Hopping mad: You can eat cricket pie in London for British Pie Week

Ah, pie: the pastry-and-filling fuel that’s fed London for generations, through gentrification and all. It’s no wonder the stodgy staple has its own awareness holiday, with British Pie Week running this year from March 6-12. 

However if steak and ale has become a little stale, or you want something other than chicken underneath your crust, then look no further because you can now get cricket pie in London. That’s right: cricket. Those leggy, loud insects you can find hopping around long grass in summer. 

The creepy (crawly) concept has been cooked up by Pieminister, and will mix the insects with black beans in a tomato, chipotle chilli and sour cream sauce with fresh lime and coriander for a Mexican-inspired twist on the classic pie. 

Called The Hopper, the folks at Pieminister say they hope the unusual ingredient shows how to incorporate alternative sources of protein into our diets that are more sustainable than the meat we traditionally eat. And they’ve promised it tastes really good, too.

But if your stomach isn’t quite strong enough for six legs, you can pick any of their other specials for British Pie Week, including The Big Cheese – a cheesy onion and buttered potato pie – and The Guru, a twist on a lamb dhansak curry.

Try the specials at Pieminister's cafes at Gabriel's Wharf and Leather Lane until March 12. 

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