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'Mince flies' (pictured) contain mealworm beetle larvae and locusts as well as traditional ingredients

Dinner guests may raise their eyebrows – and run a mile – if you serve them mince pies made from locusts and beetle larvae this holiday season.

But 'mince flies' are a more sustainable, protein-rich and healthy alternative to conventional recipes, according to their makers.

The delicacies will be handed out at London's famous foodie market in Borough to raise awareness of sustainable food.

They are designed to inspire people to consider the environmental impact of the food they eat, especially at Christmas time.

At a time of the year that sees most of us overindulge, the Big Bang UK Young Scientists & Engineers Fair challenged food scientist and TV personality Stefan Gates to rethink traditional Christmas treats and create a more sustainable seasonal snack.

The result is 'mince flies,' which are made from mealworm beetle larvae and locusts, mixed with traditional dried fruit and spices to make them more palatable.

'One of the simplest ways of tackling the sustainability of our food supply is by exploring alternative sources of protein,' Mr Gates said.

'If we want to be able to feed a growing population, even at Christmas people need to be open to new food adventures and look beyond traditional favourites such as turkey, goose or gammon.

Scroll down for recipe 

The 'mince flies' (pictured) are designed to inspire people to consider the environmental impact of the food we eat, especially at Christmas time

'With nearly 2,000 known edible insect species to try, supplementing our diet with insects is one solution to combat rising food prices and the environmental impacts of traditional livestock farming.

'Trust me, these "Mince Flies" really are delicious and we hope they will get people thinking about what their traditional Christmas dinner might look like in the future'.

Mince Flies: Shoppers get their teeth into insect pies

With the global population set to pass nine billion in 2050, scientists predict that the world's agricultural output needs to increase by 70 per cent to feed everyone.

Traditional meat production causes multiple sustainability issues, including large greenhouse gas emissions, while insects on the other hand, are very efficient consumers of resources.

TASTE TEST: MAILONLINE'S SARAH SAMPLES A 'MINCE FLY'

The crunchy locust on top of the bronzed pastry made for unconventional presentation, but the filling was spicy and moist - if a little slimy

The crunchy locust on top of the bronzed pastry made for unconventional presentation.

I bit into the locust with trepidation. It gave way with a crunch and its wings had a papery, but not unpleasant texture. I couldn't quite bring myself to eat its heads because of its staring eyes.

Inside, the filling was moist and tasted just like a traditional, spicy mince pie - with added crunch and a nutty aftertaste courtesy of the worms. 

Despite my fears, it tasted good.

The crispy mealworms on top of the pastry tasted neutral but also nutty with a crispy texture, while those inside were plump and a touch slimy much like the the sultanas, which were chewy.

Despite liking the taste, seeing the slimy worms inside the pie diminished my culinary enjoyment.

Without the decoration on top of the festive treat, the pie could fool the most informed of foodies into thinking it was a normal rich and flavoursome mince pie - which was surprisingly filling thanks to its high protein content.

I'd eat another one - without looking inside. 

'One of the simplest ways of tackling the sustainability of our food supply is by exploring alternative sources of protein,' food scientist and TV personality Stefan Gates said. Locusts and mealworms (shown on the pies) contain as much protein as beef, with around half the calories

One third of the global population, or two billion people, already eat insects as a regular part of their diet.

Thailand, for example already has 20,000 small scale insect farms rearing over 7,500 tonnes of grasshoppers, crickets and other edible insects a year.

Insects are nutritious because they are high in essential fatty acids, calcium, zinc, iron and B12. 

Gram for gram crickets have comparable levels of protein compared to beef half the calories and about 60 per cent less fat.

Children from the Harris Academy Greenwich and Graveney School in Tooting, south east London, have tried the 'mince flies' and are dishing them out to Londoners at Borough Market.

Jarvis, a year seven pupil from the Graveney School, said: 'At first I was nervous about trying something new, but the mince flies tasted fantastic.'

Paul Jackson, Chief Executive of EngineeringUK said: 'The Big Bang UK Young Scientists & Engineers Fair is passionate about showing young people the exciting and rewarding opportunities there are for them in careers in the sciences and engineering. We hope that our "Mince Flies" will excite children to consider new ways of thinking to develop solutions to the way we live our lives in the future.'

Stefan Gates will be performing his 'Supertasters' show at The Big Bang Fair at the NEC, Birmingham from 11-14 March 2015.

The crispy mealworms on top of the pastry tasted neutral but nutty with a crispy texture, while those inside were plump and a touch slimy much like the the sultanas, which were chewy

HOW TO MAKE 'MINCE FLIES' - IF YOU DARE 

Decoration for the pies include buffalo worms and a dried locust (pictured)

Pastry: 125g plain flour, a pinch of salt, 55g butter cut into cubes and 2-3tbsp of cold water

Filling: Nine tbsp of mincemeat,  eight tbsp of dried buffalo worms and one egg

Decoration: Extra buffalo worms and a dried locust for each pie 

Method: 

1. Put the flour, salt and butter in a food mixer or processor (you can easily do it with your hands, too), then mix or pulse (or rub together if hand-making) to the consistency of breadcrumbs.

2. Add the cold water a splash at a time on a slow speed until the dough comes together, then wrap in cling-film and chill in the fridge for 15 mins before use.

3. Mix the mincemeat with the worms. Cut out circles of pastry large enough to sit in the hollows of a metal cake tray, then fill each with a heaped tablespoon of mincemeat, leaving 1cm of clear pastry around each edge

4. Paint around this rim with the egg mixture, then add a pastry lid made from a slightly smaller pastry cutter and press around the edges to stick them together.

5. For decoration, make a slit in the top of each pie, then press a dried locust into it. Paint around it with more of the egg mixture and sprinkle the remaining worms on top.

6. Bake in the middle of a hot oven at 175C (fan)/200C (conventional oven)/gas mark 6 for about 20 minutes then cool on a wire rack. When they are cool to the touch sieve some icing sugar from a bit of a height, and they are ready to serve.