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Growth spurt predicted for mushroom man

BURGERS, sausage rolls and pies with medicinal benefits may sound like dream cuisine to anyone carrying a few extra pounds with a taste for meat.

However, for a Northumberland farmer it could prove the unlikely gastronomical breakthrough that helps him create a national empire.

In April South African-born Mike Botha launched his business, Fresh-Shrooms, around a mushroom farm in Morpeth and he is already in talks with several national supermarket chains.

For he has developed a range of burgers, pies and other traditionally meaty snacks made from ground oyster mushrooms which he claims are far more meat-like than other meat substitutes.

Furthermore he also believes – unlike their red-blooded counterparts - the products offer a number of health and medicinal benefits such as the ability to lower cholesterol.

Mr Botha is now in discussions with a number of key retail giants which he expects to turn into national supply deals with the next 12 months.

He said: “In Europe and the south people know the health benefits of Oyster Mushrooms. They are quite fleshy and, compared to something like a chicken burger for example, our burgers come out so juicy.

“My main drive for the products is the health drive – there is no fat and it actually fights cholesterol.”

Fresh-Shrooms currently supplies mushrooms to a number of restaurants in the North East.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .