Oasis. Lily Allen. Legumes. What do these three things have in common?
Since the start of last year, all have embarked on a comeback of equally seismic proportions. For Oasis, it was the Live ’25 tour, which shattered demand records both for tickets and stadium pints. For Lily Allen, it was the ultimate breakup album, her highest-charting record in over a decade. For legumes, it was beans. Lots and lots of beans.
For years, UK bean consumption has largely centred on the humble baked beans on toast. Despite their nutritional importance, the Food Foundation notes that 66% of Brits eat less than one portion per week, representing a plant diversity far weaker than other countries.
But, in the first half of 2026, bean sales grew rapidly, increasing by 7.3%, with sales of butter beans up 30.3%. This sudden dietary shift has many causes, cost-of-living pressures chief among them; while the price of meat has surged by 41% since 2020, legume prices have remained remarkably stable, leading many Brits to switch to plant-based proteins. However, the category’s recent reversal in fortunes has been ably assisted by a brand that seeks to make beans sexy again.
That brand, Bold Bean Co., has taken those category tailwinds and applied full gas, capitalising on shifts in consumer behaviour while broadening the category’s appeal. Enter one of the fastest-growing brands in the country, ranked 16th on the Sunday Times 100 for 2026, with a highly visible female founder and an army of loyal fans. The result is something of a case study for the importance of fandom to challenger brands.
Upending Category Norms
Until recently, legumes on British supermarket shelves were either dried or canned. This created a dynamic where beans and pulses were associated with being a cupboard filler; the type of product ready to be rationed when nothing fresh remains. Bold Bean Co. upended this by selling its products in vibrant jars with a premium feel. Despite the much higher price point, consumers could now compare its products directly with meats and other proteins, rather than lower-cost canned goods.
This brand playbook has proved successful time and again for challenger brands, whether Liquid Death selling water in punk-themed cans to court responsible partygoers or Nespresso charging by the capsule to compete not with filter coffee, but with Starbucks.
Championing the Community
If other brands embrace their community only at arm’s length, then Bold Bean Co has its fans in a bear hug. Branding them the ‘Leguminati’, the company’s founder builds a connection with buyers through a shared obsession. This helps fans to feel part of a movement, not just stats on a company’s bottom line.
Embrace the Shift
For consumers, being part of the first wave of a rising tide can be invigorating. Maintaining this authenticity while growing rapidly can prove challenging, but it need not be a nonstarter. Even longstanding brands, such as Vaseline or Stanley cups, have proven that heroing a community while leading a category is possible. The key is handing over control. Vaseline’s Grand Prix-winning ‘Verified’ campaign demonstrates this: fans are amplified, not just paid lip service.
As culture evolves, category shifts are inevitable. Last year’s fad can become tomorrow’s icon, just as noughties’ celebrities can become twenties’ phenomena. The brands that successfully ride the tide will be those that let fans take control.
