Gourmet mushrooms have found a home at Sherwood forest coffee estate
At the end of 2021 a new product category was welcomed to our mountain location and brought with it a whole new world of opportunities and customers.
While coffee farming remains at the core of the activities at our estate, we cannot ignore that there are great benefits in diversifying and tapping into the growing demand for gourmet mushrooms.
The misty air and low temperatures that our coffee plants love, are also perfect for our oyster mushroom range – so Welcome to the Oyster Mushrooms!
where do oysters grow?
The world of mushrooms is vast and full of species that plays an important role in the ecosystems they inhabit.
The species of oyster mushrooms we grow at Sherwood is the fruiting body of a large network of spores and mycelium that grows on a substrate prepared by our team - mimicking what they would grow on in nature. Oyster mushrooms typically grow on fallen, wooden logs, where they develop large clusters of beautiful mushroom caps - ready to be cooked!
why eat mushrooms?
Mushrooms form part of a healthy and varied diet, and is used in different cuisines the world over.
While a lot of research is made into the potential health benefits of mushrooms - oyster mushrooms in particular are rich source of protein, vitamins, minerals, fibre and antioxidants like selenium.
Oyster mushrooms are a stable for many vegetarian and vegan dishes as they are an excellent meat replacement, but are also excellent as a side dish to your choice of meat. Or add them to your soups and stews for that 'umami' taste!