Grub's up! Sainsbury's will be Britain's first supermarket to sell INSECTS when 'smoky BBQ' crunchy crickets hit the shelves in 250 stores on Monday

Sainsbury's will start selling crunchy crickets as of Monday in a UK first.

The grocer has taken the plunge on the bags of protein-rich critters after considering the environmental issues around meat production and the growing interest in more foreign flavours.

Eating bugs is usually consigned to poorer nations but the likes of crickets are popular in China and all over south east Asia.

Pop ups and quirky retailers have trailed the unusual snacks in the UK with some restaurants having bug dishes on their menus, even for noodle garnishes.

But now Sainsbury's will stock flavour-rich roasted crickets in 250 of its stores from Monday.

London-based Eat Grub make the snacks, described as having a 'smoky BBQ' taste.

They champion the sustainability cause on their packaging, stating: 'More sustainable than pork scratchings … and more exciting than a crisp.' The packs of 50 will cost £1.50.

They crowd-funded in 2015 to launch their bar made with cricket flour, stating that they used crickets because 'they are kind to our lovely planet.'

Gram for gram, dried crickets contain more protein than beef, chicken and pork – with 100g containing 68g of protein, compared with only 31g of protein in beef, according to The Guardian.

New research by Sainsbury's and Eat Grub reveals people's attitudes to entomophagy (human use of insects as food) in the UK are changing rapidly as interest in edible insects increases.

Nearly 10 per cent of people in the UK have tried edible insects, of which more than half (57 per cent) say they enjoyed them. One in eight claims they haven't yet tried edible insects simply because they haven't had the chance or don't know where to buy them, showing accessibility has been a significant barrier until now.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6400397/Sainsburys-Britains-supermarket-sell-INSECTS-roll-crickets-Monday.html

I think I'll pass

Having tried the chocolate covered things at a wildlife park, I can confirm they are beyond revolting.

Angry Andy wrote:Having tried the chocolate covered on at a wildlife park, I can confirm they are beyond revolting.

Some people think Marmite is revolting, so I guess it's about personal choice. But it's just the thought. All those legs and eyes and.....

More years ago than I care to remember I had to go on a downed aircrew survival course, and I still remember my guts churning as the instructor devoured what looked like an overgrown maggot...with a look of sheer bliss on his face.

My Survival coarse on the Brecon Beacons involved eating Worms, not bad fried, but boiled, YUK !

I'll stick to chick peas and pulses thanks.

nicko wrote:My Survival coarse on the Brecon Beacons involved eating Worms,   not bad fried, but boiled, YUK !

Well, Nicko, as that old Yorkshire national anthem "On Ilkla' Moor Bah't 'at" puts it, once we're gone and buried: "...then t'worms'll come and eat us up; and then t'ducks'll come and eat up t'worms; then we will come and eat up t'ducks; then we shall all have eaten thee..."

Vintage wrote:I'll stick to chick peas and pulses thanks.

Yeah me too.

Fred Moletrousers wrote:More years ago than I care to remember I had to go on a downed aircrew survival course, and I still remember my guts churning as the instructor devoured what looked like an overgrown maggot...with a look of sheer bliss on his face.

I'd rather eat my own toenails

Just in time for the latest series of IACGMOOH...it starts tonight.

This is probably more down to demand from foreigners...

I kid you not... I was on holiday somewhere once, I think it might have been in Africa, and in their airport on the way back, in one of the shops, they had a section with tubs of various different insects where you could do a sort of 'pick & mix'...

And you know what they say in China...?

If it has 4 legs but not a table, or if it flys but not an aeroplane, or found in water but not a boat... they will eat it!!!

nicko wrote:My Survival coarse on the Brecon Beacons involved eating Worms,   not bad fried, but boiled, YUK !

I was taught to dry em then powder em and then use them to boost and extend survival rations.......I suppose there would come a time when all that was left was worms....but a bit of wire and a few twigs and one soon has a snare................

but bugs as the main course.....yeuk...I'd sooner eat Tommy..........BSE and all

Syl wrote:Just in time for the latest series of  IACGMOOH...it starts tonight.

I'll give that a miss too. It should be renamed IASCCGMOOH.

however Nicko.. you know what they say

Eat worms, 10,000,000 blackbirds cant be wrong

HoratioTarr wrote:

Syl wrote:Just in time for the latest series of  IACGMOOH...it starts tonight.

I'll give that a miss too.  It should be renamed IASCCGMOOH.

Second class?

I'm going to watch it...I like Anne (Miss frosty knickers) from the Chase.
I read the other day she is autistic.

Vic, I could do a Bush tucker Challenge standing on my head !

yeah well, you know how it is nicko......

I mean...I love kids.....but I can only eat half a one.......

Syl wrote:

HoratioTarr wrote:

I'll give that a miss too.  It should be renamed IASCCGMOOH.

Second class?
.

''so called''??


i think it's all garbage tbh. glad i dont have a TV

Syl wrote:

HoratioTarr wrote:

I'll give that a miss too.  It should be renamed IASCCGMOOH.

Second class?

I'm going to watch it...I like Anne (Miss frosty knickers) from the Chase.
I read the other day she is autistic.

So called

Gelico, why no TV ?

nicko wrote:Gelico,   why no TV ?    

hi nicko

well, we used to have. i used to watch just about everything and anything all the soaps and stuff. in fact mostly it was a burbling background noise whether it was being watched or not.

but years ago, shortly after hubby died it busted and i couldn't afford to get another one, well i suppose i could but it certainly wasn't top of my priority list

strangely i didn't miss it at all. in fact i felt quite liberated

there's enough guff online to keep me amused, i dont need tv.

plus i dont get to subscribe to the British Bullshit Corporation

all good

gelico wrote:

nicko wrote:Gelico,   why no TV ?    

hi nicko

well, we used to have.  i used to watch just about everything and anything all the soaps and stuff.  in fact mostly it was a burbling background noise whether it was being watched or not.

but years ago, shortly after hubby died it busted and i couldn't afford to get another one, well i suppose i could but it certainly wasn't top of my priority list

strangely i didn't miss it at all.  in fact i felt quite liberated

there's enough guff online to keep me amused, i dont need tv.

plus i dont get to subscribe to the British Bullshit Corporation

all good

I couldn't bear to miss Khalesi flying Drogon on the 42 inch

BTW, I love Marmite.

BBQ witchetty grubs are not too bad

Mmmm..... Yum...

Insects !!!!

Should go down well with a splash of chilli sauce..

veya_victaous wrote:

BBQ witchetty grubs are not too bad

Bleaurgh....my eyes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have tried them, a bit sickly for me. Much better when fried and crispy ! I wish i'd have tried them battered.

Those witchetty grubs are eaten whilst still alive on IAC....they pop in the mouth and all the matter spurts out of them.
Not only disgusting but cruel imo.

nicko wrote:I have tried them,   a bit sickly for me.  Much better when fried and crispy ! I wish i'd have tried them battered.

I think, on balance, that I would rather take a risk with my health and tackle an awesome battered Mars Bar.

nicko wrote:
I have tried them,   a bit sickly for me.  Much better when fried and crispy ! I wish i'd have tried them battered.

"Fried and battered"...

I've heard that as tasting a bit like chicken, but "nutty"..


Way out west, in central Australia they eat the true "Witchetty grubs from Cossid moths,  while up in the hills back here and further down south those Koori folks have been eating the larvae of Bogong moths for tens of thousands of years.

I haven't tried them. But in Tucson you've got to stop into the Rocky Mountain Oyster Club, for a lunch or dinner of the "oysters" prepared dozens of different ways.

Oysters, a lump of snot in a shell !

nicko wrote:Oysters,   a lump of snot in a shell !

Oh God Nicko...thats knocked me sick.

nicko wrote:Oysters,   a lump of snot in a shell !

Don't worry, nicko. Rocky Mountain Mountain Oysters are what's left over when bulls are castrated. Very popular in the cowboy states. Look:

Yep they’ll sell them until someone gets an allergic reaction and then they will be banned.

Actually, my ex got incredibly bad vomiting after eating dried crickets.

Original Quill wrote:

nicko wrote:Oysters,   a lump of snot in a shell !

Don't worry, nicko.  Rocky Mountain Mountain Oysters are what's left over when bulls are castrated.  Very popular in the cowboy states.  Look:

What a load of bollocks.......

nicko wrote:I have tried them,   a bit sickly for me.  Much better when fried and crispy ! I wish i'd have tried them battered.

battered with seasoned salt 

they would actually be pretty decent I think 

Fred Moletrousers wrote:

Original Quill wrote:
Don't worry, nicko.  Rocky Mountain Mountain Oysters are what's left over when bulls are castrated.  Very popular in the cowboy states.  Look:

What a load of bollocks.......

Down here, they are usually referred to as either 'Mountain Oysters' or 'Bush Oysters', depending on what region you're in...

Some people in other places may have other names yet again..

Over in the Middle East you could also try sheeps' eyes and lambs' testicles.

(Eddie will probably look twice at some of those "meatball" dishes, next time she visits a restaurant in Texas..).