Heinz baked beans pizza: Why and when was it discontinued?

FOODIES have been rejoicing after Heinz’ baked bean pizza officially made a comeback.

The nostalgic classic is fondly remembered by those who relished its distinct taste during the 1990s.

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What was Heinz’s baked bean pizza?

Since its reintroduction to our shelves in 2022, the convenient finger food has consistently captivated consumers.

It combined the hearty simplicity of baked beans with the universal appeal of pizza, becoming a household favourite.

After a 20-year gap, the Heinz baked bean pizza was brought back as the company entered the frozen ready meals market.

The wood-fired pizza base is topped with tomato sauce, Heinz’ famous Baked Beanz sauce and beans, as well as mozzarella cheese.

It was a beloved household favourite among many British households, hence the huge excitement for its return.

Sophie Higgins, Head of Growth Platform, New Ventures at Heinz, said: “We are so excited to relaunch our Beanz Pizza. It truly is ICONIC.”

Higgins added that the pizza was a “perfect follow up” after it launched Beanz Burgerz, Beanz Bowls and Beanz Filled Hash Browns.

“We know there are some true fans of our frozen Beanz Pizzas out there and – after a 20-year hiatus from supermarkets – we hope they’re as happy today as we are to hear this absolute classic is available again in stores,” she continued.

“This is our fourth foray into the freezer aisles for Heinz Beanz over the past year, following the launch of our first frozen ready meals range – Beanz Burgerz, Beanz Bowlz, and Beanz Hash Browns. But we don’t plan on stopping there.”

Why and when was Heinz’ baked bean pizza discontinued?

The pizza was popular amongst shoppers during the 1990s, yet it was surprisingly discontinued and removed from shelves in 2003.

It is unclear why this may be the case, but it was reported that Heinz experienced a significant drop in revenue, gross profit, and shareholder returns during that period.

Specifically in Europe, Heinz’s performance lagged considerably behind its grocery competitors, marking a 14% decrease in operating profit in 2004.

We’re liberating the humble bean from the can

Caio FonteneleHeinz’s New Ventures Director

A Kraft Heinz spokesperson told The Sun: “It was originally launched in 2002 as a limited-edition offer, but consumers loved it so much that we brought it back.”

They added that it was listening to consumer demands on their social channels and found that it continued to be a firm favourite.

However, in 2017, a change.org petition was launched calling for the “childhood favourite” to return to supermarket shelves. Deliveroo also teamed up with Heinz to bring it back temporarily in 2019 as part of Heinz’ 150th birthday.

There have been various iterations of it since then, including a vegan version, an Asda knock-off called the Big Breakfast Pizza, and even Papa Johns decided to top a pizza with the British breakfast staple.

Among the more low-key launches are high-protein, vegan-friendly, frozen bean burgers available in Texan spiced, Italian, and Original flavours.

The brand refers to this as its ‘Beanz Liberation Exercise,’ extending the range of its many sourced beans beyond the familiar tins of baked beans to various other formats, including plastic pots and a bean-based hummus.

“The goal of Beanz Liberation is to finally take our humble bean out of the can, harnessing its versatility, great taste and nutrition power,” says Higgins.

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Hence it’s widely believed the pizza is part of this new wave of bean products, and given that it was already a market leader in this particular niche, it made sense for it to bring it back.

Higgins says: “Recent research we did demonstrates that consumers perceived our bean-based innovation as a way to modernise and make Heinz Beanz more exciting, with consumers finding the brand more modern after seeing our Beanz Liberation launches.”

How can I get a Heinz baked bean pizza?

The pizza products are available from Iceland and The Food Warehouse stores nationwide, setting you back just £3.50 each.

In January 2024, the Heinz Beanz & Sausage Pizza was also added to the menu.

In a statement to The Sun, Caio Fontenele, Heinz’s new ventures director said, “We’re liberating the humble bean from the can and finding delicious new ways for consumers to enjoy our classic Heinz Beanz products.”

Social media users have flocked to the supermarket to try the retro doughy dish, with many tasting it for the first time.

Becca, who tries loads of different foods on her Becca Eats Everything, TikTok account, said “I do not want this to work, why does this work?”

While TikTok influencer Dorian Jessica tried the pizza alongside some Heinz Beanz-filled hash browns, she said it also “kind of works.”

This post first appeared on thesun.co.uk