Sainsbury's Becomes First UK Supermarket To Sell Edible Insects

It was always going to happen, wasn't it? From the moment comedy double act Ant and Dec first began forcing 'celebrities' to eat Kangaroo testicles, marketing sleuths were just waiting for the moment they could give the general public their own taste of a bushtucker trial, and have them pay for the privilege.

Well the time has come, as Sainsbury's has become the first supermarket to launch their own range of edible insects, with roasted crickets among the delicacies on offer. Just what we've all been waiting for.

Described 'crunchy in texture with a rich smoky flavour', the barbecue bugs will be sold in 250 stores across the country from tomorrow, which the supermarket giant claims is the first time customers will be able to get their hands on Eat Grub's edibles.

Each packet will cost £1.50 and bosses at Sainsbury's suggest the little critters would make the perfect snack or could even be used as a garnish to anything from tacos and noodles to salads. Delicious.

But it's not just about making money, according to food experts, edible insects are a much more sustainable food source, requiring less resources to farm than cattle or other livestock.

Duncan Williamson, a global food system expert and food policy manager at WWF UK, said edible insects could help reduce customers' carbon footprint.

"As the population increases, we urgently need to look at alternative protein sources to make the most of land available for food production," he said.

Rachel Eyre, head of future brands at Sainsbury's, said: "Insect snacks should no longer be seen as a gimmick or something for a dare, and it's clear that consumers are increasingly keen to explore this new sustainable protein source."

via GIPHY

Eat Grub was first launched in 2014 by co-founders Shami Radia and Neil Whippey, who wanted to introduce insects, which are already popular in certain countries around the world, to Western culture.

As well as helping to protect the environment, Eat Grub say bugs are packed with nutrients - gram for gram they claim their dried crickets contain more protein than beef, chicken and pork - with 100g containing 68g of protein, compared to just 31g of protein in beef.

By 2023 the global market it estimated to be worth more than £406 million.

The pair previously teamed up with chef Sebby Holmes to open an insect-themed pop-up restaurant in east London.

And who knows, with the looming presence of Brexit on the horizon and fears the country could run out of food, we might only be left with insects - this could toughen us all up.

Topics: Food, UK News, Interesting

Dominic Smithers

Dominic graduated from the University of Leeds with a degree in French and History. Like you, Dom has often questioned how much use a second language has been. Well, after stints working at the Manchester Evening News, the Accrington Observer and the Macclesfield Express, along with never setting foot in France, he realised the answer is surprisingly little. But I guess, c'est la vie. Contact us at [email protected]

@SmithersDom