PAT CROWLEY, founder, Chapul: ‘Most surprising to me was the protein content of the crickets’
Insects convert grain and grass into edible protein as much as 10 times more efficiently than cows and pigs, so why aren’t we eating them instead?
One man on a mission to bring this new source of protein to the mass market - one store at a time - is Pat Crowley, founder of cricket protein bar maker Chapul.
“Cricket flour is over 60% protein," says Crowley. "You’re getting 22g of protein in a 35g serving, which is comparable to or better-performing than protein powders out there like whey and soy.”
His bars are available in three flavors: Aztec dark chocolate; coffee and cayenne; and Tai coconut ginger lime. Instead of using rice or processed sugar as a binder, the bars are bound with dates, and are made with all natural ingredients.
In the two years since Chapul launched, the public perception landscape has changed considerably and Chapul is signing direct distribution agreements with a handful of new stores every week and is now in 200 locations.
“Most definitely our biggest priority now is creating sustainable business making organic insects available at a large scale,” Crowley says.
Above all, his goal is to make insects as accessible as possible to those who are open to alternative protein sources: “We’re really just trying to extend our reach. Getting into neighborhood grocers is our end goal.
“It’s not a process that needs to be rushed. It’s an exercise in patience at the same time that there’s an urgency to get people a reliable option for alternative protein.”
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