20 Aug St Davids-based Bug Farm Foods launches with major UK retailer & holiday resort

Selfridges & the Celtic Manor Resort stock innovative food from Wales made with insects

Bug Farm Foods, founded in 2017 by husband and wife team chef Andy Holcroft and entomologist (insect scientist) Dr Sarah Beynon from St Davids, Pembrokeshire, have launched a range of their products with Selfridges, while their Cricket Cookies and Buffalo Biscuits are now available in the Celtic Manor Resort.

The story of the couple’s now famous Cricket Cookies was covered in a 2017 BBC1 documentary – ‘The Bug Grub Couple’, with the programme ending with the Celtic Manor Resort’s CEO Ian Edwards agreeing to stock these innovative, foodie gifts from Wales. The Celtic Manor Resort also partnered with Bug Farm Foods to open a pop-up Grub Kitchen restaurant, featuring a menu of edible insects, at its Newbridge on Usk restaurant last summer.

The Bug Farm Foods range now available through Selfridges’ online Food Hall includes ‘Mocha Chilli Crunch Cricket Cookies’ and ‘Spiced Orange and Laverbread Buffalo Biscuits’. “These products are an easy way in to trying this new food of the future for the first time” says Andy. “The biscuits are made with insect powder so you don’t see any whole insects in them”. However, this new food packs a punch – each Cricket Cookie contains about 20 crickets, while there are a staggering 180 buffalo insects (also known as lesser mealworms) in each Buffalo Biscuit.

Made onsite on the couple’s farm in St Davids, the Bug Farm Foods cookies and biscuits sold by Selfridges are bundled-up with insect powders and whole insects to encourage customers to try cooking with insects at home: shoppers can experiment with numerous recipes on the Bug Farm Foods website. Those wanting to try a selection of whole insects are also be able to purchase a bundle that includes whole crickets, whole locusts and whole buffaloes.

Andy and Sarah are passionate about local, sustainable food: Andy is the founder of Grub Kitchen – the UK’s first full-time edible insect café which he opened in 2015, while Sarah is the founder of Dr Beynon’s Bug Farm visitor attraction, research centre and farm – a centre that links invertebrates, food production and wildlife conservation. “Including food made from insects in your diet is one way to make a sustainable, ecologically sound food choice. Insects are extremely efficient at converting their feed into protein for us and they are also full of other important nutrients. For example, our insect powders are up to 70% protein, contain all 9 essential amino acids and are high in many important vitamins and minerals” says Sarah.

The Bug Farm Foods new range will be distributed across Wales by Blas as Fwyd.