"It is a labour of love but one that is highly rewarding."
Jemmy’s parents Kevin & Majella had been growing white mushrooms since 1989. This has left Jemmy with a lifelong interest in the art of growing mushrooms. That interest further blossomed during his time living in Australia and London. Although he was now working as a carpenter, Jemmy travelled to various farms, researching new mushroom farming practices and exotic mushroom varieties that were not being grown in Ireland.
In particular, Jemmy’s palate was drawn to shiitake mushrooms — a variety native to east Asia, and known for its incredible taste when grown in the right conditions.
His passion continued to grow, and after many years of research, Jemmy returned home to begin a new mushroom farming journey. Driven by a desire to develop mushrooms that had were packed with flavour, he spent a large amount of time experimenting with different substrate (‘food’ for mushrooms) contents and growth cycles, until he found the ideal formula.
Our growth process can take up to five months and flies in the face of intensive practices. We take tremendous care in making sure that every possible step along the growth process maximises the flavour of our mushrooms. This includes our graze harvesting approach, where we individually harvest each mushroom by hand at the optimum time.
A unique farming method
Ard Mhácha Gourmet Mushrooms’ farming technique is almost completely different to the usual process involved in growing white mushrooms.
Although also grown in a poly tunnel, Shiitake and Grey Oyster mushrooms are actually grown in bags of substrate that go through a three-stage process. Our unique substrate has been carefully developed, using organic methods, and altered to create the intense flavours our mushrooms are famous for.
The moist Irish climate and our particular location provide the perfect, quiet conditions to allow exotic mushrooms – which don’t like noise and disturbance – to prosper.
We favour a growth process that is not intensive, and instead tailor growth times to produce the best possible tasting mushroom, rather than aiming for large quantities in a short time frame. All our mushrooms are harvested by hand, thus insuring that they are picked at the ideal time.
“It’s a long process but one I absolutely love. I’m proud to see something
I’ve believed in so passionately give such positive feedback.”
Shiitake Mushrooms
Shiitake mushrooms are native to east Asia and pack an extremely intense flavour. Our Shiitake have a completely unrivalled taste, thanks to our unique growing process.
Their deep, earthy flavour makes them a versatile mushroom that can be used in a huge variety of dishes, and they go particularly well with an Irish steak.
Oyster Mushrooms
Our Oyster mushrooms are one of a kind. As their name hints, they boast a nutty, seafood flavour. Their culinary uses are endless but they are the perfect accompaniment for chicken, and can also be used for creating vegan burgers.
Our unique growing process means that our Oyster mushrooms boast a long shelf-life of 2-3 weeks.
