Bang in some beans: a small cost for a big impact
Overview
The Food Foundation‘s “Bang in Some Beans” campaign is shining a spotlight on something we’ve long championed at allmanhall: the humble bean.
At a time when food budgets are squeezed and meat prices remain volatile, beans (part of the wider pulse family) make clear economic sense and can deliver substantial savings compared with meat. As chef and author Ali Honour puts it:
“While meat prices float into the stratosphere, humble beans remain the quiet overachievers of the food world: cheap, filling, nutritious, and ready to save your dinner and your bank account.”
Tinned beans, for example, are priced at a fraction of the cost of equivalent meat protein, while also delivering additional fibre and valuable micronutrients. A 400g tin of kidney beans provides around 20g of protein – delivering approximately 40% of daily protein requirements for teenage girls and over a third for teenage boys – alongside up to half of their recommended daily fibre intake. By contrast, a 100g chicken breast may offer slightly more protein but provides no fibre and typically costs considerably more.
Launched at the end of 2025, the Bang in Some Beans campaign encourages chefs and caterers to rethink weekly menus by incorporating beans into familiar dishes such as shepherd’s pie, chilli con carne and Bolognese. It’s a small but impactful way to stretch budgets while enhancing the nutritional profile of meals.
For allmanhall clients, this is nothing new.
allmanhall are ahead of the curve
We’ve championed the nutritional and environmental benefits of pulses for years. Back in 2023, allmanhall’s Mike Meek highlighted the humble bean as key to both health and sustainability in an ITN interview. As ever, ahead of the game.
Through our expert food procurement solution, we support our clients in making practical, data-led menu decisions that balance cost, quality, nutrition and sustainability. Beans and pulses sit at the intersection of all four.
As holders of a Gold rating by EcoVadis, the world’s leading provider of business sustainability ratings, allmanhall’s ongoing commitment to reducing risk, driving improvement, and accelerating positive impact goes beyond advice. Sustainability is embedded within our procurement reviews, supplier engagement and reporting.
We don’t just consult on sustainable foodservice – we live it!
Our bean pledge
At allmanhall, we believe meaningful change comes from measurable action. That’s why we are committing to increase the volume of bean and pulse products purchased through our supply chain by 30% by 2028.
By working closely with our clients, suppliers and chefs, we aim to make beans an everyday feature of menus across all our clients’ catering settings. This pledge supports both cost control and carbon reduction goals while helping normalise plant-forward menu choices.
Small shifts across thousands of meals can deliver significant results – for budgets, for health, and for the planet.
Boosting beans helps your budget, your diners and your planet!
Increasing bean content in your menus supports:
Carbon reduction, particularly across Scope 3 supply chain emissions. When you consider the carbon footprint of meat, producing 1kg of beef can generate around 60kg of CO₂e, compared with approximately 1kg for black beans.
Reduced exposure to volatile meat markets, strengthening supply chain resilience. Beef prices in 2025 were 70% higher than the five-year average and
although price increases have slowed slightly in the first quarter of 2026, they show no signs of dropping significantly soon.
Waste reduction, as beans and pulses are versatile, long-life ingredients (when dried or canned) that work across multiple menu cycles. When over 30% of your food budget could be going straight in the bin, flexible, low-cost ingredients matter.
Better nutrition providing fibre, plant-based protein and key micronutrients including potassium, magnesium, folate, iron and zinc. Beans are also one of the few plant foods rich in lysine, an essential amino acid.
Shining a light on beans
Beyond cost and nutrition, beans are a climate-smart crop:
Nature-based solutions: Beans contribute to soil health through nitrogen fixation, reducing the need for synthetic fertilisers. This protects ecosystems by minimising harmful agricultural runoff that harms biodiversity both in the soil, and the waterways. Beans also support crop rotation practices, which benefit pollinators and improve overall ecosystem health.
Climate mitigation through conservation: Beans are a climate-friendly crop. Their production requires less water and generates significantly lower greenhouse gas emissions compared to animal protein sources, while using fewer resources, contributing to a sustainable food system.
From field to fork
We don’t just talk about beans – we help clients put them on the menu.
Through our Hero Recipes, menu guidance, and nutrition & dietetics consultancy support, we provide practical inspiration for incorporating beans and pulses into dishes that work operationally and appeal to diners, whether that’s through blended protein dishes or fully plant-rich options.
Sometimes sustainability doesn’t require a radical overhaul. Sometimes it starts with something simple.
Sometimes, it’s just about banging in some beans.