Geoff
- Feb 7, 2019
- 2 min read

UK: The wave of insect-based food is coming.

Only three months after Sainsbury's became the first UK supermarket to offer insect-based foods in 250 of its stores, Selfridges is now introducing pasta, and protein and granola bars made from insect flour. We love that more of the big supermarkets are coming onboard and testing the British appetite for insect foods!

This is another big step forward.

We love that more of the big supermarkets are coming onboard and testing the British appetite for insect foods!

Sainsbury's stocks Eat Grub's crunchy roasted smoky BBQ crickets, which are a great introduction to edible insects for the British consumer. We know from market research that the majority of people are open to trying insects and yet are unaware of their health benefits. However, I don't think (and probably neither do Eat Grub) that cricket snacks are a long-term product given its relatively high price of £1.99 for a 9g bag - it's a bit gimmicky, as was also concluded by an early BBC article testing the product. It's very much an educational and accessible, one-off, 'give-it-a-try' purchase.

This has positive effects but only in the short-term.

Selfridges on the other hand look to have a bit more foresight into the rapidly changing food market by committing to a bunch of insect foods including granola and pasta. This is a great choice as now we're seeing insect-fortified staples. Some people eat small and relatively expensive snacks, a lot more people eat pasta - and who wouldn't want double the amount of protein compared to wheat pasta, with sustainability benefits as a bonus?