A CONSORTIUM of farmers growing Yorkshire peas has won a deal to supply 165 Tesco stores in the east of England.

Swaythorpe Growers includes 40 Yorkshire farmers growing about 4,000 acres of vine peas, petits pois and broad beans across East Yorkshire, from Bridlington in the north, to Holderness in the south and out to Sherburn-in-Elmet to the west.

The farmers, which sell their product collectively under the Yorkshire Peas Company brand, harvest the peas, which are frozen within three hours of being picked and processed locally at a factory in Thorganby. The consortium was initially established in 1996 with 30 farmers growing peas for one farmer who harvested the peas and paid a fixed rate.

The consortium has evolved into a co-operative in which all the members have an equal share holding, giving them more control to produce a quality local product with low food miles.

Matthew Hayward, director of Swaythorpe Growers, said: “Tesco was quick to pick up on what we’re trying to do. We want to create a niche product for the regional market, which has for many years been sold as a commodity.”