0:00:02 > 0:00:06On the south-west tip of Wales, in Britain's smallest city,
0:00:06 > 0:00:08St David's, it is market day.
0:00:10 > 0:00:14Alongside the stalls of jams, meats and cheeses on sale
0:00:14 > 0:00:17is local farm produce with a difference.
0:00:17 > 0:00:20Hello. Would anyone like to try some edible insects?
0:00:20 > 0:00:24And insect scientist Dr Sarah Beynon and her partner,
0:00:24 > 0:00:25award-winning chef Andy Holcroft,
0:00:25 > 0:00:29are causing quite a buzz about town with their edible bugs.
0:00:29 > 0:00:32These are Mexican red grasshoppers that have been lightly spiced with
0:00:32 > 0:00:34chilli as well, so these are quite a salty snack.
0:00:34 > 0:00:37So, you know, two billion people are eating insects everyday.
0:00:37 > 0:00:41So, the burgers are a blend of mealworms, crickets,
0:00:41 > 0:00:44grasshoppers and buffalo worms.
0:00:44 > 0:00:48- That one had its little eyes going, "Hello!" - LAUGHTER
0:00:48 > 0:00:50They are lovely.
0:00:50 > 0:00:52- Would you like another one? - That was a hint, wasn't it?
0:00:52 > 0:00:54LAUGHTER
0:00:54 > 0:00:58But Sarah and Andy are on a bigger mission - to take edible insects
0:00:58 > 0:01:01from their local marketplace to the mainstream.
0:01:01 > 0:01:05With rising demand for high protein food and new breeding and mass
0:01:05 > 0:01:07production technology,
0:01:07 > 0:01:10the day of the insect has arrived for the bug grub couple.
0:01:17 > 0:01:18INSECT BUZZES
0:01:18 > 0:01:22Just outside St David's in Pembrokeshire is Bug Farm -
0:01:22 > 0:01:26the family farm of entomologist Dr Sarah Beynon -
0:01:26 > 0:01:30with a zoo, gallery, research centre and restaurant.
0:01:32 > 0:01:35Oh, the cabbages this time in the morning...
0:01:35 > 0:01:37- SHE INHALES - It's a lovely smell.
0:01:37 > 0:01:39And fox. Can definitely smell fox musk as well.
0:01:44 > 0:01:46COW MOOS
0:01:46 > 0:01:47HEN CLUCKS
0:01:47 > 0:01:50Every morning we need to go out and get fresh food for the locusts,
0:01:50 > 0:01:52for the ants and for the stick insects,
0:01:52 > 0:01:55so they need new food every day.
0:01:55 > 0:01:58And in this field we're growing a wild birdseed mix,
0:01:58 > 0:02:01so it works really well that it benefits the birds in the winter,
0:02:01 > 0:02:04it benefits pollinators in the summer,
0:02:04 > 0:02:06and we get kale and cabbage for our locusts.
0:02:09 > 0:02:12OK, so that will be enough cabbages for now.
0:02:12 > 0:02:15And we need to replace the cabbages every couple of hours
0:02:15 > 0:02:18for the locusts, like, they eat a lot!
0:02:22 > 0:02:26What we don't want to be doing is we don't want to be feeding our insects
0:02:26 > 0:02:28on something that we can eat as humans.
0:02:28 > 0:02:33We want to actually be looking at, "What's a waste stream that we don't currently make use of?"
0:02:33 > 0:02:37Because if we're just eating insects and feeding them on food
0:02:37 > 0:02:40that we could eat, it would be much more efficient for us to just eat
0:02:40 > 0:02:44that food rather than having that intermediate step of the insect in the middle.
0:02:46 > 0:02:49So, during the night, the locusts poo a lot,
0:02:49 > 0:02:54so we need to clear out the poos and pull out any dead locusts as well.
0:03:05 > 0:03:07Right, so this is always a challenge in the morning.
0:03:07 > 0:03:12You do end up having locusts kind of raining down on your face as you go in.
0:03:12 > 0:03:16Basically, we just scrape off all the fresh poos on the surface
0:03:16 > 0:03:20and then any dead adults as well.
0:03:22 > 0:03:23So, that's one that's done.
0:03:23 > 0:03:28And then this is the new feed going in...
0:03:28 > 0:03:30and that's just overnight.
0:03:30 > 0:03:34So, they've eaten three of these overnight and turned them into stalks like this.
0:03:38 > 0:03:40- SHE SIGHS - My ear.
0:03:41 > 0:03:43- One of the perks of the job. - SHE LAUGHS
0:03:43 > 0:03:45Welcome to The Bug Farm.
0:03:51 > 0:03:56Across the farmyard from the bug zoo is the grub restaurant,
0:03:56 > 0:03:59where award-winning chef Andy Holcroft offers a double menu -
0:03:59 > 0:04:02normal food next to insect versions -
0:04:02 > 0:04:04beef burgers and bug burgers.
0:04:06 > 0:04:10So, locusts, the best way I've found to cook them is actually to pan-fry them.
0:04:12 > 0:04:16At the moment, these insect ingredients are imported,
0:04:16 > 0:04:20but the couple's long-term aim is to commercially breed their own bugs locally.
0:04:22 > 0:04:25So obviously I like to enhance the flavour of the locusts,
0:04:25 > 0:04:28and what better than honey and a little bit of chilli?
0:04:28 > 0:04:31And obviously I fry it in a little bit of butter as well.
0:04:33 > 0:04:36The first thing you'll taste will be this nice honey flavour with a little bit
0:04:36 > 0:04:39of heat from the cayenne pepper and then you start to eat them a little bit,
0:04:39 > 0:04:42you'll get the flavour of the locusts will come through and they're really nice
0:04:42 > 0:04:44and almost meaty, almost like a prawn.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47I mean, effectively they are basically a land prawn.
0:04:48 > 0:04:53You see in Africa, kids go to school with strings of locusts, you know, and that's their lunch.
0:04:53 > 0:04:57And I think, yeah, as a high-protein snack to eat on-the-fly,
0:04:57 > 0:04:59I think locusts will be brilliant.
0:05:01 > 0:05:03With the locusts, pull the legs off.
0:05:03 > 0:05:06They tend to get stuck in the throat otherwise, OK?
0:05:11 > 0:05:13Sort of zingy.
0:05:13 > 0:05:18It tastes, yeah, earthy, sort of, I'm not quite sure.
0:05:19 > 0:05:21Hi, there. Who's having the bug burgers?
0:05:23 > 0:05:25The bug burger is our signature dish.
0:05:25 > 0:05:26Everyone likes to eat a burger,
0:05:26 > 0:05:30so this is a recipe we've been developing and working on for about three years.
0:05:30 > 0:05:32It's one of the buggiest dishes we serve at Grub Kitchen,
0:05:32 > 0:05:36probably about between 55 and 60% insect.
0:05:36 > 0:05:39So what I'm going to start with, these are lesser mealworms,
0:05:39 > 0:05:42so I'm going to pop a few of these in this little blender.
0:05:43 > 0:05:47And then these are large mealworms, grasshoppers.
0:05:50 > 0:05:52These are crickets,
0:05:52 > 0:05:55so this is almost like your insect mince.
0:05:55 > 0:05:58- So this is going to go on. - BLENDER RATTLES
0:06:02 > 0:06:04The reason we make them about 55-60% insect
0:06:04 > 0:06:07is so we can actually explain to people this
0:06:07 > 0:06:10has probably got the same amount of protein in it as your beef burger,
0:06:10 > 0:06:12so that's what we want to do,
0:06:12 > 0:06:14is try and replace conventional protein
0:06:14 > 0:06:17with much more sustainable edible insect protein
0:06:17 > 0:06:20to show to people that there is a way of reducing the amount
0:06:20 > 0:06:21of meat we're consuming.
0:06:22 > 0:06:25If it wasn't for the whole insects we put in here as well,
0:06:25 > 0:06:27you wouldn't really be able to tell, apart from the taste,
0:06:27 > 0:06:29there are any bugs in here.
0:06:29 > 0:06:31So the reason I actually put some whole bugs in at the end
0:06:31 > 0:06:33is purely so people can see them.
0:06:33 > 0:06:36If you told someone that it was a veggie burger,
0:06:36 > 0:06:38they would probably think it was a very delicious,
0:06:38 > 0:06:41suspiciously delicious, veggie burger.
0:06:41 > 0:06:44- LAUGHTER - Lovely, yeah. Really nice, yeah.
0:06:44 > 0:06:47I think it helps having friends around to join in,
0:06:47 > 0:06:50- but she's, yeah, loving them. - SHE TAKES NOISY BITE
0:06:50 > 0:06:51THEY LAUGH
0:06:53 > 0:06:57While still a senior research associate at Oxford University,
0:06:57 > 0:07:00Sarah also enjoys enthusing about insects,
0:07:00 > 0:07:04changing people's minds by taking the creepy out of crawlies
0:07:04 > 0:07:06in hands-on sessions with visitors.
0:07:08 > 0:07:11Dave is a giant Madagascan hissing cockroach.
0:07:11 > 0:07:13I started off having these as pets.
0:07:13 > 0:07:16- This is how it all started. - SHE LAUGHS
0:07:16 > 0:07:20I'm blown away daily by the feedback we get from visitors.
0:07:21 > 0:07:25We've had people who come in who hate insects or are terrified
0:07:25 > 0:07:29by them and who end up handling Dave, the giant cockroach.
0:07:30 > 0:07:32So what does everyone think?
0:07:32 > 0:07:34- Do we like Dave?- Yes.- Yes.
0:07:34 > 0:07:37Yes? Brilliant. That's it.
0:07:37 > 0:07:40There's just that shift in perception, which you can see.
0:07:40 > 0:07:41It's a light bulb moment of,
0:07:41 > 0:07:44"Oh, I didn't know these things were so interesting."
0:07:44 > 0:07:46If something bit their head off,
0:07:46 > 0:07:49a female cockroach would live for long enough without her head...
0:07:49 > 0:07:51- Really?- ..to be able to have babies, because the brains
0:07:51 > 0:07:54in her legs could keep her going, keep her alive for, like,
0:07:54 > 0:07:55two weeks without a head.
0:07:55 > 0:07:57He's really, like, really easy to handle.
0:07:58 > 0:08:00Go on, see if you can do it!
0:08:00 > 0:08:03- Oh! - SARAH LAUGHS
0:08:03 > 0:08:06It's really difficult to know when that exact moment was when I thought,
0:08:06 > 0:08:09"I'm fascinated by insects. This is what I want to do."
0:08:09 > 0:08:13But I think it goes back to ladybird-hunting with my gran.
0:08:15 > 0:08:19That fascinating childhood of farming
0:08:19 > 0:08:23alongside learning and an appreciation for life,
0:08:23 > 0:08:26whether it was farmed animals or wildlife,
0:08:26 > 0:08:30I think is probably what has got me to where I am today
0:08:30 > 0:08:32and to running The Bug Farm.
0:08:33 > 0:08:35I met Sarah in a restaurant.
0:08:35 > 0:08:38I was cooking as a chef. She was a waitress.
0:08:38 > 0:08:41I think I was looking for a bottle of brandy to make some
0:08:41 > 0:08:44peppercorn sauce and smashed a giant bottle of martini at her feet.
0:08:44 > 0:08:47And I think I looked up and, yeah, there was definitely a click.
0:08:47 > 0:08:49Our eyes met over the blood and broken glass,
0:08:49 > 0:08:53and that was it. And then he bought me rissoles every day,
0:08:53 > 0:08:56these meat rissoles, and I don't eat much meat,
0:08:56 > 0:08:59and he tried to woo me with rissoles that I would then secrete
0:08:59 > 0:09:03under the different counters of this restaurant so that I didn't have to
0:09:03 > 0:09:05eat them and I could pretend that I was wooed.
0:09:07 > 0:09:09I was an academic scientist
0:09:09 > 0:09:14and we never really thought that our career paths would cross.
0:09:14 > 0:09:17And it really, you know, it took five or six years before we went, "Hey, hang on,
0:09:17 > 0:09:20"we're at either ends of the food chain here.
0:09:20 > 0:09:21"We can do something pretty good."
0:09:23 > 0:09:28Immediately, my curiosity was piqued and I thought, "Well, this could be the new thing."
0:09:28 > 0:09:31So the next day I literally went on the internet, ordered some bugs,
0:09:31 > 0:09:34they turned up, and I started experimenting.
0:09:34 > 0:09:37After the insect idea came the opportunity.
0:09:37 > 0:09:40Sarah's uncle farm came up for sale -
0:09:40 > 0:09:42a chance to create a bug hub.
0:09:44 > 0:09:47The farm itself was tired and it's like a lot of old farms,
0:09:47 > 0:09:51it takes a huge amount of time and money to do them up.
0:09:53 > 0:09:54Sarah has that vision.
0:09:54 > 0:09:57She knew straightaway that this is going to be something special,
0:09:57 > 0:10:00so I suppose that took a bit of time to get there,
0:10:00 > 0:10:02but now I wouldn't have done it any other way.
0:10:03 > 0:10:05While creating Bug Farm,
0:10:05 > 0:10:10Sarah and Andy have still managed to keep the family's Welsh Black cattle going,
0:10:10 > 0:10:15so Sarah knows first-hand how much fewer resources insects use
0:10:15 > 0:10:18compared to a beef herd to produce the same protein.
0:10:18 > 0:10:20COW MOOS
0:10:20 > 0:10:25Bugs feed on waste, while cows need feed from edible arable crops.
0:10:25 > 0:10:27Farmed insects need hardly any land.
0:10:27 > 0:10:30Their water use is minimal and, unlike cattle,
0:10:30 > 0:10:32they hardly add to climate change.
0:10:33 > 0:10:35But, while far less sustainable,
0:10:35 > 0:10:40people like eating beef, so the challenge is to make bugs as tasty.
0:10:41 > 0:10:44The great thing about Andy is he makes food taste delicious.
0:10:44 > 0:10:47He's a superb chef and that's what we need
0:10:47 > 0:10:50when you're taking a new type of food to the masses.
0:10:52 > 0:10:57So this is a red pepper and cream cheese chapuline vol-au-vent,
0:10:57 > 0:11:00so we've actually blitzed up some of the grasshoppers really finely,
0:11:00 > 0:11:04and that's in the mixture to give it some taste and a bit of bite,
0:11:04 > 0:11:08and then we're putting some on top as well so you can actually see the grasshoppers that you're eating.
0:11:08 > 0:11:11All bugs taste really different, yeah.
0:11:11 > 0:11:15There's just under 2,000 species of edible insect.
0:11:15 > 0:11:18That's potentially a whole load of more, you know, tastes.
0:11:23 > 0:11:26Tonight, Andy is preparing a bug feast,
0:11:26 > 0:11:30trying out new recipes on his family, friends and neighbours.
0:11:30 > 0:11:33We've had a huge amount of support. We've been so lucky.
0:11:33 > 0:11:35This is such a vibrant community,
0:11:35 > 0:11:37with such wonderful supportive people,
0:11:37 > 0:11:40and we couldn't have done it without them,
0:11:40 > 0:11:45but it's been a bloody tough journey to get to this stage just because we
0:11:45 > 0:11:47haven't done it with pots of money behind us.
0:11:47 > 0:11:49Go on, you can have a cricket, as well.
0:11:49 > 0:11:51I'm not letting you get away without a couple of crickets.
0:11:54 > 0:11:57- OK, so...- I'm not trying any of this.
0:11:57 > 0:11:58Would you like to try them cooked?
0:11:58 > 0:12:00- OK.- Brilliant.
0:12:00 > 0:12:04- That's really interesting because quite a lot of people don't want to see them.- Oh, wait till the end.
0:12:04 > 0:12:06They sound amazing.
0:12:06 > 0:12:08I want to try everything.
0:12:08 > 0:12:09There were some...
0:12:09 > 0:12:14The black ants. And then we've got crickets, which you can try here.
0:12:14 > 0:12:15Wow!
0:12:15 > 0:12:16What a buggy feast.
0:12:18 > 0:12:22I really liked it. It's not as terrifying as you imagine before you start eating it.
0:12:22 > 0:12:24It's all right, yeah.
0:12:24 > 0:12:26The flavour wasn't bad, but visually I couldn't get over it.
0:12:27 > 0:12:29The legs and things, no.
0:12:30 > 0:12:33I've been vegetarian for 20 years but,
0:12:33 > 0:12:36for ethical and environmental reasons,
0:12:36 > 0:12:38this is fine because it fits in
0:12:38 > 0:12:41with all my principles and it's delicious.
0:12:41 > 0:12:45I've really enjoyed actually tasting these.
0:12:45 > 0:12:48You know, these are the tiny mealworms.
0:12:48 > 0:12:49I really enjoy it.
0:12:52 > 0:12:54Hello, everyone.
0:12:54 > 0:12:56Hope you all enjoyed the food.
0:12:56 > 0:12:58So, next course, obviously, is the pudding.
0:12:58 > 0:13:00We are looking at taking some products to market,
0:13:00 > 0:13:03so these cricket cookies contain 10% crickets.
0:13:03 > 0:13:06They've also got white chocolate, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds,
0:13:06 > 0:13:08which give a nice interesting bite as well.
0:13:08 > 0:13:11And you're probably wondering what these crazy mounds are.
0:13:11 > 0:13:16So this is a mango, passion fruit and black ant pavlova kind of mess, kind of thing.
0:13:16 > 0:13:19So, enjoy. Come up and we'll get you some pudding.
0:13:25 > 0:13:27At this stage now, with this sort of,
0:13:27 > 0:13:29a bit of market research, people liking the food,
0:13:29 > 0:13:34we can now put into practice a few steps, which will get those products
0:13:34 > 0:13:37pitched and hopefully on supermarket shelves soon.
0:13:39 > 0:13:43But to take their cricket cookies and other bug grub to market,
0:13:43 > 0:13:47Sarah and Andy need to know that their suppliers can upscale,
0:13:47 > 0:13:49deliver commercial quantities,
0:13:49 > 0:13:52so they are off to the Netherlands to meet the insect farmers.
0:13:53 > 0:13:58I'm super excited to meet with our mealworm and cricket suppliers.
0:13:58 > 0:14:02Will they be able to meet our demand going forward?
0:14:02 > 0:14:04It's all about the taste.
0:14:04 > 0:14:07Are they still going to taste great with this massive upscaling?
0:14:07 > 0:14:09And will they be safe for us to eat?
0:14:13 > 0:14:18Traditionally, insect farmers have produced protein for the pet food industry,
0:14:18 > 0:14:22but demand is expanding rapidly for protein in animal and fish feed,
0:14:22 > 0:14:24and for human consumption.
0:14:24 > 0:14:27Most people think about mealworms as worms,
0:14:27 > 0:14:29but they're actually beetles,
0:14:29 > 0:14:33so the mealworms are the larvae of these beetles.
0:14:33 > 0:14:35And we harvest them at the larva stage,
0:14:35 > 0:14:38because that's when they've got the most nutrients in them,
0:14:38 > 0:14:42so this little larva here is packed full of protein.
0:14:46 > 0:14:48This is the breeding stock,
0:14:48 > 0:14:51so this is the absolute core part of the farm.
0:14:51 > 0:14:55And 25% of the beetles, the adult beetles, will die each week,
0:14:55 > 0:14:58so you are constantly having to be breeding more
0:14:58 > 0:15:00to replenish that stock.
0:15:01 > 0:15:03Yeah, this is the heart of the beetle farm.
0:15:06 > 0:15:07So, what's in here?
0:15:07 > 0:15:11Here are the beetles and they put eggs in the boxes.
0:15:11 > 0:15:13- So the adult beetles?- Yeah.
0:15:13 > 0:15:14- Fantastic.- Wow.
0:15:17 > 0:15:19This is amazing.
0:15:21 > 0:15:23And you're feeding them with?
0:15:23 > 0:15:25Carrots and meal.
0:15:25 > 0:15:28OK. How many beetles are in each tray?
0:15:28 > 0:15:30About 2,000 beetles.
0:15:30 > 0:15:32Wow. And there's a lot of trays in here.
0:15:32 > 0:15:34All these trays have 2,000 beetles in them?
0:15:34 > 0:15:36Yeah, all the trays.
0:15:36 > 0:15:39Oh, wow. So these beetles will lay the eggs in here?
0:15:39 > 0:15:43- Yeah.- And then you'll transfer the eggs to a different room?
0:15:43 > 0:15:46To a different room, with another climate.
0:15:49 > 0:15:50Here.
0:15:50 > 0:15:53- OK, so these are the mealworms?- Yes.
0:15:55 > 0:15:57Wow, that's so warm!
0:15:57 > 0:15:59Yeah, that's a lot of heat in it.
0:15:59 > 0:16:01So they're generating that heat?
0:16:01 > 0:16:04- Yeah.- How old are they when you harvest them?
0:16:04 > 0:16:06Then, they are nine weeks.
0:16:06 > 0:16:10So, in nine weeks, you go from the adult beetle laying the egg
0:16:10 > 0:16:13to a box full of larvae?
0:16:13 > 0:16:16- Yes.- So, do you think, what you feed the mealworms on,
0:16:16 > 0:16:19do you think that changes the flavour of the end product?
0:16:19 > 0:16:21Yes, it changes the flavour.
0:16:21 > 0:16:25Wow. From my point of view, as a chef, this is revolutionary.
0:16:25 > 0:16:28Yes, there are chefs out there doing amazing things,
0:16:28 > 0:16:31but there's not many chefs in the UK really using insects
0:16:31 > 0:16:33in new products, in new dishes,
0:16:33 > 0:16:35and this is where it all begins.
0:16:35 > 0:16:38And what do you think they taste like?
0:16:38 > 0:16:40Er, like walnuts.
0:16:43 > 0:16:45Here, we have the crickets.
0:16:45 > 0:16:47I breed them in boxes.
0:16:48 > 0:16:49This is a box.
0:16:53 > 0:16:56How many crickets would you have in one box?
0:16:56 > 0:16:58At the moment, now, it's 150g.
0:16:58 > 0:17:01But in that box, there can be half a kilo.
0:17:01 > 0:17:04You are now moving into crickets for human consumption.
0:17:04 > 0:17:07- Yes.- And what's changed for you to allow that to happen?
0:17:09 > 0:17:15The big change is, before it was for human,
0:17:15 > 0:17:17I used a lot of medicine.
0:17:17 > 0:17:21Because you are breeding crickets in this,
0:17:21 > 0:17:25the stress is very high inside the boxes
0:17:25 > 0:17:29and, with medicine, you can reduce the stress.
0:17:29 > 0:17:34But, for food for human, we don't need hormones and
0:17:34 > 0:17:36all that stuff in the medicine.
0:17:36 > 0:17:38How have you reduced their stress,
0:17:38 > 0:17:40which allows you now not to be using medicines?
0:17:40 > 0:17:43I'm now a 40-year breeder
0:17:43 > 0:17:48and I almost sleep with them in those 40 years,
0:17:48 > 0:17:53so I'm thinking like a cricket, actually.
0:17:53 > 0:17:56One rule, an easy rule,
0:17:56 > 0:18:00is not more than half a kilo in those boxes.
0:18:00 > 0:18:01So, just to get this right,
0:18:01 > 0:18:05these crickets are perfectly safe for us to use in human food?
0:18:05 > 0:18:10Yes, they are perfectly safe to use in human food.
0:18:10 > 0:18:13I eat them myself every day in my yoghurt.
0:18:15 > 0:18:19With their suppliers on board, Sarah and Andy return to Wales
0:18:19 > 0:18:23to take their cricket cookies to a wider audience.
0:18:23 > 0:18:27But their restaurant kitchen is too small to bake on a commercial scale,
0:18:27 > 0:18:30so they've come to the food centre near Llandysul
0:18:30 > 0:18:31in West Wales for help.
0:18:36 > 0:18:38Good morning. How are you? Are you OK?
0:18:38 > 0:18:40- Yeah, nice to see you. - Everything going well?
0:18:40 > 0:18:42Really well. So excited.
0:18:46 > 0:18:49The insects at the moment aren't looking much like insects.
0:18:49 > 0:18:52So this is cricket powder. This is a protein.
0:18:52 > 0:18:56But this is pure crickets that have been ground up into a powder.
0:18:56 > 0:18:59There is actually protein in normal flour,
0:18:59 > 0:19:01but this will make the cookie, on average,
0:19:01 > 0:19:04about three times more protein than a normal cookie.
0:19:19 > 0:19:22Have you done anything like this here before?
0:19:22 > 0:19:23No. No.
0:19:23 > 0:19:26You're the first of the cricket family to come here.
0:19:26 > 0:19:30Did you think we were flipping mad when we mentioned what we wanted to do?
0:19:30 > 0:19:32It is an unusual product,
0:19:32 > 0:19:36but that's what all our new product development is all about.
0:19:36 > 0:19:40Innovation is the word all the way through
0:19:40 > 0:19:44and your product is totally an innovative product as well.
0:19:47 > 0:19:49- Wow.- I'm just going to get out of the way.
0:19:52 > 0:19:54Who wants to press go first?
0:19:54 > 0:19:56- Go on.- Ladies first. - Shall we do it together?
0:19:56 > 0:19:58- What do we have to press?- Ready? - Three, two, one, go.
0:20:03 > 0:20:04I'll do the second and third
0:20:04 > 0:20:06and you do the first line.
0:20:06 > 0:20:09- Argh! Oh!- They're coming out.
0:20:11 > 0:20:13We were aiming for about 400,
0:20:13 > 0:20:15but I think we're going to be close to 600.
0:20:15 > 0:20:17So, yeah, we'll have done quite a few cookies.
0:20:17 > 0:20:21And rolling that out by hand would have taken four,
0:20:21 > 0:20:23five hours just in the rolling and cutting time.
0:20:23 > 0:20:26So, yeah, it's sped it up an amazing amount.
0:20:30 > 0:20:34On average, in each cookie, about 25-30 crickets.
0:20:34 > 0:20:37I think, in general, about ten crickets per gram.
0:20:39 > 0:20:41Well, next, we're going to test them.
0:20:41 > 0:20:43So we're going to take them up to Hay Festival and we're going to test
0:20:43 > 0:20:46them on a crowd up there, and see what they think.
0:20:46 > 0:20:47SARAH LAUGHS
0:20:49 > 0:20:53Andy and Sarah are sharing the stage at the Hay Literary Festival with a
0:20:53 > 0:20:58children's author whose bestselling book features a beetle and is today launching a sequel.
0:21:00 > 0:21:05I actually know not much about bugs, so I need an expert,
0:21:05 > 0:21:08someone who can make sure that all the facts are true,
0:21:08 > 0:21:11and then I saw Sarah on telly.
0:21:11 > 0:21:13And I was watching Countryfile,
0:21:13 > 0:21:16and she came on and she'd just started this bug farm in Pembrokeshire.
0:21:16 > 0:21:19And I was like, "Oh, she's an entomologist.
0:21:19 > 0:21:22"She likes dung beetles! Brilliant!"
0:21:22 > 0:21:25So, I wrote her an e-mail and said, "Please, please, please,
0:21:25 > 0:21:28"I'm writing this book, you have to make sure that the facts are correct."
0:21:28 > 0:21:29And she very generously said yes.
0:21:29 > 0:21:33And I'm very, very proud of my relationship with Sarah because,
0:21:33 > 0:21:36ultimately, the inspiration for Beetle Queen has come out of my
0:21:36 > 0:21:38relationship with Sarah and how much she's taught me.
0:21:39 > 0:21:41Who here has ever eaten a burger?
0:21:42 > 0:21:44Yeah, that's pretty much everyone.
0:21:44 > 0:21:46OK. To produce that one burger,
0:21:46 > 0:21:50a cow has to drink over 3,250 litres of water.
0:21:51 > 0:21:55Now, to get the same amount of protein value for a bug burger,
0:21:55 > 0:21:57they have to drink...
0:21:58 > 0:22:00..about one cup.
0:22:00 > 0:22:02So, straightaway, just by choosing that burger,
0:22:02 > 0:22:06you're reducing the amount of water that is being consumed to produce that.
0:22:06 > 0:22:10So does anyone want to try something very quickly?
0:22:10 > 0:22:12Your hand went straight up.
0:22:12 > 0:22:15- Shall I take...?- Do you want to actually take around a cricket?
0:22:15 > 0:22:16Yeah. And these are little lesser mealworms.
0:22:18 > 0:22:21After the dried bug nibbles,
0:22:21 > 0:22:24the audience are offered in the foyer the cricket cookies.
0:22:25 > 0:22:28What happened in there, I hated the bugs,
0:22:28 > 0:22:31but now that I've eaten this, I think I quite like them now.
0:22:31 > 0:22:35Like, the impact on the environment, it's just so much better.
0:22:35 > 0:22:37But it tastes the same.
0:22:37 > 0:22:40I didn't eat the bugs on their own when they passed them around,
0:22:40 > 0:22:41but this cookie is so nice.
0:22:42 > 0:22:45It's so great to come to an event like this,
0:22:45 > 0:22:48where you start off by asking, "Who doesn't like bugs?"
0:22:48 > 0:22:51And most of the audience put their hands up.
0:22:51 > 0:22:55And I noticed that they were sitting there looking really concerned.
0:22:55 > 0:22:57By the end, "Who likes bugs? Hands up."
0:22:57 > 0:22:59Everybody loves them and, well,
0:22:59 > 0:23:01that's all we've got left of the cricket cookies.
0:23:01 > 0:23:03Regardless of the bugs, they're a good product.
0:23:03 > 0:23:05So, yeah, very happy.
0:23:07 > 0:23:09With rave reviews from Hay,
0:23:09 > 0:23:13the cricket cookies then go for scientific and commercial assessment
0:23:13 > 0:23:16at the Food Industry Centre at Cardiff Metropolitan University.
0:23:18 > 0:23:20We're really looking forward to doing a consumer panel
0:23:20 > 0:23:21with your cricket cookies.
0:23:21 > 0:23:25I hope it'll be really helpful for your new product development
0:23:25 > 0:23:26and your product going forward.
0:23:26 > 0:23:28- See you on the other side. - See you soon.
0:23:30 > 0:23:32For the perception tests,
0:23:32 > 0:23:36each volunteer is given half a regular cookie from a high street retailer
0:23:36 > 0:23:38and half a cricket cookie.
0:23:38 > 0:23:40They are then asked a series of questions,
0:23:40 > 0:23:43including preference, purchasing and price.
0:23:44 > 0:23:48The test results were then given to an expert panel,
0:23:48 > 0:23:51to scrutinise all aspects of the cricket cookie product.
0:23:52 > 0:23:54So the test results are back.
0:23:54 > 0:23:57I'm absolutely petrified, truly.
0:23:57 > 0:23:59And in that room we've got a panel of experts,
0:23:59 > 0:24:03which are going to let us know the test results, so...
0:24:03 > 0:24:04- Let's go, let's do it.- After you.
0:24:05 > 0:24:07- Hi, there.- Hello.
0:24:08 > 0:24:11- Good morning. Please sit down. - Thank you.
0:24:11 > 0:24:13Thanks very much for seeing us.
0:24:13 > 0:24:17I'm sure you're quite excited to hear these results.
0:24:17 > 0:24:19Terrified!
0:24:19 > 0:24:22Well, twice as many people preferred the one with insects...
0:24:24 > 0:24:25ANDY EXHALES
0:24:25 > 0:24:27- That's fantastic.- That's amazing.
0:24:27 > 0:24:29- ..compared to the retail product. - Really?
0:24:29 > 0:24:32- Yeah.- That's what we wanted to hear.
0:24:32 > 0:24:34The reasons for preferring it was that they had a sweet,
0:24:34 > 0:24:38chocolaty flavour, that it was crumbly and buttery,
0:24:38 > 0:24:42and saying that the retail one was a bit bland,
0:24:42 > 0:24:45and that one was too sweet for their taste.
0:24:45 > 0:24:50But 94% of the people that took part in the panel said that they would, you know,
0:24:50 > 0:24:53that they would consider buying foods with insects in them.
0:24:53 > 0:24:57- So, that's really...- 94%?- 94%, so that's really great results for you.
0:24:57 > 0:25:00Could you share some more about the branding?
0:25:00 > 0:25:02I'd be really interested to know your thoughts.
0:25:02 > 0:25:06- I like that.- Yeah. It has that sort of luxury...
0:25:06 > 0:25:07INDISTINCT
0:25:09 > 0:25:12Maybe the individual packs or twin packs to go off to the, sort of, coffee shop,
0:25:12 > 0:25:15hospitality channel, might be more appropriate.
0:25:15 > 0:25:19We're meeting with Celtic Manor next week,
0:25:19 > 0:25:22to pitch to them the cookies for conferencing,
0:25:22 > 0:25:26so we'll be talking to them about whether we go along with our cookies
0:25:26 > 0:25:28for their big conferences.
0:25:30 > 0:25:34As the former host of the Ryder Cup and a Nato conference,
0:25:34 > 0:25:38the Celtic Manor is one of Wales' most prestigious hotel resorts.
0:25:38 > 0:25:41- Hello.- Hi, there. - Hi, nice to see you again.
0:25:41 > 0:25:43- And you.- Hello.- Welcome back. - How are you doing?
0:25:43 > 0:25:45We've done a very first draft of packaging
0:25:45 > 0:25:48- and we've rejigged the recipe a little bit as well.- Right.
0:25:48 > 0:25:51I like this, the "Who we are," as well, because it's telling a story
0:25:51 > 0:25:55and, you know, certainly, for our market, people want to see that,
0:25:55 > 0:25:58and that's the sort of thing that would definitely help it sell.
0:25:58 > 0:26:01Yeah, I mean, and we said this before, in terms of,
0:26:01 > 0:26:03I think it would be a unique selling point,
0:26:03 > 0:26:08in terms of crickets, for one of our shops.
0:26:08 > 0:26:11So, in terms of upscaling, where are you with that now,
0:26:11 > 0:26:13in delivering volume?
0:26:13 > 0:26:18Well, I think, I think what we really need is those first initial expressions of interest,
0:26:18 > 0:26:24maybe a few pre-orders, or, you know, just as an indication to say,
0:26:24 > 0:26:25"Do we take the punt?"
0:26:25 > 0:26:28- That's really good, actually, really tasty.- Ah.- Glad you enjoyed it.
0:26:28 > 0:26:31They are wicked, they are really, really good, yeah.
0:26:31 > 0:26:32So, if we're looking at hitting, say,
0:26:32 > 0:26:34the conference market in September,
0:26:34 > 0:26:39when could we get boxes of cricket cookies on the shelves in the shop here at Celtic Manor?
0:26:39 > 0:26:41We'd go with the conference market in September
0:26:41 > 0:26:44and, you know, what a great thing for a conference delegate to say,
0:26:44 > 0:26:47"Oh, you know, we had the cookie at our break
0:26:47 > 0:26:50"and we can take it home to our spouse or to our children."
0:26:50 > 0:26:53So it makes sense that both are running parallel.
0:26:53 > 0:26:55Well, we'll shake on that!
0:26:55 > 0:26:57- Thank you.- No, no, you're welcome.
0:26:57 > 0:27:01- Thanks for your passion.- Thank you very much.- Fantastic.- Thank you.
0:27:01 > 0:27:04Well, that was absolutely amazing.
0:27:04 > 0:27:09I mean, I think we've got our first big client there, with conferences,
0:27:09 > 0:27:13with the conference centre, and in the shops as well.
0:27:13 > 0:27:16Yeah. There's so much opportunity here.
0:27:16 > 0:27:19And we've also heard that the First Minister is on-site today here at
0:27:19 > 0:27:22Celtic Manor, so we're going try and go and track him down,
0:27:22 > 0:27:24and see if we can get him to taste a cricket cookie.
0:27:26 > 0:27:28- Hi, there, how are you? - Very good, thanks.
0:27:28 > 0:27:30- Hello. I'm Andy from Grub Kitchen. - How are you doing?
0:27:30 > 0:27:33Hello, I'm Sarah Beynon from The Bug Farm at St David's.
0:27:33 > 0:27:34So here we have cricket cookies.
0:27:34 > 0:27:37- So these are cricket cookies. - Well, shall we?- Chocolate chip.
0:27:42 > 0:27:44What are your thoughts? I mean, as a scientist,
0:27:44 > 0:27:47I'm very keen that we are getting Wales on the map
0:27:47 > 0:27:50to become a leader in this new, innovative industry.
0:27:50 > 0:27:53Do you think that's something that would be of benefit to Wales?
0:27:53 > 0:27:56Yes, I do, because I've read a lot of articles that suggest
0:27:56 > 0:27:59that insects will become more important as a source of protein in the future.
0:27:59 > 0:28:03People are far more open to new tastes and new ideas.
0:28:03 > 0:28:06A little bit further to go, I suspect, in terms of insects.
0:28:06 > 0:28:09But we know in Mexico and a lot of other countries,
0:28:09 > 0:28:11it's, you know, run-of-the-mill to eat insects.
0:28:11 > 0:28:14It's just a question of broadening people's minds.
0:28:21 > 0:28:24Andy and Sarah have come a long way in the last two years.
0:28:24 > 0:28:27The next step is whether supermarkets
0:28:27 > 0:28:30and high street shoppers are ready to take on the bugs.
0:28:30 > 0:28:34So now the challenge is to go more and more mainstream.
0:28:34 > 0:28:35Bugs are valuable.
0:28:35 > 0:28:39They're protein, not pests, so let's do it.