Presumably Dan Lepard, BB’s resident contributor and The Guardian’s Weekend supplement bakery writer, had no part to play in this bread recipe that appeared in the latter. It unites baking and gardening in a stomach-churning first-time alliance not seen since the legendary mouse-in-bread loaf.

Using worms as a nutritious and cheap bread inclusion, we reprint the recipe here for any bakers looking to offer customers a healthy bread with a (literal) twist. Perhaps not one that’s likely to get the stamp of approval from the Vegetarian Society, or indeed shrieking I’m a Celebrity creepy-crawly-phobe nutritionist Gillian McKeith, granted. But it will appeal to the growing band of entomophagists people who eat insects who view them as a sustainable source of protein, vitamins and minerals.

The Guardian’s banana worm bread (by Marc Dennis)

Ingredients

Shortening75g

Sugar30g

Bananas, mashed2

Flour300g

Soda1tsp

Salt1tsp

Chopped nuts60g

Eggs2

Dry roasted mealworms50g

Method

1. Mix all the ingredients together.

2. Sprinkle worms on top for added eye appeal.

3. Bake in a pre-heated 180C oven for about an hour.