We've all heard people grumble about the quality of theme park snacks - they're too sugary, too unhealthy, not very nutritious, and so on. But one UK theme park - Chessington World of Adventures - is turning this conception right on its head by offering its visitors a selection of dried 'pick n mix' insects. And we're not talking about the fruit jelly kind!
Starting at the end of this week on a trial basis, visitors to the well known theme park in Surrey will be able to pick up a bag of these crunchy freeze dried insects. Lucky (or plucky, depending how you feel about it) park patrons will be able to indulge in chocolate covered larvae, cheesy bacon crickets or even chocolate 'ant wafer' biscuits. And to put worried minds at rest, all of the insects are perfectly edible and have been hygienically prepared for consumption - so there's no risk of any nasty tummy bugs! Well, except the ones you've just eaten of course!
Anyone visiting the park over the next few weeks will be able to try out these new snacks completely free of charge. It'll be interesting to see how well they 'go down'. Management at Chessington World of Adventures hopes that these freeze dried insects will appeal to kids who may have seen too many jungle based reality shows. The way they see it, if the kids can get their hands on some chocolaty (and - perhaps more importantly - edible) bugs, they're less likely to go digging around in the garden and eating what they find there!
To top it all off, the crunchy creepy crawlies will be handed out in the classic British pink and white striped bags. But, perhaps unfortunately for some, they won't be full of bon bons!