A Cumbrian restaurant has added grey squirrel pie and pasta dishes to its menu.
The Wild Boar Inn near Windermere has introduced the new dishes in response to conservationists' calls for extra measures to counter grey squirrel populations damaging woodlands and threatening native red species - but also to make best use of their highly nutritious meat.
As well as making a tasty, gamey flavoured pie, Dylan Evans, who is head chef at The Wild Boar Inn, has added grey squirrel ragu tagliatelle to his
imaginative menu.
Wildlife campaigners want to remove grey squirrels from woodlands where
they are destroying trees by ripping bark and eating the internal fibres
which contain key nutrients.
They are also seeking to encourage restaurants to use squirrel meat as a delicacy and to avoid food waste.
Adam Bujok, from English Lakes Hotels Resorts and Venues, who manages the Wild Boar Inn, said: “The meat of the grey squirrel is not only
nutritious but delicious when expertly prepared and paired with
complementary seasonings and ingredients, and it’s similar in taste to
rabbit.
“We’ve put the grey squirrel pie and pasta dish on the menu by way of
introduction and we’re looking forward to receiving customer feedback.
"We’re even planning taster sessions for some of our more curious
and adventurous diners. It’s sure to be something of a talking point
amongst our diners. The dishes are well complemented by the craft ales
we brew here on site too.
“We also saw the recent calls for more to be done about rising grey
squirrel populations and wanted to help by looking at ways of ensuring
that a valuable food resource doesn’t go to waste. Dylan is already
thinking up alternative dishes which we can add at a later date as
well.”
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