particularly popular in northern England, where Carlin peas, also known as black peas or black badgers, are enjoyed.
One person recalled celebrating Carlin Sunday in the 1970s in Batley, traditionally on the fifth Sunday in Lent, which again falls in April this year. Others remembered eating these flavorful peas with a ham bone during Bonfire Night celebrations in the 1970s.
Inspired by these stories, we’re excited to highlight this traditional ingredient and encourage you to try them. Carlin peas have been grown in Britain for centuries, though they are not as widely known today. They offer a creamy, nutty, and slightly sweet taste and can be a nutritious addition to your meals. They are economical, have a long shelf life of 6-12 months, and are ideal for sprouting. Here are some suggestions for cooking them, places where you might find them, and reasons why they deserve a place in your kitchen. Why not give them a try this Carlin Sunday?
Hodmedods say:
“Why on earth aren’t these beauties in every kitchen cupboard?!’ Was definitely our first thought when we started cooking with them – let’s put that right”
“And with just one spoon from the jar – seriously, they taste like banging old school mushy peas – we truly think you’ll be convinced. Give them a go!” – Bold Bean Co
Buy directly from Holland and Barrett stores nationwide. You can also buy them ready prepared by Bold Bean Co’s Queen Carlin Peas at @waitrose or direct from @hodmedods. You can find lots of carlin pea recipes and ideas about ways you can use carlin peas in the Useful Links section. Enjoy Carlin peas in hummus, stews, or with your fish and chips.
Northern Seed Sovereignty in partnership with Middlesbrough Environment City, are hosting an afternoon devoted to this special pea, which is significant to Middlesborough. They’ll be cooking with it, eating it, and growing it and sharing stories of its history in the north east of England. For those of you based or visiting Middlesborough, you can book your ticket to ‘Carlin Wednesday’ using this link. This event is a collaborative activity between the Gaia Foundation‘s Seed Sovereignty Programme and Middlesbrough Environment City and is part of the Northern Pulse Collaboration.
#NorthernPulseCollaboration is a brilliant collaborative project that’s looking at growing, cooking and eating more pulse crops across the region -including the amazing Carlin Peas. Find out more here.
Share the pulse love! Can you use your networks and connectedness to spread the message far and wide?
Let’s build a pulse movement! Will you celebrate Carlin Sunday? Let us know in the comments!
International Women’s Day is the perfect occasion to celebrate some incredible women in Leeds’ food scene! From researchers and chefs to innovative business owners, here are 12 remarkable women driving positive and local change in the Good Food Movement.
(1) Jade Crawley, Head Chef at Fearns Leeds Dock , previously at head chef at Eat Your Greens and before that cheffing at the Wild Plum, who talks to Anna Schindler about the kitchens she worked in where toxic masculinity was oppressive. Read the full article.
“My advice to other women… people can tolerate a lot of unacceptable things and you don’t have to put up with it. You may have to look a little further, but you can find kitchens where people are treated fairly. Read, go on stages, volunteer your time and lift the curtains on what happens in other people’s kitchens. Inspiration can come from anywhere.” – Jade Crawley, Head Chef at Fearns Leeds Dock.
(2) Manjit Kaur of Manjit’s Kitchen who has been named one of the 100 most influencial women in hospitality by CODE, who described her as a chef owner who has made a mark on the city’s Punjabi food scene. Manjit is open hearted, resilient and rooted in her community, whilst also helping to give other women a leg up and into work.
(3) Amy Wright – As the founder of Nell’s Urban Greens and Farm Microgreens UK, Amy grows these tiny plants in multiple varieties for her local community whilst inspiring a new generation of microgreens farmers – all from her back-garden grow house in East Leeds. READ MORE
(4) Sonja Woodcock is the food partnership coordinator for Leeds who has been striving for decades to build a healthy, sustainable, fair food system for everyone in Leeds. See article below from independent researcher and writer Gemma Bridge.
(5) Season Well CIC, aka Viv & Becky, have been helping people have a go at growing for over 7 years. Through classes and food growing and cooking projects, they’ve been sharing the love and joy of delicious, seasonal food across Leeds.
(6) Ali Morpeth – Co-Founder Planeatry Alliance | Building a better food future for people + planet | Bridging the gap between sustainability and health to drive transformative change in food systems.
(7) Anna Shindler, the culinary genius behind Food With View, is a chef and writer, writing about Women in food. We highly recommend her vegetarian catering – it’s simple and delicious! You can taste for yourself at the upcoming Yoga Brunch at Leftbank Leeds. Meanwhile, why not check out their blog!
(8) Award-winning Emmanuelle Metz, of Metz Cheesemonger at Sunny Bank Mills, who emphasises artisan cheese for superior taste and quality.
(9)Tanalans, led by Tanya Cusan, an occasional supper club, offers a delightful vegetarian supper club inspired by her Colombian roots—think empanadas, frijoles, and vibrant seasonal salads straight from her allotment!
(10) Julie Nutchie of Bilberry Bee has over 35 years experience in the food industry and grows organic fruits and veggies right from her garden.
(11) Maureen Wilkes, opened Maureen’s Caribbean Food in Harehills in 2003—a community treasure amidst shifting eateries serving authentic Caribbean cuisine.
(12) Dr Effie Papargyropoulou is pioneering research into sustainable food systems for global food security while respecting our planet’s limits.
There are many other brilliant women working in Leeds’ Food Scene. Who would you love to shine a light on? Let us know in the comments!
We’ve got our finger on the pulse this Winter. Read on to find out all our healthy, sustainable and fair food news.
Power to the Pulses – We are on a mission to get people eating more pulses. Think fish and chips with a side of mushy peas, or the more recent menu additions like dhal and hummus. These little powerhouses boost your health, help our planet, and ease the strain on your wallet too! Read more about pulses and we have our finger on the pulse: Celebrating Pulses and Northern England has it’s finger on the pulse.
Please join GFEI’s upcoming webinar by Dr Andy Newing, School of Geog. Andy will deliver a webinar exploring if online groceries and branded convenience stores help alleviate contemporary food deserts (neighbourhoods lacking good access to fresh, healthy and affordable food).
Traditional Food Markets – In the UK eight supermarkets currently control 95% of the grocery market (Kantar World Panel), yet traditional food markets have potential to contribute to a more sustainable and equitable food system addressing pressing issues like the cost-of-living crisis and climate change. Prof Sara Gonzalez explores how a new research project advocates for public policies that can expand the region’s ‘right to food’ here.
Love is in the Pulses – We are interested in raising pulses in our communities. World Pulses Day is celebrated on February 10th each year. It’s an international day that recognises the importance of pulses for health, sustainable living and you can get involved by going to FAO website. Or Check out this informative article from The Food Foundation and from FAO on the Power of Pulses.
Support Community Composting! A huge thank you to Annie Whitehead for her outstanding efforts in promoting community composting in Leeds. Annie is also the 2025 winner of BEST COMPOSTING in Feed Leeds Growing Awards.
She also took on the challenge of weighing all her food waste before composting it over a year, diverting 115 kg from one household! Imagine the impact if every household did this. Want to support similar projects? If you can, please consider donating and/ or sharing with your networks via this link.
Share, Eat and Celebrate Good Food: Feed Leeds had their annual celebration at Meanwood Farm to celebrate local food growing heroes with their Local Food Growing Awards presentations this week. It was a great evening for networking and learning about food growing projects across Leeds, accompanied by a delicious meal. A little film about Get Growing Leeds here:
International Women’s Day 2025 Celebrate International Women’s Day with the classic Palestinian dish Maqluba (vegan option available) whilst watching the film ‘Bye Bye Tiberias’ made by Lina Soualem as part of Leeds Palestinian Festival at HEART Centre Leeds on 7 Mar 6pm. More info here.
Food Stories This February why not come together to talk over food? Food Stories is a free community project in Leeds designed to bring people together through the power of food. Funded by Tracy Brabin and West Yorkshire Combined Authority, and Leeds City Council, and delivered by the Leeds-based charity Zest. Read more here about the Meanwood project.
‘Good Samaritan Laws and Surplus Food – A Solution in Need of a Problem?’
The Global Food and Environment Institute (GFEI) invites you to their February 2025 webinar. Redistributing surplus food minimizes waste and addresses food insecurity. Since 2015, the UK has tripled its efforts, yet much potential remains untapped due to “fear of liability” among donors concerning recipient health.
A shout out to Eat Your Greens and Greens Grocer. It is the newly opened grocers in the Climate Innovation District down by Leeds Dock. They champion fresh organic healthy produce available in the UK. And while you are down there, why not check out Pig Love and Fearns. They love to showcase incredible organic veg and other locally sourced products.
Want a Super Fresh Veg Box?
Ever fancied having a super-fresh, chemical-free veg box every week, from an actual farm? Join the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) scheme where you, the eaters, are directly supporting the food growers and local food in the community.
Courses at Leeds Cookery School – The new year is here, and so is Leeds Cookery School’s exciting line-up of cookery classes that promise to tantalise your taste buds.
Lunch Club from Eat Your Greens – Is February the new January? Eat Your Greens think so, and are keeping a bit of that January spirit alive to help us all power through with Lunch Club – 2 for £15 on selected plates every Thursday and Friday between 12 and 3pm. Eat Your Greens create delicious and sustainably prepared dishes, supporting local organic producers because, (in their own words) it’s good for the planet, good for you and good for the farmers that grow it.
Let’s give them some love!
Cooking with Pulses – Did you know that pulses count as one of your five -a-day? So why not add more pulses like beans, peas and lentils to your tea? Like one of these carlin peas recipes from Hodemedods, whose pulses and grains are British-grown – and always will be!
Find more recipes with peas, beans and other pulses in the recipes section of our website. Got your own great recipe with pulses? Add it to our recipes so we can share with others.
Just One More is a local campaign to encourage people across Leeds to eat ‘Just One More’ portion of vegetables every day. It has been running successfully for the past 3 years and will be popping up throughout 2025 and back in May 2026.
Why is it needed?
Almost half of the adults in Leeds eat fewer than five portions of fruit or vegetables per day. When good food is hard to afford and access, our health and wellbeing suffers. By encouraging more people in Leeds to eat a healthy, nutritious diet that aligns with the NHS recommended EatWell guidelines, we can help improve their health and wellbeing. And because diets that are good for us tend to be better for the planet too, doing so will accelerate our journey to become a net zero city.
Why eat more veg?
Studies have shown that increasing vegetable consumption can lower the risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and certain types of cancer. Vegetables are rich in essential nutrients, fiber, and antioxidants that support overall health and immune function. More veggies in your diet has also been linked to improved mood and performance at work and in study as well as improved weight management.
Choosing locally sourced and organic vegetables also has a positive impact on the environment with plant-based foods having lower carbon emissions, reduced emissions to transport goods, as well as supporting the local economy.
A Thank You
Thanks to all of you who have got involved already, sharing posters at work, taking part in activities and commenting. Below two of the top veg tips and comments shared on social media.
“Love baked beans. They pack a mighty nutritional pinch for very little money. We surveyed yum pantry users a few months back about baked beans and they said the best brand by far was Bransons. ”
“Keep frozen vegetables on hand for quick additions to any dish & what about puree cooked vegetables like cauliflower or sweet potatoes to create creamy base for soups without adding dairy or tomatoes, peppers, carrots & spinach into pasta sauces, curries, or gravies. #justonemore“
“Just canvassed the team and we’re loving chickpeas. They’re a great addition to soups stews salads sandwiches you name it & a great vegetarian protein source. And if you like chickpeas, you’re going to love roasted chickpeas…try it! Drizzle, roast, eat, repeat.”
Why not get involved in the campaign by running your own work Veg Bingo, share pics of what veg you are eating, or simply get involved in the conversation on social media.
Want to know more?
We have loads of brilliant resources on the our website under Just one More. Follow our Instagram and facebook for some brilliant vegtastic food reels: from pickled cabbage (Sauerkraut) to more masterful culinary delights packed full of veg. You can also check out recipes on our website.
Some further useful resources, campaigns and research articles below. Click each heading for further information.
Food Foundation / Peas Please – research and statistics about veg consumption and it’s impacts. Peas Please campaign did impactful work to improve veg consumption nationally.
Eat them to defeat them Eat Them To Defeat Them is the award-winning campaign from Veg Power and ITV that gets kids eating more veg. This website is packed full of fun, expert advice and useful resources to help schools, caterers and families to get their children eating more veg.
Leeds Food Strategy The Leeds Food Strategy sets out our vision for the future of how we produce, consume, and dispose of food across Leeds. At the heart of this strategy is a vision for Leeds to have a vibrant food economy where everyone can access local, healthy, and affordable food that is produced in ways that improve our natural environment and embrace innovation.
Healthy Start The Healthy Start scheme helps families on low incomes to buy fruit, vegetables and milk (with vouchers). In Leeds, we aim to ensure all families have access to healthy and affordable food.
Prashad Yorkshire’s only Michelin Bib Gourmand & 2 AA Rosette awarded restaurant. Gujarati & vegetarian menu. Convert a Carnivore is a recent campaign challenging meat eaters not to love a free meal of vegetarian Indian Cuisine
In collaboration with key partners, the Healthy Holidays Plus programme supports Leeds providers to embed healthy eating messages and activities across all future Healthy Holidays provision. This toolkit release follows the previous successful iterations across key 2022 holiday periods. All releases have been coproduced with a range of collaborators including local third sector organisations, schools, community hubs, key food providers, Leeds City Council and Leeds Community Foundation. Healthy Holidays Leeds has been running since 2018, providing nutritious food and engaging activities to primary and secondary school aged children and young people in receipt of free school meals and children and young people who have Special Education Needs or Disabilities.
For more details about the Healthy Holidays Leeds programme, click here.
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