Powdered crickets set to make a tasty treat for athletes

AN entrepreneur and a Sheffield-based food business have joined forces to launch a protein bar made from cricket flour, which has received rave reviews from adventure athletes, rock climbers and runners and has been taken on expeditions to Everest.

Yumpa, developed by Sheffield-based Next Step Foods and Tony Askins, aims to meet growing interest and demand for nutritious, environmentally low-impact and tasty snacks.

The bars are available in two flavours, Coco-a-go-go  – warming cocoa, orange and cardamom, and Tangy Thai  – zingy lime, coconut and ginger, with more flavours set to be unveiled in 2017.

Each Yumpa Bar contains 32 powdered crickets, plus nuts, seeds and dried fruit, and is free from gluten, diary, soya and sulphites and has no added sugar or additives.

They are designed to appeal to health and environmentally conscious consumers and are all served in completely compostable packaging.

Mr Askins says: “Crickets need just a fraction of the space, resources and feed of other farm animals and produce less pollution. At 60% complete protein, cricket flour is an incredible resource and crickets are increasingly becoming part of the Western diet. And of course, they’re really tasty!”

Mr Askins was recently invited to talk to delegates at Food Matters Live, the food industry event at London’s Excel centre.

He said: “I was thrilled to be asked to give a speech at the event and talk with food buyers and distributors about why crickets could be the future of food. And judging by their comments and enjoyment of the bars, crickets really are the future of food.”

Yumpa Bars will be available from Next Step Foods from December 5 and directly to the public and for wholesale retail and distribution.

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