Full of Beans

25/03/2026

Last few appointments available to see our fully qualified and experienced nutritionist tomorrow Tuesday 31st March from 10am to 5pm. 30 minute or 60 minute appointments to discuss any health/dietary issues you may have. Intolerance testing available. With 30 years of experience Gareth really is an encyclopaedia of dietary and nutritional knowledge. Please call 01279 726002 or pop in to book...

13/03/2026

Pop-up art show, featuring local artists at Full of Beans, Sawbridgeworth tomorrow (Saturday) 10am to 3pm...

12/03/2026

Women’s Health: Nourishing Energy, Hormones and Emotional Wellbeing Naturally, talk and demonstration at Full of Beans, Sawbridgeworth...
Join nutritionist, superfood alchemist and Earth Wisdom educator Juliette Bryant for an inspiring and practical talk exploring how women can support their health, energy and hormonal balance naturally.
In this session Juliette shares her unique blend of nutritional science, herbal wisdom and practical lifestyle tools to help women thrive through every stage of life — from the pressures of modern living to the hormonal shifts of perimenopause and beyond.
You will learn how food, herbs, mushrooms and simple daily practices can support:
• balanced hormones and steady energy
• emotional wellbeing and resilience
• gut health and digestion
• stress and nervous system regulation
• clearer thinking and better sleep
Juliette will also explore the deeper connection between nourishment, the nervous system and women’s natural rhythms, offering realistic tools that can easily be integrated into everyday life.
This talk is ideal for women who want to feel more energised, balanced and connected to their bodies, while learning how nature, nutrition and ancient plant wisdom can support long-term wellbeing.
Tickets are £15 and include a hot drink and food samples. Drop into Full of Beans to book.

04/03/2026

Dispelling Myths of Healthy & Sustainable eating - Tue 21st April at 7pm, Full of Beans, Sawbridgeworth.

This year we're doing a series of Talks & Workshops hosted by Julie Cleijne, Naturopathic Chef and sustainable food consultant, starting with a first talk on Healthy & Sustainable diets, debunking myths, empowering informed choices, and exploring how our food decisions impact our health, UK farmers, the environment, and climate resilience.

Julie has worked with companies such as Pasture for Life, the Soil Association, leading UK hospitality brands, and has led farm walks and talks nationwide, drawing on her MBA in Sustainable Food & Agriculture. You can see more about Julie here:

https://juliecleijne.com/

Now based in Hertfordshire, she’s bringing her passion and knowledge to our local community.

EVENT details

First talk with Naturopathic Chef & Sustainability Consultant Julie Cleijne is on Dispelling Myths of Healthy & Sustainable eating - Tue 21st April at 7pm

About the talk: Confused by conflicting advice about what’s “healthy” or “sustainable”? Organic, ultra-processed, plant-based, local, low-carbon, regenerative, pasture-fed…..food messaging has never been louder or more contradictory.

This talk cuts through the noise, and breaks things down to provide tips for healthy, sustainable day to day living. The talk explores what healthy and sustainable eating actually means, beyond trends, labels, and marketing claims. Tickets are £15 include a hot drink on arrival, and a tasting of food from local sustainable focused producers. Book tickets via Eventbrite here:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/dispelling-the-myths-of-healthy-sustainable-eating-tickets-1981702072244?aff=oddtdtcreator

16/01/2026

Brick Lane beigels back today and tomorrow (Friday and Saturday) from 11.30am at Full of Beans, Sawbridgeworth. Salt beef with dill pickles and mustard, smoked salmon and cream cheese, or smashed avocado woth lime juice and local chilli jam.
All served with local small batch pickled cabbage with lime juice and a tiny kick of chilli and some organic extra virgin olive oil crisps (or just grab a filled beigel on its own).

12/01/2026

Marmelade season... Organic Seville oranges back in stock. Full of Beans, Sawbridgeworth.

21/12/2025

Open today (Sunday) and every day including Christmas Eve. Last day is Tuesday to order compostable Christmas hampers filled with either locally made products or with anything else (Chocolates, teas, speciality coffees, candles and scents, essential oils and diffusers, clean bodycare products etc).
Make sure you've got your hangover remedies and any other Winter wellness items by Christmas Eve.
Open again from 5th January.
Have a wonderful Christmas!

12/12/2025

Disgraceful.

Two years ago when I wanted to start my mushroom range with Turkey Tail.
I was told no - TT comes under the ‘novel food act’

I was pi**ed enough then - TT is anticancer and it was my number ONE recommended therapeutic shroom.

And today I woke up to the news that Cordyceps has been added to that list!!!

And honestly?
I’m done pretending this makes any sense.

We’re not talking about dangerous chemicals or back-alley supplements.

We’re talking about medicinal mushrooms used safely for thousands of years, growing in our own forests, backed by solid science.

But apparently:
tradition doesn’t matter.
evidence doesn’t matter.
safe human use doesn’t matter.

Only arbitrary bureaucratic cut-off dates matter.

My good friend Jack from .uk summed it up perfectly:

“This is where well-meaning regulation becomes actively harmful.
Traditional knowledge? Irrelevant.
Centuries of safe use? Irrelevant.
Being native to the UK? Irrelevant.
Only box-ticking counts.”

Meanwhile, other countries are building thriving medicinal mushroom industries while the UK strangles its own with red tape.

It’s not just frustrating — it’s nonsensical, controlling and economically self-defeating.

I’ve spent two years building a fully legal mushroom brand here.

Jumping through hoops, following every rule…

And now one of the safest, most studied fungi on earth is suddenly off the table.

I have a warehouse full of Cordyceps!

Imagine investing years into something, only for someone behind a desk to declare ancient medicine forbidden overnight.

This isn’t about mushrooms anymore!

This is about sovereignty, herbalism, small businesses and our right to traditional medicine!

Bristol Fungarium is taking a stand.
They need support — financially if you can, but also by spreading awareness.

Follow

Support their GoFundMe:
🔗 https://www.gofundme.com/f/taking-a-stand-against-the-novel-food-classification

This is the moment we either let bureaucrats erase our medicinal heritage…
or we push back.

Because this fight is only just beginning. 🍄🔥

Please think about joining my holistic, UNCENSORED, healing community ❤️ the link is in my bio 🙌
www.linktr.ee/callieblackwell

08/12/2025

Bearing this finding in mind, it's worth knowing that UK organic farming uses only a limited number of naturally-derived pesticides, permitted only as a last resort after non-chemical methods fail, with strict rules banning many harmful synthetics.
Key Points:
Naturally Derived: Allowed substances come from natural sources (e.g., plant oils, garlic, clove oil).
Last Resort: They are only used when preventative measures (crop rotation, biodiversity, soil health) aren't enough.
Strictly Regulated: UK organic standards (like the Soil Association) prohibit artificial pesticides and GM.
Low Usage: Most organic farms use very few, if any, pesticides, with many relying almost entirely on preventative methods.
So, while not completely "chemical-free," the system prioritizes natural methods, restricts approved substances heavily, and bans routine or prophylactic spraying, making it very different from conventional farming.

One sample of grapes contained at least 16 different pesticides