Fly in my soup

“Crickets have a malty flavour. Black ants have a citrus tang that’s really strong. Ants are love or hate, so they’re generally used as a garnish.”

This isn’t an episode of I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! I’m not a celebrity—and I’m thrilled to be in Pembrokeshire, at the UK’s only edible insect restaurant, talking to a rather beautiful entomologist named Dr Sarah Peynon.

“Mexican red grasshoppers have a really lovely crispy flavour,” she continues enthusiastically. “They taste a bit like tea. But then we serve them with chilli so it’s an unusual flavour. They’re really popular.”

The kitchen door opens to reveal her hunky boyfriend, Andy Holcroft, chef and manager at Grub Kitchen since it opened in 2015. He’s bearing aloft my lunch—a starter of insect pakoras, his signature bug burger as the main course, and for pudding, a plate of cricket cookies.

This is what the French call le moment de vérité. I plunge in my fork and raise it to my mouth, and… Now I know there will be some who’ll be reluctant to believe this, but I can honestly say my insect pakora is absolutely delicious. Richly textural, with a tangy aftertaste.

The same is true of my bug burger. It has a crumbly consistency that I find a little off-putting but the flavour is terrific: better than any veggie burger I’ve eaten. I scoff the lot and then tuck into the cricket cookies. What do they taste like? Somewhat disappointingly, they taste like cookies. Tasty ones, though, which I would recommend. You can order them online at £7.95 a packet.

In the process, you’ll be doing your bit to save the planet. As Sarah explains while walking me round her on-site Bug Farm (which includes a Zoo, Museum and Research Centre), it takes thousands of litres of water to produce a single beef burger. One bug burger, which contains the same amount of protein, requires barely a pint. The land use is minimal, since, as she points out, insects cluster.

With world population figures set to reach 9.8 billion by 2050, it seems highly probable that insect eating (or entomophagy, to give it its proper name) will be at least a part of the solution. So visit Pembrokeshire for a glimpse of the future — and enjoy a fun day out into the bargain.

Sarah’s Zoo boasts tarantulas, giant snails and countless other creepy-crawlies to delight children and send a shiver down the spine of adults. The double attraction of the farm and the restaurant is perfect for families — and if anyone prefers to avoid insects, the menu is packed with tasty non-insectoid options.

It’s all a short walk from the picturesque, tiny city of St David’s, perched on Wales’s westernmost peninsula. A visit to the spectacular St David’s cathedral, which houses the shrine of Wales’ patron saint, is a must. Then grab a pint or two at the Farmer’s Arms, and stroll back to your berth at the cosy Grove Hotel.

Insects are already a popular form of food in countries such as China, Mexico and New Guinea. It’s time the West caught up. After visiting Grub Kitchen, you’ll never complain about a fly in your soup again.