Beans at Taste of London
From June 12th to June 16th at Regent’s Park, Taste of London, now celebrating its 20th year, featured the hottest restaurants, chefs, food and drink brands, and future food heroes. As part of the Beans is How Coalition’s effort to get more #beansonthemenu across the UK, we were excited to partner with the Chefs’ Manifesto, Taste of London and the Royal Parks to highlight the importance of beans.
Meet the Chefs
Chefs Ali Honour, Bettina Campolucci Bordi, Conor Spacey, and Vanshika Bhatia led the Taste Sessions at The Royal Parks showcasing culinary delights while also elevating beans in people’s kitchens, on menus out of home, and in people’s consciousness, driving Good Food For All. The sessions provided tips on how to cook beans and why and how to get them into your diet. They also touched on the benefits for the planet and the vast diversity and versatility of beans and other pulses
Chef Conor Spacey dove into the biodiversity of pulses grown in the UK, showcasing their versatility in different dishes. A climate conscious chef who promotes a zero waste mentality, he stressed that “beans are the answer to a more sustainable food system” while toting their incredible abilities to strengthen soil health and reduce the effects of climate change.
Chef Bettina Campolucci Bordo invited guests to develop a word association with the word “beans” – uncovering bean myths, misperceptions and the diverse levels of knowledge guests had about bean versatility, nutrition, and sustainability. She then presented 4 delicious bites, inviting guests to “guess the bean” in each dish, from snacks to stews, to dessert. She also provided tips on how to get kids to eat more beans. She recommended that guests experiment with beans, and said “don’t be shy about using canned for convenience – they are just as good for you.” .
Chef Ali Honour, a self-professed “Bean-aholic”, discussed how versatile beans are, and how they can be eaten at any time of the day in her session The Future of Foods: The Bean Factor. She led a discussion on the challenges we face trying to feed a population which will reach 10 billion by 2050 while stressing how beans are a significant solution for improving the health of people and planet.
Chef Vanshika Bhatia took the audience on a culinary journey across India, highlighting the hundreds of varieties of beans and other pulses regularly used in Indian households in
“Biodiverse India – The Bean Adventures.”
A key message that came from the UK as well as in Ireland is that beans have a history of being a cost effective choice of food that people ate in times of financial difficulty, as opposed to one of enjoyment. Beans is How and Coalition partners are working on how to bring beans back as cool… and one way to do this is by moving away from more traditional bean dishes and into more innovative ones!
The Bean Menu Challenge
Throughout the month of June, Beans is How is inviting restaurants, caterers, cafés, schools, and other food providers across the UK to put more #beansonthemenu. This initiative aims to inspire long-term change by making beans visible, accessible, and desirable, contributing towards the campaign’s mission of doubling global bean consumption by 2028. Chefs play a unique role in this initiative, showcasing the versatility and tastiness of beans while influencing dietary trends towards affordable, healthy, plant-forward diets.
Learn how you can get involved at www.beansonthemenu.org #beansonthemenu
