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Can I pick your brains please?!
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zcrat41
Posts: 1,799 Forumite
Hello people,
(Firstly, if this is in the wrong place, feel free to move - I just come on the OS site a lot as I care about food and cost etc)
How much have you ever thought about where your mushrooms come from?
OH and I are thinking of setting up a bit of a commercial mushroom farm as we think there is a gap in the market as 70% of all the UK's mushrooms are imported from Holland, Poland or Ireland. How can that be right??!! There were over 400 mushroom farms in the 70's, now there are around 30. Apparently us Brits weren't that great at growing mushrooms and for quality purposes suppliers went elsewhere. Due to technology and necessity we've got a bit better at it now and can compete on a quality basis.
But our business would depend on there being a market. Do you buy british? Are you bothered? Is it price point only that decides you? Is it an everyday product?
I'd love to hear any thoughts or opinions.
Thanks
ZC
(Firstly, if this is in the wrong place, feel free to move - I just come on the OS site a lot as I care about food and cost etc)
How much have you ever thought about where your mushrooms come from?
OH and I are thinking of setting up a bit of a commercial mushroom farm as we think there is a gap in the market as 70% of all the UK's mushrooms are imported from Holland, Poland or Ireland. How can that be right??!! There were over 400 mushroom farms in the 70's, now there are around 30. Apparently us Brits weren't that great at growing mushrooms and for quality purposes suppliers went elsewhere. Due to technology and necessity we've got a bit better at it now and can compete on a quality basis.
But our business would depend on there being a market. Do you buy british? Are you bothered? Is it price point only that decides you? Is it an everyday product?
I'd love to hear any thoughts or opinions.
Thanks
ZC
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Comments
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Vote here for "don't give a damn where it came from".
I would not pay premium to get British mushrooms unless there were premium in taste or something.0 -
Thanks Any.
I wonder if more people are thinking like that now.
Is local food going the same way as organic?
We can compete cost wise with Ireland but not with some of the Eastern European countries due to wage costs.0 -
I personally will buy Irish or British if they are competitive in price. If they were more 'premium' price, then I wouldn't bother. If there isn't much difference in the price, then I will always buy local.Father Ted: Now concentrate this time, Dougal. These
(he points to some plastic cows on the table) are very small; those (pointing at some cows out of the window) are far away...
:D:D0 -
I don't know what mushrooms would cost to grow commercially but when i've seen the small grow-your-own kits in garden centres they seem very expensive when you work out how big of a crop you'd get.Liverpool is one of the wonders of Britain,
What it may grow to in time, I know not what.
Daniel Defoe: 1725.
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Thanks Any.
I wonder if more people are thinking like that now.
Is local food going the same way as organic?
We can compete cost wise with Ireland but not with some of the Eastern European countries due to wage costs.
If the cost is slightly higher, then it is no problem. Chances are your stuff will be fresher and look fresher and then people don't mind paying slight extra for that.
However paying double just because it is local would be out of question for me.
If it is not financialy viable then it cannot be "gap" in the market.0 -
We think it is financially viable! New buildings and new equipment mean far better yields.
Now we can compete in quality terms it means that there is a gap in the market if people are prepared to buy local over Irish. The big supermarkets are very much pushing this to farmers as the way they want to go and I was just wondering if it is backed up by the people on the ground so to speak.
Sailor Sam - thanks for your reply. It is one of the vegetables that's quite difficult to grow your own so I hope would be "safe" from that growing sector!0 -
I wonder if more people are thinking like that now. If they were more 'premium' price, then I wouldn't bother. If there isn't much difference in the price, then I will always buy local.0
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I would always buy local if there is little difference in price.
Could you get around the cost issue by growing different varieties? I am always amazed at the lack of choice of mushrooms in supermarkets and the more unusual types always sell for more.0 -
Hi zcrat
I'm another one who prefers to buy local when I can, but not if the local produce is priced well over and above other options of similar quality. I prefer to support local producers but can't always afford to on my grocery budget.
Saying that, I live in Ireland so I will probably continue to buy Irish mushrooms.
Pink0 -
As I only ever eat mushrooms cooked in a meal such as a bolognaise or curry, I tend to but the value/smartprice/basic mushrooms0
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