Gourmet Mushrooms Inc.spreads the word on mushrooms
Gourmet Mushrooms Inc.spreads the word on mushrooms
If one wants to learn how to grow mushrooms, it helps to eat, sleep and breathe mushrooms. Gourmet Mushrooms Inc. co-founder Malcolm Clark has camped where mushrooms grow so he could learn to replicate those environs at Gourmet's facility in Sebastopol, CA.
A biologist by academic training, Mr. Clark has developed an extensive library of proprietary isolates of fungi cultures for culinary and medicinal uses. In 1996, he co-organized an expedition to Nepal to collect a live Cordyceps sinensis (caterpillar mushroom) specimen to maintain and broaden the genetic pool of Gourmet s fungal culture collection.
By making collection expeditions to remote locations such as the Himalayas to bring back specimens to culture, Mr. Clark has also gleaned knowledge of the environment to duplicate in the lab. He has developed the strains for these cultures, which have been the basis for the companys portfolio of cultivated mushrooms, and he has developed the actual cultivation methods of many exotic mushrooms. Gourmet can duplicate the shelf life, flavor and texture of its mushrooms.
Gourmet Mushrooms is in its 28th year in business. Bob Engel, director of marketing and chef liaison, said that Mr. Clark "does a little less on-the-ground stuff" these days.
Three years ago, the company built a 43,000-square-foot facility in Sebastopol, moving up from a 12,000-square-foot space. In concert with moving into a new building, Gourmet tripled its harvest over the past two years, Mr. Engel said.
The new building gives each mushroom a separate growing environment as relates to temperature and humidity so we duplicate the best possible environment, Mr. Engel said.
The new building has allowed for more product capacity and flexibility, and has involved a general upgrade of the systems, Mr. Engel said.
The company sells primarily to chefs and restaurants, though its sales to retail have grown from almost nil four years ago to about 15 percent of its revenues, Mr. Engel said. Most of Gourmets business is on the West Coast as well as to New York and up and down the Eastern Seaboard, and it has accounts with the Whole Foods Market and Wild Oats Markets chains.
We have reliable mushrooms at reliable prices, Mr. Engel said. Our supply and prices stay steady. The company received its organic certification two years ago, largely to emphasize its quality standards as it moved into the retail setting.
The companys brand is Mycopia, which was created the firm determined that it is impossible to effectively use Gourmet Mushrooms as a brand name. Its sort of like saying 'juicy hamburgers, Mr. Engel said. Other people can and do describe their mushrooms as gourmet. When we began, we were the only ones.
A biologist by academic training, Mr. Clark has developed an extensive library of proprietary isolates of fungi cultures for culinary and medicinal uses. In 1996, he co-organized an expedition to Nepal to collect a live Cordyceps sinensis (caterpillar mushroom) specimen to maintain and broaden the genetic pool of Gourmet s fungal culture collection.
By making collection expeditions to remote locations such as the Himalayas to bring back specimens to culture, Mr. Clark has also gleaned knowledge of the environment to duplicate in the lab. He has developed the strains for these cultures, which have been the basis for the companys portfolio of cultivated mushrooms, and he has developed the actual cultivation methods of many exotic mushrooms. Gourmet can duplicate the shelf life, flavor and texture of its mushrooms.
Gourmet Mushrooms is in its 28th year in business. Bob Engel, director of marketing and chef liaison, said that Mr. Clark "does a little less on-the-ground stuff" these days.
Three years ago, the company built a 43,000-square-foot facility in Sebastopol, moving up from a 12,000-square-foot space. In concert with moving into a new building, Gourmet tripled its harvest over the past two years, Mr. Engel said.
The new building gives each mushroom a separate growing environment as relates to temperature and humidity so we duplicate the best possible environment, Mr. Engel said.
The new building has allowed for more product capacity and flexibility, and has involved a general upgrade of the systems, Mr. Engel said.
The company sells primarily to chefs and restaurants, though its sales to retail have grown from almost nil four years ago to about 15 percent of its revenues, Mr. Engel said. Most of Gourmets business is on the West Coast as well as to New York and up and down the Eastern Seaboard, and it has accounts with the Whole Foods Market and Wild Oats Markets chains.
We have reliable mushrooms at reliable prices, Mr. Engel said. Our supply and prices stay steady. The company received its organic certification two years ago, largely to emphasize its quality standards as it moved into the retail setting.
The companys brand is Mycopia, which was created the firm determined that it is impossible to effectively use Gourmet Mushrooms as a brand name. Its sort of like saying 'juicy hamburgers, Mr. Engel said. Other people can and do describe their mushrooms as gourmet. When we began, we were the only ones.
