Insects are the future, says Belgian bug chef

Since opening the first restaurant in Belgium to serve insects, chef David Creëlle has turned it into a successful catering business, published a cookbook, and launched the food company Bugs World Solution Food. Later this week Creëlle will introduce his new insect burgers during the World Food Expo in Milan.

Creëlle's story began when his girlfriend and business partner Liesbet Minne suggested experimenting cooking with insects after a trip to Thailand. "In Thailand, we ate insects for the first time and liked it, even though they all just tasted like soy. That's when we realised that there was so much more potential," Creëlle (photo, right) told Metrotime.be.

According to the business duo, extensive market research shows that consumers in Belgium are open to the idea of eating insects. And there are plenty of reasons to occasionally replace your daily piece of meat with insects, they say. "Insects are packed with nutrients: carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins... And they're eco-friendly, emitting much less CO2 than cattle farming and requiring substantially less grains. To produce one kilogram of beef, for example, you would need 10 kilos of grain. With crickets, however, the ratio is one to one – a world of difference. I am convinced that insects are the future," Creëlle says.

The Bugs World insect burger will soon be available in Belgian supermarkets.