Full of Beans

BBC Studios’ deal with Bush’s for Bluey Baked Beans, announced last week, brings attention to a product that is not often top of mind in the world of licensed merchandise. But agreements in this category are not unheard of. In fact, several partnerships involving baked beans, mainly featuring character properties and food brands, have bubbled up around the world in the last couple of years: 

• Bush’s collaboration with Bluey was inspired by bean-centric plotlines in Bluey episodes, such as when the family serves baked beans in the “Fancy Restaurant” episode and buys beans for dinner in “Grannies,” two stories that have trended on social media. The product, which is rolling out at Walmart, Amazon, and other retailers, allows real families to bring these on-screen adventures to life, according to the partners. Supporting materials encourage families to play chef together as they prepare the meal. Separately, Bush’s also collaborated with Mike’s Hot Honey last year, creating Bush’s Grillin’ Beans Hot Honey, a new variety infused with Mike’s honey-and-chili pepper flavor, launched in time for NFL gameday watch parties and tailgating. 

• SPC, an Australian producer of shelf-stable foods, paired with Microsoft and Mojang in March 2025, through Australian agents Merchantwise and Assembl, to transform their baked beans, as well as fruit salads, jellies, and spaghetti, into Minecraft-branded versions. The 18-month deal is being supported by contests giving consumers a chance to win Minecoins and Treasure packs of Minecraft-branded merchandise. Pixelated art is featured on the packaging, and the names, flavors, and shapes of the products take inspiration from in-game content and characters. Woolworths, Coles, and independent grocers are carrying the range. 

• In the U.K., Heinz partnered with Richmond, a Pilgrim’s Food Masters brand, in May 2024 for Heinz Beanz with Richmond Pork Sausages, which replaced its generic Beanz with Sausages offering. In February of that year, it paired with cheddar brand Cathedral City for co-branded Cheesy Beanz. And 2021, it created a limited edition of 500 cans of Beanz Meanz The Who, commemorating the 50th anniversary of The Who’s album The Who Sells Out, the cover of which showed Roger Daltry sitting in a bathtub full of Heinz Baked Beans. The cans, retailing for $8 each, sold out, with proceeds going to cancer and hunger charities; a giant empty can was also auctioned off. Meanwhile, Heinz has also extended its beans into other foods in the U.K. For example, in March of this year it collaborated with pastry maker Ginsters for a Beanz and Cheese Slice (sort of a calzone-like savory flaky pastry filled with Heinz Classic Beanz and cheese), available at Asda, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, and other retailers.

• Vietti Foods signed on to produce baked beans as part of the Yellowstone cowboy-inspired grocery range with Paramount Consumer Products, in conjunction with FoodStory Brands, in 2023. The beans launched in two flavors, Yellowstone Baked Beans with Bacon and Yellowstone Beef and BBQ Baked Beans. A third flavor introduced later, Yellowstone Brown Sugar Molasses Baked Beans, was in the news last week because of a recall due to undeclared soy, an allergen, in the product. The full Yellowstone food line, supplied by a variety of licensees, includes smoked heat-and-serve meats, breakfast sausage and bacon, coffee, seasonings and rubs, jerky and meat snacks, and chili, along with the beans, and is available at a variety of grocery retailers across the U.S. 

Beyond baked beans, other products made with beans naturally make their way into licensed food lines on occasion. Wendy’s paired with ConAgra to bring its chili into grocery stores, for example, while Disney’s plant-based food line with Franklin Farms includes products such as black bean and plantain balls.  

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