‘Bean & Stalk’ launches today in Sheffield – providing fresh, local and ‘thoughtful’ food straight to your door

When it comes to food, Tom and Marie Maxwell firmly believe that local is better.
‘Bean & Stalk’ launches today in Sheffield – providing fresh, local and ‘thoughtful’ food straight to your door‘Bean & Stalk’ launches today in Sheffield – providing fresh, local and ‘thoughtful’ food straight to your door
‘Bean & Stalk’ launches today in Sheffield – providing fresh, local and ‘thoughtful’ food straight to your door

And the proof is in the pudding; the contents of their kitchen are a veritable ‘who’s who’ of the region’s produce scene.

Packs of flour, from Worsbrough Mill in Barnsley, are strewn alongside pots of honey from Sheffield Honey Company, and Yorkshire Rapeseed Oil mingles coquettishly with fresh vegetables from Sharps of Sheffield, on Abbeydale Road.

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“More and more often, we are drawn into conversation about lowering our food’s footprint,” says Tom, aged 24.

‘Bean & Stalk’ launches today in Sheffield – providing fresh, local and ‘thoughtful’ food straight to your door‘Bean & Stalk’ launches today in Sheffield – providing fresh, local and ‘thoughtful’ food straight to your door
‘Bean & Stalk’ launches today in Sheffield – providing fresh, local and ‘thoughtful’ food straight to your door

“We are fortunate to live in a fertile area where a great variety of produce is still grown locally, and in many cases, sustainably.

“By drawing our food from local growers, we don’t only support the local economy and sense of community, we also take a huge strain off the environment.”

And that in a nutshell is the ethos for ‘Bean & Stalk,’ the couple’s new project - born from lockdown creativity, and launched today from the kitchen of their home in Greenhill.

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Bean & Stalk offers fresh, seasonal cooking and baking, with emphasis on Sheffield and Yorkshire sourced ingredients and produce.

‘Bean & Stalk’ launches today in Sheffield – providing fresh, local and ‘thoughtful’ food straight to your door‘Bean & Stalk’ launches today in Sheffield – providing fresh, local and ‘thoughtful’ food straight to your door
‘Bean & Stalk’ launches today in Sheffield – providing fresh, local and ‘thoughtful’ food straight to your door

The company gives the people of Sheffield the opportunity to support small scale producers with every spoonful, with meals delivered straight to their door that are fresh, bursting with natural flavours, and low on food miles.

Bean & Stalk is an absolute passion project for the pair, who moved to Sheffield in January, from London, and quickly found themselves locked down in their new home.

“It’s been a strange time,” confirms Tom, who was furloughed from his job as a member of support staff in a local school.

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“I think I spent the first couple of weeks playing computer games, while Marie pottered in our garden, and then we both decided to put this time to use.

“Marie is a fantastic cook, and is definitely the driving force behind the message and ethics of the business.

“You can give her a few items in the kitchen, bits and pieces left over in the cupboards and fridge, and she can create a delicious meal - which has come in handy in recent weeks!

“What’s more, food is where her passion lies, so we both we decided we wanted to work together to create a business supplying ‘thoughtful’ food to the people of Sheffield, whilst also supporting the fantastic local producers.”

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Bean & Stalk’s menu is small, and - the pair reveals - will regularly change with the seasons.

It currently features spring green tart slice, and triple green salad with falafel, alongside chocolate banana bread, and miso chocolate brownie.

“All of our worlds have really shrunk in the last couple of months,” says Tom.

“It’s now become more important than ever to support your local greengrocer, otherwise you may go back in four months and they’re not there anymore.

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“And the truth is, when it comes to food, there’s so much at stake. If you eat good, healthy food, you will feel good and healthy; you’ll have more energy, and even your mood and mental health can improve.

“At a time when people are more stressed and anxious, and getting less exercise, and less interaction, it’s more important than ever to be kind to our bodies in terms of what we feed them, but for so many people, the opposite is true.

Food is so powerful, it can make you feel great, and it can make you feel awful, so it’s worth investing the energy in getting the right foods for you.”

The couple are now working hard to establish relationships with local suppliers and producers, travelling – by bike, where possible – to as many as they can, in the city and region.

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“We’re so lucky to have fantastic suppliers in this region, and we plan to follow their lead in our food, choosing carefully to keep things as local as possible,” Tom adds.

“In Sharps of Sheffield right now, there are cherry tomatoes from the Netherlands, and plum tomatoes from Yorkshire - guess which we’re buying?

“Asparagus won’t be in season in a month, so we’ll be changing to courgettes, and other summer vegetables, or whatever else is local and delicious.

“The thing is that we understand not everyone has the time or energy to put into thinking about their food in this way – especially at the moment.

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“Making changes, even the most positive ones, is hard and requires headspace we don’t always have.

“After all, food isn’t just fuel either, a meal can evoke certain emotions, childhood memories, a sense of community and cultural connection.

“Adapting our comfort foods to be more sustainable for our planet can therefore be a tall order.

“On top of that, we may feel that changing small aspects of our own lives can’t possibly have any major impact on the system as a whole. But it can.

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“We don’t all have the space, time or desire to grow our own food, but we can still buy local.

“It can all seem overwhelming, but at Bean and Stalk, we’ve done that thinking for you.

“You can trust that the food we prepare and deliver to you will be good, and local, and thoughtful, so all you have to do is order, sit back, and enjoy.”

Visit https://beanandstalk.co.uk/shop/ for food that can be delivered to your door the next day.

Bean & Stalk is also available on Instagram, and on Facebook.

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