Will dried cricket outlets replace popcorn stands at theme parks in the future? Image © Chessington World of Adventures

UK theme park Chessington World of Adventures is to give away snacks based on dried insects to test out their popularity.

From Friday, the park will be dishing out the edible bugs in a variety of forms, including chocolate ant wafer biscuits, cheese-and-bacon flavored crickets and chocolate-coated larvae. If the trial is a success, the snacks will go on sale in Chessington's new Wild Asia area (which replaces Beanoland for the 2010 season).

The park is looking to cash in on the success of reality show I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! which has frequently featured contestants undergoing insect-eating challenges. To make the insects more palatable, they will be served in traditional pink and white paper sweet bags.

General Manager David Smith said "I have tried the sample snacks and I think if you can exercise mind over matter you will find that they are actually quite tasty. I think I'm a Celebrity ... Get Me Out Of Here! has uncovered a secret desire in many of us to try eating insects, so now is your chance."

The trial of the creepy-crawly snacks is the latest publicity stunt from Chessington owners Merlin, which has succeeded in grabbing headlines recently with reports of an exorcism on Thorpe Park's Saw: The Ride and claims that Alton Tower's Thirteen rollercoaster will be "too scary" for those aged over 55 to ride.

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