'No more beans' say refugees

One of the great dishes refugees will miss out on

The Diocese of Gloucester has banned donations of baked beans at this year's harvest festivals because they cannot get rid of them.

Donations made by parishioners are sent on to asylum seekers, but most of the refugees do not like beans.

For nearly a decade, the Diocese has stockpiled tins which it literally cannot give away and now it wants parishioners to be "more imaginative" in what they donate.

The anti-bean edict has gone out to 400 churches in the county.

'Strange custom'

Canon Adrian Searle told BBC Radio Four's Today programme: "Over the last eight years at least a third of the produce given to the charities we support has been baked beans.

"So now we're a bit baked beaned out.

"This year we've suggested that people be a bit more imaginative about what they give.

"I think they (refugees) think 'What is this strange British custom?'

"They've got used to the other great British dishes like fish and chips and chicken tikka masala but baked beans haven't really hit the mark for them."

The Diocese now says it has no room to store all the unwanted beans.

It has suggested that people give tins of carrots, peas and meat along with rice and pasta which the refugees use in their dishes.