Buckwheat in Britain. The return of a humble grain.
Buckwheat is one of those ingredients that feels both ancient and new at the same time. Everyone has heard of it, very few have cooked with it, and almost no one knows that it once grew across the British Isles.
Today it is returning quietly, field by field, thanks to farmers who care about biodiversity, soil health and honest farming. For us at Carleschi, it has become one of the most inspiring grains we work with.
This is the story of buckwheat in Britain. A grain that disappeared, came close to being forgotten, and is now finding its way back into our fields, our flours and our pasta.
What exactly is buckwheat
Despite the name, buckwheat is not wheat at all. It is a seed, not a grain, and belongs to the same botanical family as sorrel and rhubarb.
This is why buckwheat is naturally gluten free and why it behaves so differently from modern wheat in the mill and in the kitchen.
Stoneground buckwheat flour is dark, fragrant and nutty. It absorbs water quickly, cooks fast and gives pasta and bread a distinctive flavour that people never forget.
For traditional dishes like pizzoccheri, galettes and soba, buckwheat is essential. But its future, especially in Britain, lies in something deeper: sustainability.
A crop built for the British climate
Buckwheat thrives where other crops struggle. It grows fast, matures in less than three months and does not need rich soil or artificial fertilisers.
It is one of the few crops that still performs well in unpredictable weather.
Because of this, buckwheat suited the British Isles perfectly for centuries. From the late Middle Ages into the Tudor period, buckwheat was grown in Cornwall, Devon, Wales and parts of Scotland. It was used for porridge, country breads and animal feed, and valued for its abundance of flowers that fed pollinators. The honey was dark, almost chocolaty and deeply aromatic.
For a long time, buckwheat was simply part of rural life.
Why buckwheat disappeared
Agriculture shifted.
High yielding wheat varieties became the norm. Buckwheat could not compete in yield or uniformity, so it was gradually pushed out.
By the twentieth century, British buckwheat farming was extremely rare. Only beekeepers, smallholders and a few experimental growers kept the crop alive.
This is where people like Fenella Crang and a small network of passionate growers stepped in. Their work has been crucial in bringing buckwheat back into British farming, not as nostalgia, but as a practical tool for soil health.
The quiet return of a forgotten crop
Farmers began to notice what buckwheat brings to a rotation.
It suppresses weeds naturally.
It draws up phosphorus and makes it available to the next crop.
It grows quickly enough to fit between other plantings.
It supports biodiversity and feeds pollinators.
In a farming system increasingly affected by monocultures and rising input costs, buckwheat offers resilience, not high yields.
But resilience matters.
Today more farms across Britain are experimenting with buckwheat again. Some grow it as a cover crop. Some for honey. Some for food.
The volumes are still tiny, which is why our first batch of British organic Pizzoccheri was so limited, but its return is meaningful.
Organic or not: does it matter for buckwheat
For buckwheat, not very much.
The crop simply does not require the chemicals or fertilisers that other grains often need. It grows fast, closes its canopy quickly and beats weeds on its own.
This means that British non organic buckwheat has an environmental footprint that is very close to organic buckwheat.
From next season, our British Pizzoccheri will be made with non-organic British buckwheat, grown with the same care for soil and biodiversity.
Why British buckwheat matters
For us at Carleschi, British buckwheat matters for three reasons.
1. Provenance
Food tastes better when you know where the grain grew. Buckwheat from British soil carries the flavour of this landscape. Earthy, gentle, slightly sweet.
2. Biodiversity
Every buckwheat field is alive with bees, hoverflies and butterflies. It breaks monocultures and supports healthier rotations.
3. Craft
Turning British buckwheat into stoneground flour and pasta connects us to a farming heritage that was almost lost. It feels hopeful and grounded.
What British buckwheat flour tastes like in pasta
If you have tried our British buckwheat pasta, you will know the flavour.
Warm, nutty and a little earthy.
It pairs beautifully with winter vegetables, mushrooms and butter.
It shines in British Pizzoccheri and also works in lighter dishes with herbs, lemon and olive oil.
Because it is grown, milled and used close to home, British buckwheat flour often tastes fresher and sweeter than imported buckwheat.
FAQ
Is buckwheat pasta gluten free?
Not our pasta.
Buckwheat itself is naturally gluten free, but our Pizzoccheri are made with a blend of British buckwheat and British spelt, which contains gluten. We focus on flavour, provenance and wholegrain nutrition rather than gluten free production.
Why grow buckwheat instead of more wheat?
Because soil needs diversity to stay alive.
Growing the same crop on the same land year after year exhausts the soil and encourages pests, diseases and weeds to build up. Farmers then need more inputs to compensate.
Buckwheat breaks this cycle.
It grows fast, smothers weeds, interrupts disease patterns and pulls up nutrients that wheat cannot reach, especially phosphorus. It gives the soil a rest, improves structure and reduces erosion thanks to its quick canopy.
In simple terms, buckwheat helps the soil recover so that future crops can thrive. This is why regenerative farmers are rediscovering it across Britain.
Why does British buckwheat support more biodiversity?
Because a field of flowering buckwheat is full of life.
Buckwheat blossoms are loved by bees, butterflies and hoverflies, providing nectar during late summer gaps when other food sources are scarce.
The crop also requires almost no fertiliser or chemical sprays, allowing soil microbes, insects and beneficial predators to flourish.
In a landscape dominated by monocultures, buckwheat fields act as small biodiversity refuges.
Is British buckwheat better than imported buckwheat?
Not better, but fresher and more traceable.
When buckwheat grows only a few miles from where it is milled and turned into pasta, the flavour tends to be warmer and sweeter. It also supports British farmers who are working to diversify their rotations and farm in ways that improve soil and biodiversity.
Will British buckwheat farming grow?
Slowly, yes.
As farmers see the benefits for soil health and resilience, more are experimenting with it. Buckwheat will never replace wheat in scale, but it has a valuable role in a healthier farming system.