Poll: yes or no to cricket burgers?

The Scottish craft brewer and pub operator's CEO and co-founder James Watt last week claimed the firm was considering teaming up with Yum Bug to add bugs to the menu at its sites.

Watt shared the idea of social media, asking for feedback from consumers and if they would think about trying a bug burger at a BrewDog site.

In a post shared on Twitter and LinkedIn Watt said the business was “considering” working with sustainable edible insect brand Yum Bug to add a cricket burger to menus across the BrewDog ​estate.

Sustainable superfood 

The post said: “Would you eat a bug burger in a BrewDog ​bar? We are considering working with Yum Bug and putting a cricket burger on our menu.

“Insects are an incredibly sustainable superfood eaten in over 80% of countries which deliver maximum nutrition with minimal resources. So, would you try it?”

Watt’s questioned garnered mixed reactions from BrewDog fans, with some stating they would “absolutely” try a cricket burger while others were less keen but claimed they would “try it once for the novelty factor”.

Would you eat a bug burger in a @BrewDog bar?

We are considering working with @_yumbug and putting a cricket burger on our menu.

Insects are an incredibly sustainable superfood which deliver maximum nutrition with minimal resources.

So, would you try it? pic.twitter.com/JRIaVgJK3t

— James Watt (@BrewDogJames) April 11, 2023

Other respondents said they would “definitely not” try a bug burger while some said their “brain wouldn’t get over the fact” they were eating crickets.

Recent data ​from Lumina Intelligence​ also showed burgers had grown in popularity as consumers look for more affordable dishes amid the ongoing cost-of-living crisis.

Delicious taste 

This comes as the brand received two accolades at the 2023 Publican Awards​ earlier this month, while last month saw Watt team up with funding platform Crowdcube to launch a new initiative​ allowing the public to invest in start-up businesses.

According to Yum Bug’s website, insects are a “seriously sustainable” food source and offer maximum nutrition while using minimal resources. 

Yum Bug claim insects produce significantly less CO2 than other food sources, use less land, less water and less food as they can be fed with discarded products, for example apple cores and potato peels.

Additionally, the company allege crickets offer more protein, iron, calcium, potassium, B12 and omegas 3 and 6 than other meats and include recipes for curried crickets, cricket ragu, rice pudding with canned crickets and cricket stir fry on its website.

The Yum Bug website added: “Bugs taste delicious. But don’t just take our word for it - more than 2bn people, in more than 80% of the worlds countries regularly eat insects and love it.”