Our news

We are being promised hot weather for the bank holiday weekend -  it’s time to remind ourselves of a few top tips for coping.

You might think it’s best to throw open the windows to let the air circulate – but no! Keep your windows closed like they do in hot countries, because the air is likely to be a lot warmer outside than inside your house.

We all know that only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun and here’s another piece of advice better understood in places where they are used to scorching temperatures - do not venture forth between about 11am and 3pm. Wearing light, loose-fitting clothes is another bit of common sense from warmer climes. Cotton is ideal.

And of course taking a cold shower or bath might help to keep your body temperature down.

Let’s hope the good weather really does materialise!

Salads are the order of the day for food and what better than Easy Bean crackers with a green salad,  cheese and perhaps a fig or two?

It only seems like yesterday when we were at the Gillinghan & Shaftesbury Show - but in fact a year has passed and here it is again! It’s one of the largest agricultural shows in the south and can be found on the Turnpike Showground in North Dorset.

Visit us next Wednesday - August 14 - to sample our crispbreads and crackers. There will be literally hundreds of trade stands to visit so you will be spoilt for choice although we are confident that our products will stand the taste test.

Once you have had your fill, head off to see the how animals - an amazing parade of farmyard beasts, the best in the area.

And there’s more, with racing birds, birds of prey, dog & duck displays and, our personal, favourite, ferret racing We wish it was Wednesday already!

www.gillshaftshow.co.uk

We are so thrilled and delighted to say that all THREE of our new cracker range have won GOLD Great Taste Awards.

The judges loved the three cracker varieties – Red Lentil & Poppy Seed, Fava Bean & Poppy Seed and Green Pea & Chia Seed.

Delicious and filling on their own, the crackers  are very versatile and can be served with a glass of wine and olives, added to family picnic hampers, wrapped up with cheese wedges for a working lunch – and more.

And the good news doesn’t stop there – we also won Gold for our Moroccan Spice crispbreads!

Have a lovely week everyone – we know we will!

Part time - Freelance Shows & Events Staff

Are you enthusiastic about nutritious food? Do you love to sell and enjoy the buzz of food fairs?
Easy Bean are looking for a new team member to represent our brand at local Somerset and Dorset food shows and events. Great people skills are essential as is lots of energy and the ability to work independently and flexibly either weekends or weekdays depending on the event. Own transport required.
For more information please call or drop us a line with a brief introduction of yourself to  hello@easybean.co.uk

St. Swithin (or Swithun) was a Saxon Bishop of Winchester, and is known for the popular rhyme:

St Swithun’s day if thou dost rain
For forty days it will remain
St Swithun’s day if thou be fair
For forty days ’twill rain no more

Today, (July 15) is St Swithin’s Day so today’s weather - quite nice! - is what we can expect for the rest of summer. Hurrah!

And this is science-backed. Around the middle of July, the Jet Stream settles into a pattern which usually holds fairly steady until the end of August. The weather we get now is likely to dominate for the next month or two.

Quite where the legend of St Swithin comes from isn’t entirely clear. He was buried outside the doors of his Cathedral when he died, saying he wanted to hear the rain falling, so it may come from that.

As with most Saints, he wasn’t left to rest in peace. His head was removed Canterbury, while an arm ended up in Peterborough. His tomb was then destroyed during the English Reformation.

Anyway, that’s the end of the history lesson - we reckon our crackers are just the thing for 40 days of picnics!

With warmer weather here at last, it’s time for a barbecue.

Whether you have a large lawn or a small patio, there’s space to cook up some tasty treats for family and friends. Meat lovers are well catered for, of course, with beefburgers, chicken or sausages - or sometimes kebabs - as the staple offering.

meanwhile vegetarians can opt for halloumi, while vegan options including tofu, cauliflower steaks and grilled aubergine. Yum.

AND, just to raise our hand here, our ready meals offer a tasty back-up option, while our crackers and crispbreads are perfect for the cheese course.

So as well as dusting down the barbecue don’t forget to make room for a small picnic table laden with Easy Bean goodies…

Enjoy!

Times are changing - men in the UK are increasingly likely to be found in the kitchen looking for new tastes and food combinations. Gone are the days of meat and two veg every day as men look for more exciting tastes and wholesome alternatives to meat.

That’s where Easy Bean comes in. Our one-pot ready meals are wholesome, delicious and wonderfully authentic. Packed full of pulses and chunky veg, each 320g pot provides 2 to 3 of your five-a-day. They are naturally low in fat and salt and high in fibre.

Christina Baskerville, our MD points out: “Easy Bean meals are quick and simple and yet they help you to eat well and are very filling. Packed full of goodness and as a slow release source of carbohydrate they certainly offer man-sized portions. They taste delicious on their own or combine them with rice, a baked potato or some crusty bread.”

Christina offers these five - tongue-in-cheek - manly reasons to eat beans and pulses.

1. More protein than other non-meat ingredients.

2. High in fibre, soluble and insoluble. Soluble fibre helps to lower cholesterol. Insoluble fibre improves digestive health.

3. Full of complex carbohydrates with a low Gi index. This means they take longer to digest, leaving you feeling fuller for longer.

4. Low in fat.

5. A good source of energy-boosting iron.

Easy Bean’s one-pot meals are based on authentic recipes from around the world. Cooked in small batches in the Easy Bean kitchen (without the use of starch thickeners) they taste as good as homemade.

Men -  time for a spot of hunter-gatherer behaviour down the supermarket!

School summer holiday planning is likely to be well underway in households up and down the country – and with self-catering an increasingly popular option, mealtime planning is a must.

Cooking can be fun but there are also times on holiday when you want an easy option – the great news is that the Easy Bean range combines easy with super-tasty and good for you.

For evening meals why not offer a selection of our one-pot meals served with jacket potatoes and rice with a side salad or two. There’s something to please everyone in our range. How about New Mexican Chilli and African Palava – a great combination.

For lunchtimes, our crispbreads come into their own. Easy to pop into a picnic hamper and delicious served with cheese, meat, egg or veggie toppings. This time around, carrrot sticks, chopped peppers and sweet apples make the perfect light meal.

Hungry inbetween times? OK – of course ice-creams are allowed as a holiday treat but our crackers are also moreish and filling.

That’s the holiday food sorted – now you just have the packing and the getting there!

Thank you to a self-described “seriously happy customer” who wrote us a note - and a poem!

She says: “I’ve been eating your tasty meals for many months now, and I just love them. Thank you for all the work you have put in to making my stomach very happy. I thought I’d write a little poem to show my appreciation”

Here is it.

Easy Beans, you are a dream,
No other meal is so supreme,
Bringing me joy and bursting with flavour,
Easy Bean, you are my saviour!

A new street market is opening up in the picturesque town of Sherborne in deepest Dorset – and of course Easy Bean will be there!

The Sherborne Independent Market will be along the lines of the hugely popular nearby Frome Market with an eclectic mix of artisan stalls providing a range of locally produced foods, drinks and crafts.

It will take place on Sunday, 16 June. Come and say Hi and try some of our delicious one-pot ready meals and tasty crispbreads!