Insect food: what happened to the buzz?

Sponsored by EcoVend, By Megan Tatum2025-10-02T13:42:00

Insects have nearly made it on menus for a good while now. But progress has been stymied by regulatory hurdles, conspiracy theories and the ‘yuck factor’. Can the idea still make progress?

Early last year, a much-hyped new restaurant opened its doors in Finsbury Park, north London, replete with the industrial aesthetic, small plates and ambitious young founders that are the hallmark of many London hotspots.

But diners queueing up for Yum Bug on a Friday night were after a culinary experience with a six-legged twist.

Steaming dishes of crickets whole-roasted in bombay mix, minced in roasted vegetable salads and even powdered in caramel baklava flew out of the kitchen, all in a bid by 30-year-old founders Leo Taylor and Aaron Thomas to show that “edible insects can help create a healthier and more sustainable food system”.

Insect food: what happened to the buzz?

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