Derbyshire firm at forefront of medicinal mushroom boom

As the air clears, a bizarre alien world is revealed. Shelves are stacked-high with white bags; each with its own beautiful - yet oddly grotesque - clump of mushrooms pushing their way out into the spaces between the metal racking. This is the fruiting chamber for the Mushroom Emporium at a secret location near Matlock, Derbyshire.

Robin and his family have been growing and selling exotic mushrooms to chefs, restaurants and home-cooks for five years.

But the business has entered a real purple patch and is now shifting its focus to supplying mushrooms for medicinal uses. “In the last six months the demand for medicinal products has overtaken our gourmet sales”, explains 40-year-old Robin. “People are looking to find alternatives to big pharma - they want more natural remedies.

“There’s been so much research proving the benefits of mushrooms. One of our top-selling varieties is Lion’s Mane. It’s everywhere on social media as a treatment for, among other things, ADHD. I guess the explosion in ADHD diagnoses and the global supply issues for stimulant drugs to treat the condition is really helping our business.

“Our medicinal line also includes Turkey Tail, Reishi and Cordyceps. We supply these as medicinal powders and also ship grow-boxes out so customers can grow their own. We’re also beginning to develop tinctures and coffees powered by mushrooms.” The Mushroom Emporium sells online at https://mushroomemporium.co.uk/