Where have all the haricot beans gone | Notes and queries

The long-running series in which readers answer other readers’ questions on subjects ranging from trivial flights of fancy to profound scientific conceptsWhatever happened to haricot beans? I have used the dried beans in soups, stews and many different bean dishes all my life, but they have suddenly disappeared from supermarket shelves. Waitrose and Morrisons list them as available online, but do not stock them in store – at least, not where I live. Have they been forced out by more