Three Year 9 students have come up with a quirky new business venture for a recent STEM Academy project – a bug restaurant.
The Baking Bug served its first customers today, including Comet Bay College Principal Kelly Bennett, with a range of tempting menu options, such as mealworm guacamole, a cricket and mealworm pizza and chocolate-dipped crickets for dessert. There was also a selection of beverages, including a cricket mocktail and Oreo thickshake with a bug crunch.
The business venture was designed to provide sustainable living options for the hospitality industry and is the brainchild of Charli Wright and Elias Grant, and supported by Georgie Jones.
In a presentation prior to serving food, Charli told diners the idea stemmed from research into water wastage and sustainability.
“Farmers use more than 50,000L of water to harvest just 1kg of beef, compared to 10L of water to harvest 1kg of crickets,” she said. “We want to prove that crickets and other bugs are just as versatile and delicious as other meat options. The health benefits are also amazing because crickets have two times more protein than beef and salmon combined.”
The crickets and mealworms used were commercially sourced and dehydrated.
Mrs Bennett admitted she was apprehensive at first, but praised both the taste and texture of the dishes.
“It’s a great initiative and the food honestly tasted amazing,” she said. “I’m so impressed by the presentation of the food and the professionalism of the students.”
