Lunchtime Meeting - 12.45pm - Speaker Stephen Jones
Mon, Jul 20th 2015 at 12:30 pm - 2:00 am
Hazel's speaker today was Stephen Jones of The British Quinoa Company, Ellesmere
Our speaker today was Steve Jones from the British Quinoa Company, whose aim is to grow both conventional and organic quinoa for the UK market. For the last 10 years the business has been steadily growing and has won the British Innovative Farmer of the Year award.
So, what is quinoa? It is a grain crop native to South America, particularly Bolivia and Peru, which produces highly nutritious seeds which resemble (and can be used in the same way as) couscous. Its important difference is that it is gluten-free, meaning it can be safely eaten by people with coeliac disease, wheat intolerance or allergy, or simply by those who want to avoid substances containing gluten for dietary purposes. Relatively low in carbohydrate compared to white rice, quinoa is a low GI food so doesn't produce spikes in blood sugar making it suitable for diabetics. It also tastes really good!
The plant itself resembles a native British weed, called fathead, which proves growing quinoa is feasible here - it is also related to our own beets, spinach and chard. Like couscous quinoa is high in protein, fibre, phosphorus, iron and magnesium but very unusually, quinoa contains just the right mix of amino-acids too to supply all the nutritional needs of the human body. So it's good for us too!Steve explained that the company wants to move to organic farming methods because he wants quinoa to be considered a healthy food (it is not GM either) and this move makes sense. The company is working with other organic growers for advice on growing without herbicides and fertiliser - for example inter-row hoeing helps eliminate weeds. The company has come a long way since exploring the idea of growing quinoa back in 2005, moving through a small-scale concept, to a field trial and by 2013 demand had become such that other growers began producing in their name. Today the conventional crop covers 330 hectares and the organic 30, with other farmers growing it too.
The growth cycle starts with planting in April - the tiny seeds of the 'Atlas' variety (bought from France) need a very accurate drill when they are planted as they must be put in shallow trenches. In mid-May the seeds will have germinated and will produce lots of leaves, flowering yellow by mid-June, self-fertilising and finally producing seed heads. When mature the heads should yield big, white seeds - too much rain and the colour is darker, so the harvest needs to be in by late August/mid-September.
Once harvested it is important that it is dried as soon as possible to prevent rotting, then it is sent to a processor in the East of England to be aspirated, sieved and cleaned and sent back in 25-kilo bags. At the moment all the company's production goes to the Pret-à-Manger chain, but in the future Steve would like to experiment with flavoured quinoa for porridge and milled quinoa to produce flour for baking.
One day Steve would like to see his quinoa on supermarket shelves and sold by independent retailers. We wish him every success and look forward to eating quinoa produced by the British Quinoa Company in the near future.
Jayne Middleton
October 2014 Shropshire Star:
Talented Shropshire farmers were the cream of the crop at this year's British Farming Awards
Picking up the prize for Arable Innovator of the Year was the British Quinoa Company, an Ellesmere based business run by Stephen Jones who has managed to grow the first commercial crop of quinoa in the UK.
Whilst the crop is usually found in South America, Mr Jones set up the business when he realised the growing demand for the product - something South America would not be able to cope with alone. After extensive trials, the business is steadily growing and Mr Jones now has three growers dotted around the county.
The judges said: "We were impressed with the way Stephen had looked at all aspects of the crop, from variety selection, through agronomy to market requirements.
"The fact he has put in place some commercial protection demonstrates a sound business sense. His work with the UK pesticides regulator, the Chemicals Regulation Directorate (CRD), is particularly commendable."
The 27-year-old entrepreneur was thrilled with the recognition. He said: "It feels absolutely fantastic to have won. Winning this award means for me, confidence my business plan is sound and that my work will pay off and hopefully it will help my business to succeed."
Quinoa: Ancient grain being grown in UK : BBC 6 September 2013
Enterprising PhD student showcases quinoa crop on Countryfile : Impact Nottingham 31 August 2014
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