Mushroom Mogul

In 2004 Cynan Jones took part in the wild mushroom course at Plas Tan y Bwlch and now he’s a mushroom mogul running The Mushroom Garden. He started with shiitake and now provides a whole range of gourmet products based on those fungi. It was great to see him in action at Beddgelert (and live on S4C) launching the new products.

Umami powder .... ‘it’s that fifth taste on your tongue, well liked by the Japanese’ ... a blend of seaweed, Halen Môn Sea Salt and shiitake cultivated in Cynan’s shipping containers. He’s teamed up with a local chocolatier in Llan Ffestiniog to make an Umami flavoured chocolate.

Mushroom caviar is a mix of Snowdonia shiitake with laver bread from the Gower. I took some home with me and can vouch that it’s great on a canapé but too much garlic for vampires.

Washed down with a glass of Cwrw Madarch, a pale ale made with dried shiitake at a micro brewery in south Wales  .... what more could one want?

From what I gather these product collaborations have been encouraged by Menter a Busnes – the whole is greater than the sum of the parts? or something like that. Good stuff.

Here is Cynan talking about his new products: