I spoke to some nice people on here recently regarding this long-lost fairground delicacy, and have managed to locate a supplier of food-grade peas in small quantities. He calls them Carlin Peas, but they're the same beast. Anyway, he is Ken Bentley, www.carlinpeas.tripod.com and he will sell you a 500g bag for 3 quid including the p & p. His address is 31 Market Place, Driffield, YO25 6AR It's a bu$$er when the only chap selling them is in Yorkshire these days, but there you go. He's a nice man. and very fast with the deliveries. I thought all you Lancashire ex-pats would like to know....
nooooooo dont pay all that for them, check out your nearest asda store,mine sold them last year. if not check out pet food shops they usually have them too.PS also known as pigeon peas.
Our nearest ASDA is in Falmouth and doesn't sell them - nor do ANY of our local supermarkets or health food shops. It may be a regional thing.I can get them, as you say, from pet food suppliers, but apparently these are not 'food grade' - I seriously doubt there's much danger in eating them, but who knows? One local pigeon fancier tells me he thinks they're sprayed with something, possibly to prevent them from sprouting. Thanks for your interest though
If it is pigeon peas you're after, most ethnic food shops around here sell them in bags of all sizes. Ranging from 85p for a small bag (250g) up to �2.99 for a whopping big bag.