While browsing the seeds in my local garden centre earlier today I found a variety of sugarsnap peas that can be eaten at almost any stage - when young, just the pods like mangetout, a little further on and a sugarsnap eat everything pea and later (or those that get left too long!) just shell for the peas. Seems like a good option if you can't guarentee regular picking. Of course I can't remember the name so I am not really that much help am I!! Maybe this is a quality the RHS could assess...
