Dead hungry: Mother-to-be develops bizarre cravings for roadkill



Alison Brierley is a professional taxidermist

' It's more gamey than other meat and I love the taste'

She even serves it at dinner parties



As a professional artist and taxidermist Alison Brierley is used to handling roadkill.



But now rather than making jewellery from the hides of dead animals she finds, since becoming pregnant Ms Brierley has found a new use for the animals.



Ms Brierley , from Harrogate, North Yorkshire, has developed strong cravings for roadkill meat.

Unusual entrées: Pregnant Alison Brierley sits at her dinner table alongside Japanese Gyoto dubbed Feral Fusion after it was made with roadkill due to her cravings

She said: ‘Usually I eat really healthily but now I'm pregnant I get strong cravings for roadkill.



‘It's more gamey than other meat and I love the taste.



‘I also don't have to feel guilty about eating it because I know it's had a completely free range and natural life.

‘Because I'm pregnant I've been extra careful when handling the carcasses and I always wear gloves. I don't want to risk any infections that could hurt the baby.’



Ms Brierley , 42, and her partner Marcus Speer, 44, are thrilled to be having a baby boy, which is due in February.

Unusual cravings: The professional artist and taxidermist has been craving roadkill since becoming pregnant (pictured here picking up dinner from a road in Yorkshire)

Cooking up a storm: Alison in her kitchen in Harrogate creating the Japanese Gyoto made from road kill

Although the nomadic couple have eaten roadkill before, and admitted to trying venison on a recent trip to America, Ms Brierley says that her extreme cravings have only been brought on by the pregnancy.



She said: ‘I'm craving junk food which is really unlike me and I am eating a lot more roadkill and red meat in general.



‘It's probably because I need all the natural iron I can get at the moment, what with all these extra red blood cells I am making.’



Ms Brierley revealed how she has even started hosting regular roadkill dinner parties, which she says are thoroughly enjoyed by her friends.



She said: ‘They trust me and they know I'm a good cook so I think they love it.



‘I get the best meat from friends who ring me up to tell me about a kill they've spotted on their way to work.

Eating for two: Alison says she needs all the natural iron she can get at the moment, because of the extra red blood cells she's making while pregnant

‘The best road round here is the A61 to Ripon, it's definitely the most fruitful.



‘But most of my foraging is opportunistic and I don't go out looking for carcasses.



‘The first time I picked something up was when I drove past a perfectly good pheasant.



‘I stopped and I thought 'I'm going to eat this'.



‘I took it home and marinated it in olive oil for four days before I made a kind of Kentucky fried pheasant dish.



‘I've also tried hare, deer, pigeon, rabbit, owls and partridges, but pheasant is still the staple because it's so common.



‘I would like to try fox and badger but they're never in good enough condition to eat; although I have used them for my artwork.’



Despite their controversial lifestyle choice Ms Brierley and Mr Speer believe that their way of life is better for the environment.



‘One of the big reasons for being public about this is that I want to raise awareness about where food actually comes from’, said Alison.

