ASK the waiter what the chef's specials are at The Shovels pub and he may just surprise you because from now on Australian cook Mark Blackham's menu will include a range of unique Aussie food.

On Australian cook Mark Blackham's menu from now on will be a range of unique Aussie food ... so say g'day to crocodile crepes, kangaroo and mushroom vol-au-vents and camel goulash.

Mark, who has worked at the pub on Common Edge Road in Marton for two years, was asked to come up with something new and different for the menu by manager Steve Norris.

Mark immediately cast his mind back to when he worked in his native Australia and immediately hit upon a bonza idea - aboriginal food - and there's not a shrimp or barbie in sight!

Steve explained: "Mark used to work in the outback near Alice Springs and told me about the food he used to cook there, including a wide variety of unusual fish, such as parrot fish, barracuda, marlin and shark.

"His ideas for strange meats such as ostrich steak and wild boar with orange and nutmeg sauce seemed exciting, so we found a supplier and put them on the menu last week to complement our normal menu."

And the food is going down a treat with his customers: "They were a bit reluctant at first, but by the end of last weekend we had sold out of kangaroo, so hopefully it's going to do well," Steve added.

"Some of the meats may seem exotic, but they do taste like more normal meats.

"The kangaroo looks and tastes a lot like beef."

But certain treats are staying firmly off the menu - including Aborigine favourite witchety, which are cooked large grubs.

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