Like something straight out of the bizarre Bushtucker Trial on last night’s I’m A Celebrity, Roberts is the first major bakery brand in the UK to launch insect bread. And it tastes delicious.
The batch of limited-edition Crunchy Cricket Loaves has been whipped up in The Exploratory – Roberts’ concept kitchen and home of innovation – to celebrate the show being back on our screens for its 19th season.
The bread is made using cricket flour, which is supplied by Eat Grub – the UK’s leading insect food brand – and sourced from the world’s onlyfarm with Grade A BRC food safety certification. Each loaf contains around 336 crickets, which are dried, ground, mixed with wheat flour and grains and then baked to become a tremendously tasty loaf with a crunchy finish.
Roberts’ Crunchy Cricket Loaf contains more protein than standard bread and is also a much more environmentally-friendly and sustainable source of it.
Food experts claim insects can also actually blitz body fat due to being packed with good fatty acids, calcium, iron, vitamin B12 and vitamin C. In fact, a recent study shows that crickets have antioxidant power five times higher than fresh orange juice. And they’re also low in fat.
They are also said to be good for the gut, to the high levels of chitinous fibre found in their exoskeleton. This helps to increase levels of a metabolic enzyme associated with gut health.
“As well as having very strong sustainability and environmental credentials, insects are also seriously tasty and shouldn’t be overlooked as a great recipe ingredient. Our Cricket Loaf provides consumers with a good source of protein and an easy way to familiarise themselves with insect-based food,” said Alison Ordonez, Head of Innovation at the bakery firm.
“As the UK’s next generation bakery we work tirelessly to stay at the forefront of food revolution. We’re also passionate about boosting growth in the bread category with relevant, sustainable and interesting bakes. The first-in-the-UK Roberts Cricket Loaf is yet another example of this.”
Neil Whippey, Co-Founder at Eat Grub, said: “We’ve been importing and selling insects as a food source since 2013, and we’re always excited to work with likeminded manufacturers who are keen to realise their insect-innovations. It’s been great to support Roberts in what appears to a UK bakery brand first. What a great way to introduce the joys and benefits of eating insects.”
Insect eating, or entomophagy, is common in much of the world. The UN estimated last year that at least 2billion people eat insects – with many having eaten them traditionally for generations – and more than 1,900 species are used for food.
For many, they’re a delicacy and insect harvest season is much anticipated. They’re also a popular choice amongst those who want to protect the environment because farming insects uses less land, water and feed than conventional livestock farming.
Roberts’ first batch of Crunchy Cricket Loaf is limited to 100 loaves. Ten of these are up for grabs for lucky competition winners. To be in with a chance of getting your hands on one, visit @RobertsBakeryUK on Facebook from 28th November to noon on Thursday 5th December. The 10 lucky winners will be announced later that day. Good luck!
Roberts’ loaves are stocked in Asda and Morrisons stores nationally. They’re also listed in all major multiple grocers across the UK and online at Ocado, as well Londis and Budgens convenience stores.
Celebrities who eat insects
- Actress, singer and producer Nicole Kidman revealed she has a penchant for eating live bugs. In a Vanity Fair video, Kidman reveals that her “hidden talent is eating micro-livestock.” To prove her point, she polished off a four-course meal consisting of live hornworms, live mealworms, crickets and fried grasshoppers.
- In 2017, actress, filmmaker and humanitarian Angelina Jolie created a media storm, whist promoting a film in Cambodia, by eating insects with her children. The actress was seen frying a scorpion and eating the leg of a spider which she said had a “really good flavour.”
- Actor and singer Zac Efron ate Scorpion on toast, Taiwanese cricket and worm cocktail on a US TV show to promote a new film.
- Salma Hayek revealed that she enjoys eating ants, worms and grasshoppers as part of a varied diet. The Mexican actress and producer described the delicacies as part of her heritage said she has eaten insects since she was child.
- For the release of his Man of the Woods album in January 2018, Justin Timberlake had the chef of the renowned Danish restaurant Noma prepare insects for his guests to eat. Ants coated with black garlic and rose oil and Danish pancakes with grasshoppers were on the menu.
- Actress, producer and activist Shailene Woodley calls insects the “future of food.”
- Katy Perry ended her tour in Bangkok by eating scorpions.
- Singer, actress and fashion designer Jessica Simpson ate insects to boost her metabolism.
Ingredients of Roberts’ Cricket Bread (allergens in bold)
Wheat Flour (with added calcium, iron, niacin and thiamine), Water, *Cricket Powder, Malted Wheat Flakes, Yeast, Barley Malt Flour, Salt, Emulsifiers: E471, E472e, Brown Sugar, Soya Flour, Preservative: Calcium Propionate (to inhibit mould growth), Rapeseed Oil, Flour Treatment Agent: Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C)
*Allergy Info: Contains gluten and if you are allergic to shellfish, you may be allergic to insects as well
Nutritional information for Roberts’ Cricket Bread
| Description | Quantity per 100g | Units |
| Energy (kcal) | 227.900 | Kcal |
| Energy (kj) | 957.558 | Kj |
| Protein | 12.377 | g |
| Carbohydrate | 40.441 | g |
| Of which sugars | 1.869 | g |
| Of which polyos | 0.388 | g |
| Of which starch | 37.917 | g |
| Fat | 1.858 | g |
| Of which saturates | 0.377 | g |
| Of which monosaturated | 0.268 | g |
| Of which polyunsaturated | 0.423 | g |
| Of which cholesterol | 1.351 | mg |
| Fibre | 2.485 | g |
| Sodium | 0.360 | mg |
| Salt | 0.9 | g |
Source: Robert’s Bakery
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