The Hindon Crayfish Food Fair and BBQ

Saturday 26 September * The Lamb at Hindon

The Hindon Crayfish Fair & BBQ is the very first of its kind and has been organised in response to the growing numbers of American signal crayfish that are multiplying in the idyllic chalk streams surrounding the village. The objective is to eat the signal crayfish to extinction in British waters. 

Concerned about the local ecology and wanting to raise money to maintain the village church, the Friends of Hindon Church have come up with an idea of dredging local streams, organising a village fair and putting the delicious signals on the menu.

The Lamb at Hindon will be cooking a range of fabulous dishes using the American signal crayfish, including barbequed crayfish accompanied by a range of savoury butters.

Furthermore there will be over 80 stalls featuring local food producers as well as a day long programme of entertainment with street circus, Morris dancers and salsa music. Proceeds from all crayfish sold will go to The Village Church Fund.

The Lamb at Hindon, Wiltshire, SP3 6DP T:01747 820 573 www.lambathindon.co.uk  10am-5pm.

WHY SHOULD YOU JOIN OUR CAMPAIGN?

In early autumn 1979, thousands of North American signal crayfish, farmed for their fantastic taste, broke out of their trout farm prisons in the south of England. At that time, white-clawed crayfish, the only native freshwater species in British Isles, thrived in our waterways.

Three decades later, they have been decimated. Since the North American signal crayfish arrived in the UK, hundreds of rivers have become infested with the fungus known to science as aphanomyces astaci (crayfish plague) - tiny spores clinging to its shell. Despite its name, crayfish plague is harmless to the signal crayfish. Just as a mosquito is unaffected by the deadly malaria in its bloodstream, so the American species is immune from aphanomyces.

But sadly, not so the native white claw.  Within days of the spores entering a river, there is little that can be done, according to Chris Rostron, a water wildlife conservationist: “White claws don’t have a chance. Their immune system will not recognise the fungus, and it will spread unchallenged through their body. If you find one that’s died from the plague, it’s pretty unpleasant. It might look fairly normal from the outside, but if you break open the body there’ll be nothing inside except killer fungus. It literally eats them alive, like something out of Alien.  After this, of course, the killer fungus is able to release millions more spores into the water.”