Great British Pea Week returns for its ninth year championing vegetable farmers
12th June 2024
With 2 billion 80g portions of peas grown in the UK each year, Great British Pea Week returns for its ninth year, marking the busiest season for the UK pea industry.
The annual celebration, which will take place between 1st and 7th July, will champion this versatile vegetable and the hard-working farmers who work around the clock each summer to deliver frozen peas to the nation.
The organisers said that Great British Pea Week gives the UK a reason to celebrate the little green wonders during the busy pea harvesting season, inspiring the nation to make peas their vegetable of choice for everyday cooking.
They added: “After all, they’re a pretty versatile vegetable – whether you’re popping them into a tasty soup or casserole, spreading on toast or throwing into a pasta, the choices are endless.”
Championing 700 pea farmers across the UK
Launched by the Yes Peas! campaign back in 2015, Great British Pea Week recognises the industry-wide effort made by experts across the pea vining sector during their busiest period, who work hard to produce 2 billion portions of peas for the UK market and beyond each year.
The eight-week British harvest sees farmers work around the clock to shell, harvest and transport the green wonders from field to frozen as quickly as possible, with the majority of peas making it from field to frozen in under two and a half hours.
With the average Brit consuming around 9,000 peas a year, the pea harvest is critical to ensuring that frozen peas make it to supermarket shelves to sustain the demand for the full year.
In fact, the British pea industry harvests 160,000 tonnes of frozen peas each year.
Alongside encouraging usage, Great British Pea Week also champions the 700 pea farmers across the UK who work within various grower groups to ensure that Great Britain remains the largest producer and consumer of frozen peas in Europe and to maintain the country’s impressive track record of being 90% self-sufficient in pea production.
Make peas main event in your meal
Holly Jones, crop association executive at the British Growers Association, which runs the Yes Peas! campaign, said: “Nearly all peas in supermarket freezers are grown on a British farm by a British farmer, and Great British Pea Week serves as the perfect occasion to celebrate those who bring our favourite veggie from field to frozen.
“We want to encourage the nation to not make peas a side dish but the main event in any meal.”
See more information about Great British Pea Week or the Yes Peas! campaign, along with recipe inspiration.
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