The Great Carlin Pea Revival
The humble Carlin Pea, once a staple of northern kitchens and celebrations, is stepping back into the spotlight as cooks, growers and communities rediscover its flavour, history and potential. Last Sunday was Carlin Sunday : the fifth Sunday in Lent is known as “Carlin Sunday” in the North East, when these peas are traditionally eaten, normally as parched peas - boiled and served doused in salt and vinegar. This custom is unique to the region, and we want to keep the tradition alive.
A Pea With Deep Northern Roots
Carlin peas , sometimes known as black peas or maple peas, have been part of northern food culture for centuries. Their story stretches from medieval monastic gardens to the famous Newcastle siege of 1644, when a shipment of Carlins is said to have saved the city from starvation. Parched peas have been served on Carlin Sunday for generations: do you have any memories of this as a child?!
Delicious, Nutritious and Surprisingly Versatile
Beyond the folklore, Carlins are great to cook with. High in protein, fibre and iron, they’re hearty and delicious. Their flavour is nutty and earthy, similar to chickpeas but richer, and they hold their shape beautifully in cooking, so you work just as well in a classic bowl of parched peas as they do in modern dishes: curries, salads, stews, even a Carlin pea paella. The Hodmedod's Website has loads of great recipe ideas for you.
Good for the Soil and Good for the North
Like other legumes, Carlin peas fix nitrogen in the soil, reducing the need for fertilisers and supporting regenerative farming. Many northern farms already grow peas and beans to improve soil health, but much of this crop ends up fed to livestock or ploughed back into the ground. Reviving Carlins for human food could diversify local agriculture, support farmers, and build a more resilient regional food system that relies less on imported food and animal proteins.
Food of past, present, and future
The tradition of eating Carlin peas is fading in many places, even in their heartlands. Reviving them is about valuing the rich food culture of the North, celebrating ingredients that tell our story, but it is also about celebrating our present and future diverse communities, making opportunities to connect through shared dishes. Carlins (and other peas and beans) feature in recipes around the world, from dal to hummus to foul medames, making them a perfect ingredient for inclusive community food events.
Mick Marston, who is a member of Gateshead Food Partnership Steering group, has been engaging local groups to spread the message of carlin peas and encourage more groups to grow. He will share more on this next month.
We're joining The Food Foundation’s “Bang in Some Beans” campaign, a nationwide effort aiming to double UK bean consumption by 2028 and get more of us cooking, enjoying and celebrating beans, pulses and legumes. The campaign highlights how good beans are for our health, our budgets, and the planet: they’re high in fibre, packed with protein and micronutrients, affordable, and far more climate‑friendly than many other sources of protein.
Celebrity chefs including Hugh Fearnley‑Whittingstall, Jamie Oliver and Tom Kerridge have backed the initiative, reminding us that beans are “fantastic for your health and packed full of fibre.” If you want to learn more about why fibre matters, and why it’s an problem that 96% of UK adults aren’t meeting the recommended 30g of fibre per day, with average intake sitting at around 16g a day - just over half of what we should be eating, Hugh Fearnley‑Whittingstall’s recent BBC Radio 4 series, The Fibre Factor, is worth a listen: it explores why the UK eats so little fibre and how simple, everyday changes (including beans!) can make a big difference. The Bang in Some Beans campaign itself has a podcast, too.
Join the bean revolution, join the Great Calrin Pea Revival!
Try adding a handful of lentils to your soup, swapping half your mince for kidney beans, or exploring a new carlin pea recipe. You can buy dried, jarred, or tinned from the Hodmedod's website.
Try planting some carlin peas and beans! They’re fast and easy to grow, great for adding nutrients to your soil, and lots of them have pretty flowers. Now is a great time for sowing, indoors or under cover from now, or directly outdoors in a week or so once the soil is workable and not too cold.
For recipes, or to order some low-cost, organic and UK-grown peas and beans,
Hodmedod’s is the best place to go.
