Eat Grub: How a Bug-Based Brand Took Flight

A Unique Protein Alternative Goes Mainstream

Changing perceptions can take both education and taste tests. When few in the West considered insects edible, Neil and Shami saw an opening—environmentally friendly, nutrient-dense, and intriguing. Their idea: use insects as the base for snack bars, cooking ingredients, and quick bites. They then backed this with a website that told a clear story and guided curious visitors straight to checkout.

Testing the Waters with a Pop-Up

In 2014, Shami Radia spotted an unusual snack in Malawi: fried termites seasoned with lime and chili. Rather than dismissing it as odd, he saw both nutrition and business potential. He shared the idea with friend Neil Whippey, who had personal interests in healthy diets. Together with chef Sebastian Holmes, they launched an insect-focused pop-up restaurant in London. The response was so strong that they knew this theme could become a full-time venture.

Zeroing in on the Right Audience

After proving the concept in 2014, Shami and Neil looked at who would buy edible insects online. Basic market research showed that fitness buffs chasing high-protein diets were more likely to try something new. Instead of addressing the mass market, they built messaging around the superfood qualities of crickets, mealworms, and locusts—protein, iron, B12, and more. They let customers choose between snack packs, cooking ingredients, and energy bars so each visitor finds exactly what they need.

Crafting Products that Audiences Love

Product innovation has been key. They worked with food scientists to turn crickets into protein powder and create energy bars that taste familiar. Packaging highlights macro-nutrients and allergen information prominently. That clarity eases buyer hesitations. They also introduced sampler packs so first-timers can try a mix of flavors and textures without committing to a full bag.

Building an Ecommerce Hub on a Budget

They needed a platform that handled content and sales without a huge team or budget. WordPress paired with WooCommerce offered a low-cost, no-code way to launch a full-featured web store. Early versions ran on a shoestring, but smart SEO and fresh blog posts on recipes set the stage for steady growth. When they raised seed funding in 2017, they rolled out a redesign focused on guiding visitors through the site quickly and making checkout as smooth as possible.

Driving Traffic with Content and Social Ads

Today, most of their traffic is organic, coming from recipe articles, nutrition guides, and a dedicated blog on cooking with insects. Yoast SEO and Smush help their site rank faster and load quickly. They also use Feefo to collect reviews, which adds trust for first-time buyers. Paid campaigns on Facebook tap lookalike audiences, bringing in new customers who share traits with existing fans. Abandoned-cart emails and bulk discount tools on WooCommerce nudge visitors back to complete their orders.

Personalized Navigation and Ongoing Testing

To make browsing quick, Eat Grub asks shoppers to label themselves as a “foodie” or an “adventurer,” and filters products accordingly. They also run A/B tests on product pages, headlines, and calls to action—something that WordPress makes easy. This agile approach lets them tweak designs and offers, track customer response, and push updates in real time. The result is a compact team working smarter, not harder, to grow revenue.

Next Steps and Future Features

Looking ahead, Shami says subscriptions are on the roadmap. With a dedicated WooCommerce extension, they plan to set up monthly cricket powder deliveries for loyal customers. Alongside that, new display ads and pay-per-click campaigns will target fitness forums and niche blogs. By keeping the platform flexible and focusing on clear user journeys, Eat Grub is well-positioned to make edible insects a mainstream option for healthy snacking.