Grocery stockpilers are found to be full of beans — literally

Mask makers and TP titans aren’t the only businesses benefiting from the ongoing corona-crisis. As The New York Times reports, the beans are booming, baby.

The musical fruit hits a high note

For years, beans were associated with Depression-era eats and didn’t get much love. Bags of dried ones sat untouched on the bottom shelves in grocery stores. But legumes started to get a leg up when eco-motivated gourmets embraced them as a healthful meat alternative.

And now that freaked-out consumers are preparing for the possibility of extended lockdowns, some bean suppliers are having a hard time meeting demand:

• Goya Foods saw sales of beans and other canned items spike 400% last week.
• Specialty bean purveyor Rancho Gordo went from receiving 150 to 200 orders a day to 1.6k+ on March 14. It’s been telling customers to anticipate delivery delays as long as 4 weeks.

In addition to beans, dry peas, lentils, and chickpeas are having a major moment. I guess hummus where the heart is.

What’s in your pandemic pantry?

As expected, products like hand sanitizer, milk, bread, and, of course, toilet paper have flown off the shelves the past couple weeks. Stress snackers seeking comfort snapped up treats like chocolate and potato chips.

Shelf-stable staples like rice, pasta, and canned meats also saw high demand. Some surprising big sellers? Oat milk, papayas, and tofu.