Camellia Brand

Lucius Hamilton Hayward started selling dried beans from barrels at the French Market in New Orleans in 1923. Over a century later, his great-grandchildren Ken and Vince Hayward still run the company from the same city — and New Orleanians are still reaching for that familiar red bag every Monday for their weekly pot of red beans and rice. That's not a marketing story. That's a fact backed by market share: by 1984, Camellia Brand controlled 95% of packaged dried beans sold in New Orleans.

This is as embedded in Louisiana food culture as a brand gets. The name itself comes from the favorite flower of L.H. Hayward Jr.'s wife. That's the kind of origin story you can't manufacture.

What sets Camellia apart isn't mystique — it's a genuine obsession with bean quality that spans four generations. Their suppliers coined a phrase for it: "the Hayward standard." It's a grade above top USDA levels, set aside specifically for Camellia because the family has always refused to order anything less. Other buyers take the lower-priced beans. The Haywards don't. The result is a noticeably creamier, richer bean that anyone who cooks Louisiana food seriously has an opinion about.

They now offer 19 varieties of dried beans, peas, and lentils — plus flavored bean mixes that make a pot of red beans accessible to anyone, not just lifelong cooks. All are non-GMO and gluten-free.

The operation moved to a larger warehouse in Harahan, Louisiana in 1974, where it still runs today. Many employees have been with the company for 30 years or more. That kind of continuity doesn't happen by accident.

Products

• Red Kidney Beans (the flagship)
• Great Northern Beans, Navy Beans, Black-Eyed Peas
• Split Peas, Green Lentils, Brown Lentils
• Crowder Peas, Field Peas, Lady Peas
• Flavor Infusion seasoned bean mixes
• Camellia-branded pasta (Dagostino)
• Bulk bags for restaurants and institutions

Why We List Them

• Family-owned since 1923 — currently fourth generation (Ken and Vince Hayward)
• No outside investors, no private equity, no corporate parent
• Deep roots in Louisiana food culture; 95% market share in New Orleans by 1984
• Suppliers created a named quality tier — "the Hayward standard" — specifically for their beans
• Non-GMO and gluten-free across the entire line
• Committed to Second Harvest Food Bank partnerships for community food access