Levin · Picked today, eaten tonight

Horowhenua Fungi Co.

Oyster, shiitake, lion's mane and pink mushrooms grown in a converted cool store — supplying the Kāpiti-Horowhenua coast with the freshest gourmet fungi in the region.

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  1. 01 · Our mushrooms

    Four varieties, all year round.

    Every mushroom is grown from grain spawn we prepare in-house, fruited in humidity-controlled grow rooms inside a 1960s cool store on Oxford Street, and picked the morning you collect or we deliver.

    • Grey oysterPleurotus ostreatus$28/kgMild, versatile. Best pan-fried with butter.
    • ShiitakeLentinula edodes$38/kgRich, umami. Slice thin for stir-fries.
    • Lion's maneHericium erinaceus$45/kgLobster-like. Tear and sear until golden.
    • Pink oysterPleurotus djamor$32/kgBacon-ish. Cook hot and fast. Summer only.
  2. Our process

    We pasteurise locally sourced straw and hardwood sawdust, inoculate with grain spawn, and fruit in purpose-built grow rooms at 90% humidity. No pesticides, no fungicides, no imported substrate. Spent blocks go to the Levin Community Garden for composting.

    02 · How we grow

    From spore to plate in the same postcode.

    1. 1
      Spawn prepRye grain is sterilised and inoculated with culture in our laminar-flow hood.
    2. 2
      Substrate mixingStraw and sawdust pasteurised at 65°C for 18 hours, then mixed with spawn.
    3. 3
      IncubationBags colonise in the dark at 22°C for 14–21 days depending on variety.
    4. 4
      FruitingBags are cut and moved to the grow room: 15°C, 90% humidity, fresh air exchange 6×/day.
    5. 5
      HarvestPicked by hand at first light, packed in compostable punnets, delivered or shelved by 9am.

  3. 03 · Where to buy

    Farm gate, market, delivery and restaurant supply.

    ChannelWhenMinimum
    Farm gate, 38 Oxford Street, LevinWed & Fri 8am–12pmNone
    Levin Farmers' MarketSaturday 8am–12:30pmNone
    Ōtaki MarketSunday 9am–1pmNone
    Home delivery (Levin, Ōtaki, Waikanae, Paraparaumu)Friday, order by Wed 6pm$20
    Restaurant supply (weekly standing order)Tue & Fri delivery2kg/week
    Grow kits

    Take a block home and fruit it on your kitchen bench. Grey oyster ($25) and pink oyster ($28) kits produce 500g–800g over three flushes. Instructions included. Collect from the farm gate or markets.

    Sustainability

    Zero food miles for Levin buyers. Substrate sourced within 40km. All packaging is home-compostable. Spent blocks donated to community gardens. We offset electricity with solar panels installed in 2024.

  4. Seasonal produce wheel

    Select a month to see what is in season and what we are harvesting.

    04 · What is in season

    Mushrooms follow temperature, not the calendar.

    Grey oyster and shiitake fruit year-round in our climate-controlled rooms. Lion's mane peaks in autumn and winter when cooler temps improve texture. Pink oyster needs warmth and is a summer-only crop — December through March.

  5. 05 · What people say

    Trusted by home cooks and local chefs.

    • The lion's mane is extraordinary — I sear thick slices in brown butter and it eats like scallops. Nothing in a supermarket comes close to this freshness.
      — Hannah R., Paraparaumu, home cook
    • We get 3kg of mixed mushrooms every Tuesday and Friday. Never a short delivery, never a quality dip. Our mushroom risotto is now the most-ordered dish.
      — Josh, chef-owner, Bloom Kitchen, Ōtaki
    • My eight-year-old grew her own oyster mushrooms from the kit and ate them for dinner. She now asks for mushrooms. That alone was worth the $25.
      — Megan T., Levin, grow-kit customer

  6. 06 · Get in touch

    Order mushrooms or ask us anything.