We grow peas well in the UK, and almost every region has its own special varieties. As a Programme, we’re super keen to make sure these continue to be available to all! But despite its more recent industrial heritage, the Teesside region of the north-east of England can lay claim to at least three historic, and one new, with more to come…
In early July, we gathered local pea enthusiasts together to celebrate ‘Peas on Tees,’ a second public event that followed Carlin Wednesday earlier this year (read more here).
Showcasing the Cleveland Pea, the Stokesley Pea and the Saltburn Prean, those taking part got to taste and rate each variety, enjoy a fabulous pea-based meal, shell peas for seed together, match characteristics for breeding ideas with S-pea-dating (to the Blind Date theme tune!) and take part in a pea football tournament – the Pea-FA World Cup!
All three varieties are held safely by the Heritage Seed Library, but the aim of the Peas on Tees project is to raise awareness of their existence and fill in some of the story gaps.
The Cleveland Pea has a synonym of ‘Stalley Longpod.’ Mr. Stalley was a pea farmer in Hartlepool in the early 1900s, but was it his breeding project? It was donated to the Heritage Seed Library from a donor in nearby Stockton on Tees, but with little info.
The Stokesley Pea reportedly comes from the small market town of Stokesley, which sits on the fringes of the town of Middlesbrough. It had been saved by a family of blacksmiths in nearby Carlton-in-Cleveland, but donated by a resident of Stokesley. The Seed Guardian for the pea lives locally and has done some research – the Carlton blacksmiths do not recall anything being grown there for at least two generations, so a story dead end!
Both Cleveland and Stokesley are tall and productive peas, with beautiful white flowers and pods that contain 9 or more sweet tasting seeds.
The Saltburn Prean is a large and distinctive garden pea, available as the Irish Prean in Ireland. It found its way to the coastal town of Saltburn via a visitor to the town of Malton in North Yorkshire, and was grown by the recipient and his son at Saltburn Allotments for over 80 years! It’s also a tall plant with big peas, but has coloured flowers, leaves tinged pink and a black hilum that’s led to a local myth that it’s a cross between a pea and a broad bean…
Added to this historic mix is a newly bred snap pea – Sohara – which has been commercially available for the first time this year. It’s been bred just a few miles away in the North Yorkshire moors by Hans of Esk Seeds and Plants. And Nathan, of Cultivate Tees Valley in Stockton, is teaching community gardeners to breed new varieties of peas. Some are now at the F2 stage and results are looking interesting!
Peas on Tees will be featuring at Saltburn Food Festival on 27th July (more info here) where we hope to gather even more stories, memories and raise the pea flag for the north east! We hope to see you there.
Peas on Tees is a project held by the Seed Sovereignty Programme but as part of our work within the Northern Pulse Collaboration. Our huge gratitude to Middlesbrough Environment City for their support in delivering our celebration events.
If you would like to be involved in this project, can add any details to the varieties mentioned, or would like to support a similar initiative in your own town, please contact catherine@gaianet.org.
Membership details for the Heritage Seed Library, together with information for accessing their collections as a member and becoming a Seed Guardian can be found here.
