140 years of Heinz Baked Beanz

From beans on toast to the full English breakfast, baked beans are one of Britain’s most loved foods. Now, as Heinz celebrates 140 years of Beanz, new insights from the company’s famous Kitt Green factory reveal the scale, secrecy and care that goes into producing one of the nation’s most iconic staples.

Heinz Baked Beans first arrived in the UK in 1886, when the product was sold at Fortnum & Mason in London as a luxury imported item. Today they are anything but niche. The UK now eats more baked beans per person than anywhere else in the world, with each Brit eating one and a half cans on average per week.

Behind the nation’s love affair with beans sits Heinz’s Kitt Green factory near Wigan, one of the largest food manufacturing sites in Europe. The factory opened in 1959 and today employs 640 permanent staff, with 2–4 engineering apprentices joining the team each year as part of the site’s long-term skills development. Some employees spend decades at the factory, with the longest-serving team member clocking 40 years of service.

Aston spoke to food historian Polly Russell.

Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash