Roasted mealworms, anyone? Restaurant selling creepy crawlies pops up Cardiff

Pop-Up Resturant in Cardiff Serves Up Bugs for Lunch

Rentokil Pop-up Pestaurant opens in Cardiff

Most diners would demand to see the manager if they found a bug in their food, but shoppers in Cardiff could not get enough creepy crawly insects when a food stall with a difference scuttled into the city centre.

Pest control firm Rentokil set up its Pestaurant in the Welsh capital's Queen Street with a menu which included sour cream and onion crickets, cheddar cheese mealworms and worm lollipops.

The one-off event was part of Global Pestaurant Day with organisers saying people should consider the benefits of having more insects in their diet.

Rentokil product manager Berwen Evans said: "As little as 100g of crickets contains just 121 calories, compared to 288 calories in the same amount of beef. Words: PA.

"And it's worth noting that cattle require 12 times more feed to produce the same amount of protein as crickets.

"For some people the idea of eating insects does have a 'yuk factor', but there are two billion people worldwide who already supplement their diet with insects."

And it seemed that the unusual eatery - which handed out an array of edible creepy crawlies for free - proved a hit with curious Cardiff shoppers.

Janet Bowen, 54, said: "I was a bit grossed out at first, but after having seen (TV show) I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here! I was intrigued to give it a go.

"I was pleasantly surprised actually - they may look a bit disgusting but they don't taste it. I've taken home a scorpion lollipop for my grandson as a surprise."

Also getting a piece of the action was edible insect fan - or entomophagist - and BugBitesUK website founder Nadiah Harun Hanley, from Weston-Super-Mare.

She said: "What's so great about eating insects? They're delicious and it's also something new and exciting that you cook.

"Grasshoppers are my favourite right now - they taste like fried chicken."