Variety

Scarlet Emperor

The traditional favourite — brilliant scarlet flowers, reliable heavy crops

Scarlet Emperor is the most traditional and widely grown runner bean variety in British kitchen gardens — a reliable, heavily producing variety with brilliant scarlet flowers that are ornamental throughout summer and long, straight pods with excellent flavour. Introduced in the early 20th century and still widely grown due to its consistency and honest quality. The classic runner bean.

Flavour

Classic runner bean flavour — clean, slightly sweet, with a satisfying stringy-free texture when harvested at the right stage (15–20cm). The flavour is more traditional and straightforward than some newer varieties but wholly dependable. A flavour that says 'summer kitchen garden.'

In the kitchen

The definitive runner bean for simple preparations — slice at an angle, boil briefly in well-salted water for 3–4 minutes, and serve with butter and black pepper as the most honest accompaniment to roast lamb or grilled chicken. Also excellent in a warm salad with capers and lemon or grilled in a cast iron pan over the BBQ fire.

Growing

Grow as standard runner beans on a 2.4m cane structure. Very vigorous and productive. One of the most reliable varieties across different UK regions and soil types. The brilliant scarlet flowers are a landmark in the summer kitchen garden. Good resistance to bean mosaic virus. Available as seed from all major UK seed suppliers.