As a B&B owner, nothing bothered me more than letting down my guests, even if it was over something small.

Once, guests had ordered halloumi for breakfast, but I realized I'd run out the night before. So, bright and early the next morning, I did a 22-mile round trip to the supermarket to grab some halloumi packets.

Apologizing would have been simpler – they were repeat guests, and there were other goodies on the menu. But I chose the early start and drive over admitting a mistake.

On another morning, I got 6 orders for baked beans with the full English, only to find 1/4 of a can left. A dilemma – give beans to the first 2 guests and apologize to the rest? I decided to split the 1/4 tin among all 6, treating it like a side serving of ketchup.

Not my best decision, but no one complained about the microscopic beans portion or left a bad review AND they all came back the following year. Phew, dodged a baked bean bullet!

We faced a similar baked bean crisis recently. My husband's childhood favorite lunch was leftover Sunday roast with potatoes and baked beans. On Monday, with leftover meat, he eagerly anticipated his lunch – a perk of working from home!

A nagging feeling about the beans led to a pantry check confirming my suspicion – no beans. An internet search brought up RecipeTinEats's homemade baked beans recipe, promising a taste like Heinz beans. Seemed worth a shot.

Despite a long ingredient list (ironically all in stock while beans were missing), they were easy to make and surprisingly tasty. Rob even rated them "You can do those again."

These homemade touches, like serving homemade baked beans, are often appreciated by guests, as I've seen in reviews.

By the way, for those aiming to cut down on ultra-processed foods, regular Heinz baked beans are considered ultra-processed due to modified cornflour. Organic Heinz beans are apparently not.

I've rewritten the recipe because I don't want to have to recalculate the quantities for just one tin of beans each time I make it.

My version of the recipe closely follows RecipeTinEats version minus the stock (I prefer salting to taste) and adjusted for one tin of beans. I also use sun-dried tomato paste because that's what we have.

Homemade baked beans

Homemade Baked Beans Ingredients

• 1 x 400g / 14 oz tin haricot beans
• 1 cup / 235 ml water
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tbsp Heinz organic ketchup
• 1 tbsp sun-dried tomato paste
• 2 tsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp of apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp salt ( add more salt to taste )
• To thicken the sauce
• 2 tsp cornflour mixed to a smooth paste with 2 tbsp water

Homemade Baked Beans Method

1. Pour all of the sauce ingredients ( except the beans and cornflour ) into a small pan and mix well to combine.
2. Add the drained and washed beans.
3. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 20 on low minutes, stirring regularly to avoid stuck beans!
4. Add the cornflour and water paste and cook for a further 2-3 minutes.
5. Check the seasoning and add more salt and pepper if needed.