Locust turns out to be lekker at this pestaurant

After sampling an array of exotic delights ranging from cockroaches to buffalo worms, Capetonians at the Good Food and Wine show declared that "locust is lekker".

Pest-control company Rentokil set up a "pestaurant" at the show, serving crackers with cream cheese and sweet chilli topped with a locust, chocolate-covered ants, meal worms and several other six- legged and slithery taste treats.

Rentokil's Nathalie Leblond said that people had been wary initially but by Saturday there was huge interest.

The pestaurant was inundated with curious foodies at the show on Saturday.

"I was expecting that the locusts wouldn't be so popular because they're bigger and a bit more crunchy, but they're flying, hopping and jumping off the shelf," she said.

The insects were brought in from the US, where they are farmed for human consumption, she said.

Some of the less adventurous turned their nose up and refused to take even a bite, but others sampled more than one type of snack, earning them a sticker to prove that they had survived the experience.

Others sampled some of the roasted worms on offer before declaring "they taste like rice crispies".

Bradley Richards, who snacked on both the worm and the locust crackers, said: "I was so scared I don't know what it tasted like. But it was nice."

Melanie Khatib tried the buffalo worm but said she barely tasted it.

"I tasted nothing except the sauce and the cream cheese."

Charles Tyres said: "It's lovely. It's the first time I've tried it but it didn't taste any different from anything else I've eaten."