Taking place at two market gardens—Upper Ballaird Farm Co-op, Stirlingshire and Lauriston Farm, Edinburgh—the UnBEANlievably Tasty project aims to investigate which bean varieties can perform well in market garden conditions whilst also providing tasty, nutritious legumes for local consumers.

Over 20 varieties suitable for producing beans with good drying properties will be grown at the two sites during the 2026 season. Flavour, yield, pest and disease resistance, and processing qualities will be assessed using the Organic Seed Alliance’s on-farm trial framework.

Alongside collecting agronomic data, local community members will be given the opportunity to participate in events to test taste, appearance, and cooking quality. This combined approach will help identify varieties that are both productive and desirable to eat.

By focusing on market gardens—where barriers faced at field scale are reduced—the project aims to accelerate learning and adoption. The results will be shared with growers, researchers, and food networks to support the expansion of locally grown, diverse, and climate-friendly protein-rich crops in Scotland.