Before a pot of red beans ever hits the stove, there’s the familiar rustle—the soft crackle of a Camellia Beans bag being opened. That sound has echoed through kitchens for generations. It means more than dinner is starting. It means it’s Monday. It means someone is honoring the special tradition of preparing a pot of beans.
In New Orleans, and far beyond it—in places like my own kitchen—Camellia beans aren’t just a pantry staple. They’re a symbol. A name spoken with admiration. A bag that carries the weight of a weekly ritual.
Every time we’re in a grocery store—whether down the street or on vacation—I wander toward the bean aisle, scanning shelves for that familiar Camellia logo. They’re not sold near me, so when my stash runs low, that quiet little panic sets in. Will I have enough for Monday?
Some say red beans are the soul of New Orleans. If that’s true, then Camellia beans? They’re the heartbeat.
But how did one brand become so deeply woven into the fabric of the city and its Monday tradition?
Camellia recently celebrated 100 years of doing beans right. The label says “since 1923,” but the story starts well before that.
In 1850, Sawyer Hayward arrived in New Orleans from Bermuda and began selling cotton, produce, and dry goods in the French Market. Among his most popular offerings? Dried beans—sought after by the city’s Creole and Caribbean immigrant communities who knew what to do with them.
It was Sawyer’s grandson, Lucius Hayward, who officially founded the Camellia brand in 1923. He named it after his wife’s favorite flower and focused the family business on one thing: beans. Lucius laid the foundation for what would become a culinary institution by supplying them in bulk to market vendors and grocers.
The next generation took it further. In the 1940s, Lucius’s son, William Gordon Hayward, embraced a new idea: pre-packaged beans. No more scooping from bins or guessing at measurements. And perhaps just as revolutionary—he insisted the packaging be clear, so shoppers could see what they were buying. That simple choice reflected something deeper: an obsession with quality.
That obsession still defines the brand today. Camellia beans are put through an optical sorter, then pass over shaking tables that remove anything damaged, defective, or too light. The USDA allows up to 2% debris or damaged beans in a package. The Hayward family won’t allow it. Their standard is stricter, and it shows. Open a bag of Camellia beans, and you’ll find uniform-sized, clean beans, no rocks, and hardly a reject in the bunch.
Now led by the fourth generation of the Hayward family: Vince Hayward. He has grown the company beyond the Gulf South but never let go of its roots—or its standards. Farmers know it. Cooks trust it. And if it’s a Monday, chances are good there’s a pot simmering somewhere with Camellia beans in it.
How Do You Red Bean?
Don’t just take it from me. Here’s what others had to say during my How Do You Red Bean? series:
“I can’t give out family secrets, but I’ll tell you a few steps… soak your beans overnight, preferably Camellia Beans, trinity, pickled meat, sausage, bay leaves, and that’s all I’ll say right now lol. You want them nice and creamy.” – Big Sam Williams, musician
“I think the best recipe for red beans is written on the back of the Camelia Beans package. I have a couple of things I change and/or add based on my tastes, but it’s tried and true.” – John “Papa” Gros, musician
“First, get your beans, we usually buy Camellia brand beans.” – Paul Soniat, musician and founder of New Orleans Botanical Garden
“I prefer Camellia dried beans. I begin by soaking my beans in all the seasonings and a concentrated low-sodium chicken broth to infuse them with flavor from the start.” – Professor Carl Nivale, Mardi Gras Historian
“Dried beans, Camellia brand specifically, and I soak them overnight; it’s part of the ritual with me. I think the pre-soaked bean produces a creamier pot of beans.” – Susan Ford, Publisher of Louisiana Kitchen & Culture magazine
My Work with Camellia Beans
That’s my hand holding a bag of Camellia Red Beans – top center.
I’ve been lucky enough to work with Camellia Beans in the past—an opportunity for which I’ll always be grateful.
My hand was featured in their 100 Years of Beans Done Right campaign, and I had the honor of writing a few stories for their website, spotlighting restaurants where their beans are part of something bigger than a meal.
- How to Cook Red Beans for 50 – https://www.camelliabrand.com/red-beans-and-tailgating/
- Frady’s One Stop: A Neighborhood Gem – https://www.camelliabrand.com/fradys-one-stop-a-neighborhood-gem/
- At Fiorella’s, Food is a Family Tradition – https://www.camelliabrand.com/at-fiorellas-food-is-a-family-tradition/
- Fried Chicken and Red Beans at Willie Mae’s Scotch House – https://www.camelliabrand.com/fried-chicken-and-red-beans-at-willie-maes-scotch-house/
- Mena’s Palace: The Hero of This Odyssey Stayed For the Red Beans – https://www.camelliabrand.com/menas-palace-the-hero-of-this-odyssey-stayed-for-the-red-beans/
- Dunbar’s Creole Cuisine: Red Beans & Fried Chicken With a Side of History – https://www.camelliabrand.com/dunbars-creole-cuisine-red-beans-fried-chicken-with-a-side-of-history/
Where do you find Camellia Beans?
If you’ve never cooked with Camellia beans before, try them in your next pot of red beans and rice. You can see if they’re available near you here: https://www.camelliabrand.com/where-to-buy/
Or, order straight from the source: https://shop.camelliabrand.com/
Because when you open that bag, you’re not just cooking dinner. You’re tapping into a story. A century-old thread running through families and kitchens, passed down in pots, one Monday at a time.
My Favorite Recipes to Use Camellia Brand Beans:
What are your memories of using Camellia Beans? Please let me know in the comments below.
HUNGRY FOR MORE? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram for all the newest recipes, interviews, and more!
Eric Olsson is the food blogger of RedBeansAndEric.com. He publishes new recipes and interviews weekly. He has developed recipes and written articles for the famous Camellia brand in New Orleans, Louisiana. He has been mentioned in Louisiana Cookin‘ magazine and has had recipes featured in Taste of Home magazine – with his Creole Turkey recipe being runner up in their annual Thanksgiving recipe contest. He lives outside of Detroit, Michigan, with his wife and four children.
Leave a Reply