The team behind the much-loved Glasgow Mushroom Company – suppliers to some of Scotland’s top restaurants – has unveiled a new sustainable venture, Caledonia Mushrooms, along with an innovative grow-your-own mushroom kit designed for ethically minded consumers and retailers.
Founded by Hendrik Mans and Harriet Sinclair, the Glasgow Mushroom Company has been a staple of the city’s culinary scene since 2019, cultivating gourmet mushrooms from its Maryhill base for fine dining clients including The Gannet and Swadish.
With the launch of Caledonia Mushrooms, the duo aims to bring their sustainable ethos directly to consumers who value transparency in food production. “With more and more consumers calling for transparency and ethical practice in food production, we want to help our customers have more of a say in the food they eat,” says co-founder Hendrik Mans. “We’ve worked hard to own as much of the growing process as possible to offer our customers full transparency. Caledonia Mushrooms represents the next step to bringing this ethos to a wider audience.”
A plant-based approach to gourmet growing
The grow-your-own kits set themselves apart by being fully plant-based, using native UK mushroom strains cultivated on sustainably sourced Scottish wood. Mans explains that large-scale mushroom farming is not always as green as it seems: “It’s a common misconception that large-scale farming of mushrooms is entirely plant-based or even wholly sustainable due to its reliance on fossil fuels and animal waste.”
As mushrooms continue to grow in popularity among home cooks and restaurants alike, Caledonia Mushrooms hopes to set a new standard for eco-friendly production. Despite ongoing cost-of-living challenges, sustainability remains a key focus for many Britons who are increasingly seeking out high-quality, low-waste food options.
From Maryhill to Locavore
Caledonia Mushrooms’ kit offers an accessible way to grow Grey Oyster and Lion’s Mane mushrooms – both celebrated for their rich flavour and meaty texture – at home. The varieties have gained momentum thanks to chefs like Derek Sarno and the Michelin Guide-recommended team at Fallow, who have helped spotlight mushrooms as viable, protein-rich alternatives in plant-based cooking.
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Available in Glasgow branches of Locavore and via caledoniamushrooms.co, each kit is priced at £20, inviting customers to experience sustainable mushroom cultivation first-hand – from spore to supper.
To explore their plant-based approach to gourmet mushrooms or order a kit, visit caledoniamushrooms.co
