Let it pea. Musicians turn vegetables into instruments at Beatles’ Abbey Road studios

The London Vegetable Orchestra spent three months perfecting corn flutes, jalapeño trumpets, lettuce percussion and an onion bass before recording an original song at the legendary studio

Musicians have recorded a new song at Abbey Road Studios using instruments made entirely from… vegetables.

The London Vegetable Orchestra teamed up with restaurant chain Chipotle to create From Ground to Sound using produce including corn, jalapeños, bell peppers, lettuce, onions and avocado.

The track was recorded inside Abbey Road’s Studio Two, with every note, beat and texture produced using vegetable instruments.

They included flutes carved from corn, trumpets made with jalapeños, a horn built from peppers and an avocado pit, lettuce percussion and an onion bass.

The five-member orchestra, whose musicians are classically trained, spent three months experimenting with different ingredients and dozens of instrument designs before the recording session.

Members of the London Vegetable Orchestra record From Ground to Sound at Abbey Road Studios using instruments made entirely from fresh vegetables. Credit: Chipotle Mexican Grill


Patrick Johns, of the London Vegetable Orchestra, said: “No two vegetables ever behave exactly the same way.

“You can carve two identical instruments, but they can respond very differently. Part of the craft is learning not to force an ingredient to sound a certain way but to find the sound that’s already there and build the music around it.”

The full track is available on Spotify and Apple Music, while a film showing how the vegetable orchestra created and recorded it has also been released online.

Studio Two was used by The Beatles to record some of their most famous songs, including Yesterday, Eleanor Rigby, Strawberry Fields Forever, Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds and A Day in the Life.

The British band recorded much of their catalogue there, helping to establish Abbey Road as one of the world’s most famous recording studios.




READ MORE: Jaguar puts controversial rebrand on the road with £130K 1,030PS Type 01. British carmaker finally reveals the production model behind its radical new image – a £130,000 electric GT capable of 0–62mph in 3.2 seconds and an anticipated range of up to 450 miles.

Do you have news to share or expertise to contribute? The European welcomes insights from business leaders and sector specialists. Get in touch with our editorial team to find out more.

Main image: A member of the London Vegetable Orchestra plays an instrument made from corn during the recording of From Ground to Sound at Abbey Road Studios. Credit: Chipotle Mexican Grill

TOP STORIES