At the moment we only farm yellow mealworms, which have the scientific name Tenebrio molitor (“Tenebrio” meaning ‘darkness’ as mealworms love the dark, and “molitor” meaning ‘miller’ as meal worms historically buried themselves in sacks of flour). In fact, mealworms are not actually worms but are the larvae of the Darkling beetle. In the near future we look forward to expanding our farm to include house crickets, which have the scientific name Acheta domesticus.

It is thought that mealworms originated in the Mediterranean, and by hitching a lift within bags of flour and grains that were being shipped around the world they managed to become settled within North America and Europe.

Yes, mealworms are one of the most popular edible insect species for human consumption and are said to taste mild and nutty with a hint of spice. They offer many nutritional benefits, including high levels of protein, iron, calcium, antioxidants, minerals and vitamins (including B12 and B5), and they rich in the beneficial fatty acids Omega 3 and Omega 6. However, at present mealworm products have not been approved for use in human foods within the European Union as they are classed as ‘Novel Foods’, and therefore require further examination before being permitted for human consumption.

We largely rear our mealworms with spent grain which is collected as a by-product from local breweries. The spent grain is packed full of nutrients that are easily digestible by mealworms, allowing us to utilize this local resource and contribute to the circular economy.

The yellow mealworm Tenebrio molitor and associated derived proteins have already been approved for use in aquaculture feed and pet feed within the European Union. Current legislation prevents proteins derived from Tenebrio molitor from being fed to poultry, however the feeding of whole insects is currently allowed. There has been an indication from the European Commission that it may approve the use of insect derived proteins in poultry feed in the near future.