The Food Foundation Podcast Bang in Some Beans: The Bean Britain Forgot
Mar 3, 2026
Tim Anderson, chef and author, shares a quick recipe for miso, ham and black olive twists using a fava bean paste. Josiah Meldrum, co-founder of Hodmedod's, promotes British-grown pulses and innovative fava products to boost farmer returns and sustainability. They explore fava farming benefits, on-farm milling, flours, ferments and creative snack ideas.
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Fava Bean Was Britain’s Forgotten Staple
- Fava beans were a British staple for ~2,000 years but fell out of favour as meat became a status food.
- Josiah Meldrum explains the bean became stigmatized as poor people's food until recent culinary curiosity revived interest.
Pulses Improve Soil And Cut Fertiliser Use
- Pulses fix nitrogen via soil bacteria, reducing need for synthetic fertiliser and breaking pest cycles in crop rotations.
- Josiah Meldrum highlights this agronomic benefit as a key reason farmers should grow more beans.
Fava Bean Culinary Versatility Revealed
- Fava beans are versatile: roasted snacks, ferments (miso-style pastes), flours used in products from falafel to vegetarian pies.
- Josiah Meldrum describes examples including black bean ferments and bean-based beers and snacks.