Posted on 08/26/2023 3:24:43 PM PDT by nickcarraway
The TV farmer and YouTube star say he has been 'deluged' with supply offers for his squirrel burgers - but others have called the plan 'horrendous'
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A farmer has defended himself after suffering a fierce backlash over his plan to serve squirrel burgers.
Farmer and influencer Gareth Wyn Jones, who has a million followers on social media including 750,000 subscribers to his YouTube channel, has been on the end of abuse online since he went public with an appeal for supplies of freshly killed grey squirrel to make the patties.
Gareth, who has previously appeared on BBC TV series the Family Farm, will be running the pop-up restaurant Cwtch Kitchen at the Welsh Game Fair on September 9 and 10. He plans to put the burgers on the menu at the event and is also suggesting serving them in a calzone.
Gareth, who farms in the foothills of the Carneddau Range above Llanfairfechan, in Conwy, said: “I’ve eaten it that way in Majorca cooked by Chris ‘Flamebaster’ Roberts for S4C and it would be perfect washed down with a glass of red Rondo from the Gwinllan Conwy vineyard. I’ve been deluged with offers of grey squirrel but I’ve had a fair bit of abuse from uneducated people with full bellies too. They’re nuts.”
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That included loopy44 who posted: “I think that's a horrendous idea for burgers - next you will be suggesting seagulls. You are only doing it for notoriety. I definitely prefer to see my squirrels happy in trees."
Hawkeye responded: “You can stick them where squirrels stuff their nuts! Why not rat burgers, same thing but no bushy tail!!!” while imageezer blasted: “The man is sick in the head.”
But Gareth has his supporters too, North Wales Live reports, and indigodebz said: “Makes total sense to me, we import and transport far too much food. Eat local, eat seasonal. I’m up for trying a squirrel burger if they’re genuinely having to be culled and would go to waste otherwise.”
Jonesey added: “I killed, gutted, cooked and ate a couple of grey squirrels many, many years ago … part of a survival course thing. As I remember they didn’t taste particularly good or particularly bad. As the bloke says, a bit like chicken.”
Gareth’s response was: “We should be supporting our native red squirrels. It’s all about getting that message out there. Every single grey that’s culled is protecting our native red population so let’s do it. Grey squirrels are an invasive species so the more we shoot the better and if we can add value by turning them into tasty food that’s even better. Even in the USA they’re a pest. They have Douglas red squirrels in Washington state and they’re being affected by the greys so people are encouraged to shoot them.”
Crap, I was hoping it would be in Pensacola.
Business opportunity for you?
What’s wrong with eating squirrel? Either you like the taste or you don’t. By the way, it tastes like squirrel.
𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 𝘸𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘳𝘳𝘦𝘭? 𝘌𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦 𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵. 𝘉𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺, 𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘴𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘳𝘳𝘦𝘭.
I’ve had goat. I’m pretty sure I had horse when I was overseas. I might’ve had rabbit. I’d try squirrel.
Environmentalists should love it. Aren’t squirrel and rabbit the most sustainable meats?
Nah. Just wanted to try some squirrel. I’ve had elk, buffalo and venison, plus burgers that had wild boar mixed in with other meats, but no squirrel.
If it weren’t for the endangered species laws, gator would be good, too.
I’d like to try it.
My grandma used to make a mighty tasty squirrel stew. I inherited the cast iron pan she used to make it. It’s sitting on my stove right now.
P
I’ve eaten more than 400 squirrels since 1999. I’ve had em fried, baked, broiled, jerked, ground, pressure cooked (the best) in shepherd’s pie and bbqed. They taste like chicken thigh meat, but not at all fatty. Squirrels are fastidiously clean inside and out. I’ve skunned [sic] out some with botfly larva buried in the skin. That’s pretty gross, but it doesn’t affect the meat. My work colleagues have been surprisingly open-minded when it comes to trying different squirrel dishes.
I hit the squirrel-eating wall a few years ago. I only have four or five a year now. Like when I hit the donut-eating wall when I worked in a donut shop.
Props to this guy.
I had a great aunt near Ocala that shot squirrels with a .22 from her car. My Dad used to say she was the best hunter and fisher in the family. She also made a mean Brunswick stew. The good old days. I also had a great uncle whose idea of deer hunting was to turn his hounds loose, the hounds would herd a deer into his back yard, where he would shoot it, hoist it up, dress it, and put it in the freezer.
I would be all over it. Why not? They are a pest problem in most areas anyhow, so why not harvest them.
The only way it could get better is if it was a UFO conference serving Squirrel Burgers. lol
Squirrel is not half bad. I had some when I was in the service. I visited another airman’s family in Georgia. The mom suggested he go check for squirrels.
I thought they had traps set because Joe and I left without a gun. He spotted a squirrel, picked up a rock and nocked its head off from about thirty yards off.
I was surprised and said he needs to see a major league scout who will turn him into the best left-handed pitcher of the last forty years. He said, “No, Mike. I caint be no left-handed pitcher.” I asked” Why not?” He responded, “Bacuz I’m right-handed.”
I was stunned, “But, Joe, I just saw you knock the head off that squirrel at 30 yards using your left hand to through the rock.” Joe responded, “Wall, I hunt squirrels with my left hand throws becauz when I throws righthanded it obliterates the squirrel.”
Dang King, you are to squirrels what Bubba Blue (from Forrest Gump) was to shrimp....
I’d love to try squirrel someday, for now I just watched the Hawks and owls get them out of my oak trees
Dad shot squirrel. We ate a lot of it.
I grew up eating squirrel and gravy. I’m not a real fan it of now.
“I’ve had goat. I’m pretty sure I had horse when I was overseas.”
Both are great, We used to have yearly community Burro BBQs when I was a kid before they outlawed it.
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Funny, ain’t it: I’ve eaten goat (Indian food) and rabbit (hasenpfeffer), but would decline to eat horse or squirrel (once described as “Just like rats, but with cuter outfits.”). Will also pass on reptiles and amphibians. And organs from any animal whatsoever (except for a fresh, properly handled deer liver...).
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