I doubt if this has anything to do with the current credit crunch, but this little bugger could be ending up in a supermarket, butchers, Kebarb, 'Suya', BBQ shop near u soon. Read in the Metro a couple of months back, that Squirrel pastries were so popular in a bakery up North, that they now had to take orders well in advance. You really couldn't make this up, and I wonder how the RSPCA would react to this current trend.

Well am off squirrel hunting in St James Park, I'll probably need a licence since it's a royal  park. Here's an extract from an article I got off the Internet.

Shop supplies posh restaurant with squirrel meat

10:47am Friday 7th March 2008

A VILLAGE shop is struggling to keep up with its customer's demands - for grey squirrel meat.

Ridley's Fish and Game has sold 30 squirrels this week alone. Owners David and Carolyn Ridley have adopted the slogan "eat a grey, save a red" and such as been the interest in the delicacy, they have been bowled over by the demand.

Now the shop is supplying Matfen Hall Hotel's restaurant, where confit of squirrel in a chestnut terrine has already proved a popular addition to the menu. The shop - based in Corbridge, Northumberland - started stocking the meat in January and has regularly sold out since.

"I think it's the initial novelty value and having something different to try which is making a lot of people go for the squirrel.

"At the moment, we are processing the squirrels as soon as they come in, but game would usually be hung for a while first.

"Squirrel doesn't need to be hung though - the meat has a wonderful flavour of its own. It is quite sweet and has the versatility of most game meats. "It has gone down very well with our customers."

The above  extract is from the on-line Northern Echo 2008