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functional mushroom tinctures
- Long lasting
- Sustainably grown
- Super strength
DISCOVER THE EXTRAORDINARY POWER OF UK-NATIVE MUSHROOMS
reishi
turkey tail
lion’s mane
Known as 'Monkey Head Mushroom' in China, and ‘Yamabushitake’ in Japan meaning "those who sleep in the mountains" as named after Yamabushi Buddhist Monks - wandering ascetics from the Shugendō spiritual tradition who were thought to use Lion's Mane to assist meditation. Research into Lion's Mane in the West has greatly accelerated over the last few decades.
chaga
Cordyceps
Worth its weight in gold, literally. Cordyceps has earned its place in the mushroom hall of fame thanks to unique compounds that give the ascomycete fungus a distinctive mix of benefits. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, Cordyceps is seen to possess both Yin & Yang - nourishing and invigorating properties.
Oyster
Maitake
Maitake, or ‘Hen of the Woods’ is currently being widely researched in a clinical setting and has been used as a folk remedy for millennia.According to Japanese legend, the name Maitake comes from ancient times when Buddhist nuns and woodcutters on a mountain trail were so delighted to stumble upon this seldom found and well-revered mushroom, they began dancing around it in celebration!
Shiitake
Shiitake was first used for nutrition in Japan and China where it is also seen as a symbol of youthfulness and virility. Widely known as a popular gourmet mushroom - they contain unique compounds that have been studied in a clinical setting for decades. Once upon a time in China & Japan, logs inoculated with Shiitake during a child's birth would mature with them into adulthood, when they would inherit the ‘fortune in their backyard'.
OUR PROCESS
we’re on a mission to grow, process and provide the best functional mushrooms available - while unearthing the history, science and powerful potential of the fungi we grow and love.
FORAGED
Our Reishi, Lions Mane, Turkey Tail, Maitake & Oyster mushrooms are all clones of UK-native specimens we have carefully foraged from local woodlands.
FRACTIONED
After successful transfer and fruiting, we conduct analytical chemistry to count compounds such as ganoderic acids, ergothioneine and betaglucans.
FARMED
When the mycelium is running and the substrate has transformed, we transfer from incubation to fruiting chamber. And then we wait... sometimes over six months!
FORMULATED
We harvest, dehydrate, grind and then extract under one roof utilising ultrasonic low pH and 97% organic ethanol to create the optimal tincture.
Est. 2020
The Journey so far
THE GROWING UP PROJECT
It all began on a small farm in Somerset, where Tom began his journey as an organic grower and welcomed a new generation to reconnect with nature and learn what it means to work with the land. Tom went on to attend his first Medicinal Mushroom Conference in 2018, which reignited his penchant for fungi and planted roots for the Mushroom Farm...
THE FUNGI HAS LANDED
We kitted out our first shipping container to grow Shiitake, Pink, Grey, Yellow & King Oysters, Maitake and Lion's Mane to sell at local farmers markets and online across the UK through a company called Farmdrop (who would later go bust and leave us well and truly out of pocket. Lessons were learned). We also supplied Michelin star chefs and top restaurants!
THE WEIRD SCIENCE BEGINS
Henry joined, we purchased our first flow hood, and began cloning UK-native strains in an attempt to mitigate any negative impact on local biodiversity. We were now growing and cropping 500 kilos of fresh mushrooms each week and beginning to figure out the best way to utilise their rich medicinal compounds. The pandemic and lock down were in full swing...
BRISTOL FUNGARIUM IS BORN
Elle joined Tom and Henry at the Mushroom Farm, and Bristol Fungarium was officially launched. We built a website, started posting on social media, and made our first online sale - a KG of fresh Shiitake sold through an Instagram shout-out, which we delivered by hand into Bristol! We started putting ourselves out there and building a community.
THE LION'S MANE TREE IS FELLED
On an autumnal walk long before Bristol Fungarium was conceived, Sarah, a volunteer and friend - discovered a Lion's Mane 30 metres up a Beech Tree. Unfortunately in 2020, the tree was felled - leading us to contact the landowner to educate him on the travesty that had taken place (and ask if he would sell us a little bit of land!)
A NEW HOME AT HILL FARM
We managed to successfully fruit a clone from a sodden piece of the Lion's mane we found lying on the ground where the tree was felled. The landowner offered us an ideal spot for our growing fungi venture around the corner; a 5000 square foot barn - with an old farmhouse right next door! This is where we grow and produce our extracts to this day.
THE OFFICIAL TINCTURE LAUNCH
After years of trawling through clinical trials to establish the optimal way to extract and make bioavailable the compounds of interest from the mushrooms we grow and love, trialling them at markets, gaining feedback, and further optimising - we were finally ready to launch our first five organic and UK Native functional mushroom extracts.
FIRST SUMMER IN THE FIELDS
After an expensive few years confronted by the reality of running a mushroom farm, lab and tincture kitchen, and hiring a growing team of fungi fanatics to make it all possible - we were close to going bankrupt. Medicine Festival saved us this summer, and inspired us to take our Bristol Fungarium mushroom stall to more festivals across the UK, year after year.
FIRST ULTRASONIC EXTRACTION
Ever pushing to make the best products we possibly can, we brought out first ultrasonic extractor and began undergoing an additional step in the creation of our high-strength 1:4 tinctures. We still make them in this way today, the only difference now being that they are third party tested by labs in the US & UK to confirm both their safety and quality.
RADEKS CHOCOLATE COLLAB
We undertook our first collaboration with the wonderful Radeks Chocolate, adding the most delicious vegan, fair trade and organic Lion's mane chocolate on the market to our growing range. This would be the first of many exciting collaborations with Radek and the team, including our Lion's mane cacao - and more to be released...
10,000TH CUSTOMER!
And just like that - 10,000 of you fantastic fungi-loving folk had purchased our functional mushroom tinctures to try for yourselves! We couldn't have done it without your support, and will always go the extra mile to provide the best products and service we can. Even if that means Tom spending 50% of his working week on the phone (he loves it).
NEUROSCIENCE RESEARCH
Caitlyn, Neuroscience PhD at UWE, began her research into the Neuroprotective and Neurogenerative properties of our UK-native Lion's Mane extract. This would pave the way for first-time findings into the medicinal potential of our native fungi, which had not previously been studied -- and also equip us with important insight into how to best work with the mushrooms we grow and love.
8 TINCTURE RANGE
We launched our much anticipated Oyster tincture! The ergothioneine-packed, longevity-supporting powerhouse, and the eighth tincture in our growing range of functional mushroom products. With UK-Native Reishi, Lion's mane, Turkey tail, Maitake & Oyster, Organic Chaga, Cordyceps & Shiitake - there's so much healing to be found in these bottles of mushroom magic.
LOTS MORE TO COME...
What an exciting five years it's been since our official launch, and there's so much more to come! Join our mailing list to be first in the know, get access to exclusive discounts and get a sneak peak of life on the farm. We can't wait to share the next chapter of life on our little mushroom farm with you all! Thanks for being here. SO MUSH LOVE FROM ALL OF US!