Mushroom Growing for Wellness
Overview
On this one-day course you’ll gain the confidence to grow your own mushrooms and cook them too!
Growing your own mushrooms is fun, easy and can be done with very little space. Local mushroom grower and forager Nick Phillips cultivates the most beautiful (almost bouquet-like) punnets of fungi near Bridport. On this course, he’ll share his mushroom-growing secrets, showing you how you can grow your own shitakes, lion’s mane, oyster mushrooms, king oyster mushrooms and shimeji. You’ll learn how to establish a mushroom growing kit for indoor growing, as well as learning how to impregnate a log with mushrooms for growing outdoors.
On this first, inaugural course, Nick will be joined by our Rachel de Thample who’s had a life-long fascination with mushrooms and has grown her own in coffee grounds at home. She’ll be joining Nick to not only guide you through some fabulous fungi recipes, which you’ll enjoy on the day, but she’ll also be sharing a depth of knowledge on why mushrooms are good for you, a fun trick to make them even better for you and how to use different mushrooms for health.
Highlights
- Meet John Wright
- Head out on a guided forage
- Learn about safe identification
- Discover new recipes with our chefs demonstration
- Tuck into a lunch of foraged delights
Your day
10:00 - 15:00
Make yourself at home
You will meet your hosts and start the day with tea, coffee and a taster of Rachel’s mushroom granola.
Session one
Nick will show you all the different types of mushrooms you can grow at home, even if you don’t have a garden. We’ll try a taster of the different mushrooms and Rachel will offer ideas on how you can cook with them to ensure the best benefit to your health.
Session two
Get stuck into making a delicious Mushroom Ramen Soup for lunch using foraged and cultivated mushrooms.
lunch
Tuck into your delicious lunch, and if you like, take the opportunity to explore the farm.
Session three
Nick will show you how to impregnate logs with mushroom spores. You’ll learn about different types of trees and wood used for this as well as what mushrooms you can grow this way and how to maintain them.
Session four
Rachel will guide you through the magical world of medicinal mushrooms, offering advice on how to use mushrooms for health as well as flavour. We’ll try some of Nick’s mushroom tea and make Rachel’s Chocolate chaga halva.
Departure
You'll have time for a final tasting and to ask any questions on how to look after your mushroom kits before heading home for 3pm.
Further Information
Directions
This course is run from River Cottage HQ on the Dorset/Devon borders. Full address details of HQ will be provided once you have booked.
Licensed Venue
We are a licensed venue. We have a wide selection of the finest organic wines available to purchase.
Accommodation
If you would like to stay at the heart of River Cottage, we offer overnight accommodation at River Cottage HQ in our beautiful 17th century farmhouse. We have three stylishly refurbished bedrooms for B&B plus the 2-bedroom Gardener's Cottage. These get booked quickly so for more information go to rivercottage.net/stay to book. Alternatively, we have put together a list of our local accommodation which includes B&Bs, self-catering, hotels and camping.
Suitability
We would advise that this course is only really suitable for 12 years of age and upwards. Under 16s must be accompanied by a paying adult. We put these guidelines in place for the safety, comfort and enjoyment of all our guests.
Allergy Advice
Sorry, we’re afraid this course is not suitable for those who have an intolerance or allergy to mushrooms.
