Harnessing sunshine for planetary health starts with a pulse
Closing the loop
for a Greener Britain
To be(an), or not to be(an)?
On the question of health, British consumers of all ages are deciding the answer is yes. Increasingly, individuals are actively shifting their dietary habits, and as a consequence will have direct impact on planetary health.
The key word is 'shift'. Our challenge is not about taking sides or joining a tribe or set diet. (We can all agree that a shift is needed!). It's about making personal decisions to feel and to live better. It's about finding ways to adjust our life-styles around healthier eating.
The Inspiration
Good old baked beans.
The Idea
Small loops of food preparers, consumers & producers can grow larger and replicate to help build stronger, more resilient food-systems that benefit individuals AND the planet.
FOR STARTERS
A closed-loop bean + veg soup that's cheap and easy to prepare
By taking recognisable, everyday ingredients and substituting in locally grown produce where we can, we can close-the-loop and contribute to a healthier food system.
Check out our preparation tips and some recipe ideas for making tasty, cheap and healthy food.
DIETS ARE SHIFTING
Closed-loop food systems for healthier eating
Personal and planetary health go hand in hand and sustainable eating is on everyone's minds.
Living within our means doesn't have to mean losing flavour or paying for expensive ingredients,instead it needs us to bridge gaps in our food systems to connect consumers with producers and close the loop...
Our flagship
easy-to-cook ingredient
for closed-loop eating
About the project
The 2BHealthy project all started with the common or haricot bean (Phaseolus vulgaris), a popular source of plant-based protein and dietary fibre for humans the world over. It's an iconic main-stay in the UK diet.
Or is it? The surprising fact is that none of the white haricot beans currently consumed by British consumers (from millions of tins every year) aren't actually grown here. The raw ingredient of dry beans are imported from countries like the USA, Canada and Ethiopia.
Building upon MAFF funded research in the 1970-80s, scientists from Warwick University have been working to develop new varieties of haricot beans in a spectrum of colours that can thrive in our climate and be a commercially viable crop. 'Capulet' is the first newly registered variety of bean from this research and is currently being trialed on farms right here in the UK. It's nutritious, tasty and versatile - and we're excited!
This humble haricot bean is a new homegrown ingredient to help us shape the future of healthier eating in a Greener Britain. It's currently a weak link in the British food system. As a legume, it can help farmers put vital nitrogen back into the soil by a beneficial association with Rhizobium bacteria. As a food ingredient, it's nutritious (excellent source of prebiotic dietary fibre, protein and iron) and versatile in a wide menu of delicious recipes.
Our closed-loop thinking starts with us, consumers, as active participants in our food system. Capulet and future new varieties will be fast-cooking, so more convenient to prepare at home from dry seeds instead of from tins. What's most exciting? These beans will combine well with a range of traditional British-grown vegetables like alliums (leeks, onions, garlic) and root vegetables (parsnips, carrots, beetroot); and with protected crops like tomatoes and chilies. And for omnivores, what's better than combining British grown haricot beans with British produced cheese, sausage or egg?
Whatever your tastes, we're working to develop inclusive, locally grown foods that help work towards a food system that works for everyone.
We are just getting started, so our current supply of British haricot beans are limited, and not for sale as a commercial product. But we are keen to share it with those willing to help grow the project.
For now, we are focusing start-up with food preparers (chefs and bakers) who can help us experiment, as they develop their businesses to serve wholesome foods from homegrown ingredients and with a passion for planetary health.
If you think this could be you, get in touch!
What's in a name?
The 2BHealthy project originated at the Warwick Crop Centre located just outside of the historic town of Stratford-upon-Avon, famous for being the birthplace of Shakespeare. You might notice a few nods to the Bard along the way, including naming new varieties after characters from his plays.
The 2B refers to the two parent beans used to breed the early forms of Capulet, the flagship bean in our line-up, but also refers to the famous line in Hamlet "To be or not to be?"