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Mushroom Growing for Wellness

from £165.00

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.

Your day

10:00 - 15:00

  • Make yourself at home

    You will meet your host 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.

Please note: This is a guide to the activities that will make up your course at River Cottage. This is by no means set in stone and will depend on seasonal availability.

On occasion cookery schools will use equipment that includes induction hobs. It is recommended that people with pace makers should not work on these units. If you are concerned or would like to check whether or not induction hobs will be used on the course you are interested in, please call us on 01297 630302.

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Total - £0.00

All prices include VAT.

Further information...

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.

We are a licensed venue. We have a wide selection of the finest organic wines available to purchase.

Stay in our famous Farmhouse, click here. For other local accommodation click here.

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.

Sorry, we’re afraid this course is not suitable for those who have an intolerance or allergy to mushrooms

With many of our courses there are often treats and leftovers to take away with you. In our quest to be more sustainable we are encouraging guests to bring their own containers and bags to transport their produce home. Details of what is required for each course will be included in booking emails.

  • Sustainable Restaurant Association
  • Food and Travel Magazine 2017
  • Great British Food Awards 2017
  • Great British Food Awards 2018