BEPA announce winners of dried pulse competition

The competition results were based on samples of the best peas or beans handled by BEPA members in the 2011 harvest in one of four classes — marrowfat peas, large blue peas, beans suitable for human consumption and any other pea.

Judging of the 95 samples submitted by took place at PGRO, Peterborough under the expert eyes of the two independent judges, Peter Innes and Steve Belcher.

The Class 1 National Champion and winner of The BEPA Rose Bowl was J. Putterill & Son of Spalding, Lincs with a sample of Sakura marrowfat peas entered by Dalmark Grain Ltd.

The Class 2 National Champion and winner of the Nickerson Cup was EC Brown & Sons of Whittlesey, near Peterborough with the large blue pea Daytona entered by Dunns (Long Sutton) ltd.

Class 3 was for beans suitable for human consumption, and the National Champion and winner of the Mavin Challenge Cup was a sample of Fuego grown by JH Lord of Grantham and entered by Openfield Agriculture.

The winning sample in Class 4 - any other pea — was the variety Ragtime grown by Luch Farming of Sudbury, Suffolk and entered by Dengie Crops Ltd

"The prizes will be presented to the winning growers and their merchants at our annual dinner on 24th November, said BEPA President Peter Smith. "These winning samples — and indeed all the entries - demonstrate the quality of peas and beans produced by the best British growers and handled by our members, and underlines the place that successful pulse growing has in UK agriculture."