The first ever crop of British-grown baked beans have been canned at a UK factory following a breakthrough by scientists at the University of Warwick.

A specially-modified crop of haricot beans was successfully harvested in the country for the first time earlier this year at a 13 acre farm in Lincolnshire.

Traditionally, they were imported from abroad because of the specific climate and soil conditions need to grow them.

But new farming technology has helped design a variety able to grow in the UK climate in a bid to reduce the nation's reliance on imports.

The project was developed by scientists at the University of Warwick, who took 12 years to produce the seeds needed for the beans.

The first commercial crop of British-grown baked beans has now been canned at Princes factory in Spalding, Lincs., in what has been hailed a 'milestone' moment.

The University of Warwick has spent 12 years producing the seeds for the beans (image via SWNS)

Farmer Andrew Ward, who grew the beans on his farm in Leadenham, said: "It's absolutely fantastic to be the farmer that's grown these beans.

"To see them go through the line and into a tin – soon to be on a piece of toast, is unreal."

More than two million tins are eaten every day in Britain, with all the beans grown in the US, Canada, Ethiopia and China.

The canning is a test run and they will not be available in supermarkets yet meaning the wait for British-grown beans on the breakfast table will have to wait for now.

Most of this year's harvest will be used as seeds for next season's planting to increase stocks, it is hoped, to a commercial level.

The canning was a test run, and the beans are not available yet (image via SWNS)

Warwick's Professor Eric Holub said: "We went to the Princes factory to see how well the Capulet beans 'can' and they've done a marvellous job.

"Self-sufficiency in food production is important for reducing human impact on global climate.

"British-grown beans can help us shift our diets to a healthier future, adding to UK ingredients, and supplying the growing trend of flexitarian diets, with new markets such as Brit-Mediterranean and Brex-Mexican style food."

The university says growing haricot beans on a commercial scale in the UK would reduce food miles and contribute to achieving climate goals in the food sector.

It would also improve soil structure, and help extend farm rotations by offering a short-season, nitrogen-fixing crop desired by UK growers.

Princes is said to produce 264 million tins of beans every year for Branston foods as well as supermarket own-brands.

David McDiarmid, from the company, told the BBC: "There is a lot of work going on in the food industry in terms of alternate sources, particularly with one eye on greater self-sufficiency for the UK, or the environmental angle.

"We are not always going to be able to be self-sufficient, tuna isn't going to swim around the North Sea any time soon.

"So we are always going to have global sources of food, but it's important that where there are options, we do produce domestically."