Crusty critters on the menu in south Shropshire bakery
It may be thousands of years since people ate hedgehogs but the cute creatures are on the menu again.
Animal lovers concerned about the prickly protected species need not be alarmed, however – because these ones are made of bread.
The "bread-hogs" were the idea of south Shropshire bakers Swifts, and were created especially for the recent Hedgehog Awareness Week. They raised £125 in that week alone, which has now been handed over to the British Hedgehog Preservation Society and the crusty critters are still selling fast at markets and food festivals across the region.
Hedgehogs are not commonly eaten today – though the Romans were known to have enjoyed the delicacy – which is just as well because numbers have been sharply on the decline in the UK for many years.
Their plight is the British Hedgehog Preservation Society was set up by Major Adrian Coles 30 years ago, and the national charity's headquarters are in Clee Hill, near Ludlow, the same village as the headquarters of Swift's Bakery.
Fay Vass, chief executive of the BHPS, said: “Swifts has always been really supportive of our charity and John in particular has a genuine interest in wildlife.
"As well as doing this fundraising and awareness campaign for us they are always really generous in supporting us with hoggy loaves for our own events.
"A really good traditional family business helping out their local charity as much as they can – we would like to thank them sincerely for all they do to help hedgehogs.”
Swifts Bakery is run by director John Swift, the fifth generation of bakers in a family business that has been going for more than 150 years in the Midlands. Along with the Clee Hill headquarters, Swifts also has branches in Craven Arms, Ludlow, and Tenbury Wells and also sells in Ludlow Market.
John himself starred in the BBC show Victorian Bakers in 2016.
For more information about helping hedgehogs visit the BHPS website at www.britishhedgehogs.org.uk.
