Mushrooms are grown on compost, which is made from mixing straw, manure, gypsum, and water and then adding the spore. It’s a 6-week process with the mycelium already growing in it ready to go to the farm. It’s filled at the farm, with a layer of casing on top, on shelves in specialist growing houses.

Through management of temperature, air quality, and humidity the mycelium is encouraged to the surface to form the mushroom pins. In just under 3 weeks from filling the mushrooms are ready for the first flush (pick) which is 4-5 days. There are 2 more flushes, each about a week apart. The harvesting is by hand. The size - button, cup, or flat is just the stage that they are picked at.

After the final flush the house is emptied and cleaned before starting the cycle again. From starting compost to clearing the house it is 12 weeks. Once harvested the mushrooms are chilled to help with quality and transported to the packhouse.

Arriving fresh daily they will be inspected, packed, and labelled. All in new cardboard trays. Distributed 6 days per week to Booker for freshness and quality. For customers to use in their catering businesses. Farm Fresh Mushrooms are now in cardboard trays. Removing single use plastic, easy to flatten, recyclable and forecast to save over 280 tonnes of plastic waste annually.