Producers Name : Daniel Tibbett and Katrina Atkinson
Business Name: Mountaintop Mushrooms
Location: Montville
Number of years in operation: 5
Q: In a few words how would you best describe your business?
A boutique mushroom farm, specialising in gourmet, exotic and rare varieties. Our mission is to supply the best quality gourmet mushrooms possible. We supply restaurants and farmers markets across the Sunshine Coast
Q: How did it all begin?
With a passion and curiosity for local sustainable food systems. After travelling, we sold our van and threw everything we had into learning about growing gourmet mushrooms. We had very little capital, but a drive and determination that wouldn’t give up, and we have now grown the business into the largest and longest standing gourmet mushroom farm on the sunshine coast.
Q:What are your backgrounds/interests?
Interesting food, grown by local producers. Farmers markets where you can talk to those producers and hear the story behind the food. Sustainability and resilience in global food system which can experience supply chain breakdowns easily.
Q: How many types of mushrooms do you offer?
We usually have around 10 different species growing at any time, they change seasonally throughout the year
Q: What is your favourite mushroom and why?
It always changes but at the moment it’s our Golden Enoki. They are packed full of flavour and have a really interesting texture not like any other mushrooms, a little bit like rice noodles! Great for Winter soups, or sauteed on toast.
Q: Why are mushrooms awesome?
Mushrooms are in their own biological kingdom (The Fungi Kingdom) They are neither a vegetable or a meat, they sit somewhere in between but can be treated as either when cooking. The culinary possibilities are endless, they are one of the most versatile foods to cook with!
Q: Where can people purchase your product?
Yandina farmers market, Witta Market, and the Maple Street Co-Op
Q: Anything else you’d like our readers to know?
Our farm is looking for a new home. We are looking for an agricultural shed, here in the hinterland, that we can rent off the landowner.
In a volatile real-estate market, where our farm moves next will greatly contribute to its future success and ability to continue providing fresh, gourmet mushrooms to the sunshine coast community.
If there is anyone with a shed that is interested in supporting a small scale, local family agribusiness, please get in touch with us, we would love to hear from you!
