Chelbury Mushrooms care about the world we live in and want their customers to enjoy our mushrooms knowing they are produced in a sustainable and responsible way.

In 2000 the farm was converted to organic mushroom growing, embracing the practice of a chemical and pesticide free harvest with exceptional hygiene protocols to avoid potential pest and disease risks.

After the organic substrate has been filled into the growing trays, the indoor growing houses have air handling units that will keep the mushroom beds comfortable at 26°C; this will encourage the mycelium to grow to the top of the casing layer.

After 6 days, there is a white growth covering on the top of the growing trays. The room temperature is then reduced and fresh air is added. This step in the growing cycle “shocks” the mycelium into thinking it’s near the end of its life cycle and as a result, they produce the reproductive fruit which we call the mushroom. The growth of the mushroom from then on is very quick; mushrooms will double in size every 24 hours.

The mushrooms are hand harvested daily, 7 days per week, 52 weeks per year and chilled within one hour. After cooling the mushrooms are picked and made ready for dispatch.

Recently the farm at Southam has installed an Air Source Heat Pump, the system takes air from the outside and rather than burning fuel to create heat, the device moves heat from one place to another thus using less fossil fuels.

Once the crop has finished its growth the “spent” organic compost is taken away by local farmers to spread on their organic land as fertilising mulch. It maintains the soil and increases the nutrients. It will improve the soil structure and helps existing soil food more readily available to plants. Spent compost helps retain moisture in the soil and most importantly reduces the number of weeds that grow.