Demand for exotic mushrooms triples in three years

Demand for exotic mushrooms triple has tripled in the past three years as plant-based food grows in popularity. 

According to Tesco, UK’s specialist growers and importers, Smithy Mushrooms based in West Lancashire, has seen its business nearly treble in size in the last three years. 

The company, which has supplied Tesco for 30 years, has especially seen a massive demand for oyster mushrooms which have become trendy because of their meaty texture and versatility to replicate many meat dishes. 

Since 2019 volume demand for oyster mushrooms has nearly tripled with a jump of 370,000 packs sold annually back then to one million sales in 2022. 

And in a few months’ time, the company will open a new production site that will make them the UK’s biggest grower of exotic mushrooms.  The oyster mushrooms have become a key ingredient in many of Tesco’s plant-based offerings. 

“The plant-based food boom has been the best thing that’s ever happened to our business and suddenly exotic varieties like oyster and shiitake mushrooms, which just five years ago I was struggling to sell, have become super trendy,” reports quoted ohn Dorrian, Managing Director of Smithy Mushrooms as saying. “We’re already seeing other little-known varieties such as Shimeji and Eryngii being sold in supermarkets and we believe it’s an industry that is truly going to mushroom in the next few years.” 

Tesco mushroom buyer Lisa Gilbey said that exotic varieties such as oyster and shiitake mushrooms have become hugely trendy with shoppers as well as food manufacturers like ourselves who are increasingly using them as key ingredients in plant-based dishes.   

“Brown Oyster Cluster and King Oyster mushrooms, in particular, are two of the vegetables behind the success of our exclusive Wicked Kitchen and Plant Chef ranges as they offer so much versatility and because of their mild flavours and fibrous consistency. 

“Based on this rising popularity we have recently launched our first pack of mixed exotic mushrooms which includes mixed coloured Oyster, Shiitake and in season Wild mushroom varieties when available,” Tesco quotes Gilbey as saying.