AN UNUSUAL food challenge at the Forest Showcase food festival turned out to be a recipe for national interest.

National newspapers and websites ran features about the Extraordinary Squirrel Burger Challenge which was held at the Showcase at the Speech House near Coleford on Sunday.

Winner Holly Hayes, of the Garden Cafe in Lydbrook told the Review: "I have seen that it's hit the papers and the net.

"To be honest I am an advocate of eating wild food, such as wild boar, rabbit and fish, so long as it is humanely caught.

"As long as the meat is not the product of cruel farming then I think that using squirrel, or any wild meat, is fine."

Readers of the Mirror were asked to vote on whether they would eat squirrel – and three-quarters said they would.

Many papers quoted outraged animal rights groups who condemned the competition.

Showcase organisers had asked for chefs to come up with burger recipes using meat from the animals which were also dubbed chicken of the trees.

Four finalists cooked their burgers – using meat supplied by Showcase organisers – which were judged by Lawrence Jeffries of Gloucestershire College and Yvette Farrell of Harts Barn Cookery School in Longhope.

Holly's winning recipe – Cajun Melt – calls for 100g of squirrel meat, combined with garlic, onion, paprika, jerk sauce, tomatoes, flour, egg, lemon balm mayonnaise, plum chutney and seasoning.

The burger is completed with melted mozzarella cheese, and topped off with crushed Worcestershire sauce flavour crisps.

For more pictures from the Showcase see the centre pages of this week's Review.