11-06-2025
Black barley and piccolo to be grown in Essex 'for the first time'
A farmer said he had chosen Essex to be the "first county in the UK" to grow two healthy and sustainable types of Jones from Shropshire will grow black barley grain near Colchester, which can be used for making barley risottos or sprinkled on cereals and will also grow piccolo wheat on Mersea Island as a sustainable and healthy alternative to giant couscous."It's completely new for the UK... There's no other black barley or piccolo wheat that's produced here," the 37-year-old said.
He chose Essex because of its dry climate, which is needed to grow the crops."Growers in Essex seem very keen on trying new things and being part of that experiment," said Mr Jones, director of The British Quinoa Company."Essex has a relatively dry climate, so when it comes to harvest, we can maintain that grain quality. The black barley stays a nice dark colour, while the wheat maintains its texture."He said the crops need "very low farming input" and do not need as much fertiliser or pesticides. "By planting them in the spring, you're leaving the ground free for ground-nesting birds in the winter, so there is an environmental benefit there," he added.
Mr Jones believed there were also health benefits to this type of said: "If you compare piccolo wheat with giant couscous, it [piccolo wheat] is hands down greater in fibre content."Black barley also has greater protein and fibre content than standard barley."People are looking for healthier, wholegrain nutrients in their diet."
Asked what the market would be like, Mr Jones said he expected it to be a success."We're going into this without fully knowing the demand, but then we didn't know if there would be demand for quinoa [which is also grown in Essex]," he everything goes to plan, he expects to see both grains in production and available on the market by next year.
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