Costco has started stocking cans of Heinz baked beans made with the British recipe, and the grocery development has sent some LA expats into full-blown celebration mode.
The warehouse giant has officially started stocking Heinz British Recipe Baked Beanz — a blue-labeled tin that either requires a trip across the pond or a hefty import make-up to obtain.
For Brits living in California, the beans are more than just another pantry item — they’re the key ingredient to one of the United Kingdom’s most beloved comfort foods: beans on toast.
“Jubilations to the sky!” wrote Suzanne Levy for LAist, capturing the excited energy of a community that treats a legume in tomato sauce like a religious relic.
The dish — exactly what it sounds like — is a staple in Britain, typically served as a quick meal or snack with baked beans spooned over buttered toast. To many Americans, it sounds like a strange carb-on-carb concoction. But to Brits, it’s practically sacred.
With Costco slinging six-packs for $8.99 online — roughly $1.50 a can — the deal is a steal.
For generations, beans on toast has been a go-to meal thanks to its simplicity and affordability — something families relied on dating back to wartime rationing in the U.K.
“Beans on toast is our mac and cheese,” Levy explained, calling it a nostalgic comfort food that many Brits grow up eating.
The excitement also comes down to the flavor difference. British baked beans are simmered in a lighter tomato sauce and are notably less sweet than the American version, which is typically thicker and loaded with sugar.
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