News UK chef transforms chicken farm into sustainable mushroom farm

Led by vegan chef Derek Sarno, a former chicken meat farm has been given a kinder, more sustainable new life as a mushroom-growing operation.

Globally recognised plant-based chef, co-founder of Wicked Kitchen, and former Head of Plant-based Innovation at Tesco, Derek Sarno, is yet again shining a light on the path towards a sustainable food future. 

This time, he’s teamed up with expert mushroom growers to convert a former chicken meat farm in Norfolk, England from something paltry poultry into a beacon of sustainable farming.

Sarno emphasises that this ground-breaking transformation – which artfully repurposed existing farm structures – would not have been possible without the collaborative efforts of Smithy Mushrooms and The Little Mushroom Co.

“This project is about what we can accomplish when farmers, chefs, and the community come together with a shared goal of sustainability and nutritious food.”

Now fully reinvented as a mushroom farm, the facility uses drastically less land and fewer resources to produce a dense crop of high-quality, nutrient-rich mushrooms, in a “breakthrough method” that Sarno says has the potential to reshape the future of food production forever. 

We’re not just swapping chickens for mushrooms, we’re redefining how we farm and cook.

The team documented every stage of the farm’s evolution, from chicken farming all the way through to eco-friendly mushroom production, and shared the entire process in a short film on YouTube. 

Sarno’s hope is that by sharing this transformative journey, others might be inspired to rethink the future of farming and undertake their own projects, too.

Not just good for the planet – mushrooms are nutritious & delicious too

It’s fair to say that mushrooms have experienced a bit of a rebrand in recent years, thanks largely to vegan chefs like Sarno boosting their popularity as a ‘meaty’ component in plant-based meals. 

In fact, industry-wide statistics show a definitive boom in consumer demand for mushrooms, which certainly bodes well for Sarno’s ambitious new venture. Finally, it seems mushrooms are getting the appreciation they deserve among chefs and home cooks alike – not just for their hearty texture, versatility, and flavour-absorbing potential, but also for their myriad health benefits. 

After all, when it comes to the old nutritionist’s adage about aiming to eat the rainbow, mushrooms may not be the most vibrant pick of the bunch, but studies have shown they contribute a whole spectrum of antioxidants and other important nutrients, including selenium, vitamin D, and essential B vitamins.

Pushing the boundaries of what mushrooms can do in the kitchen

Sarno has long been dedicated to showcasing the vast culinary potential of the humble mushroom, and is particularly well-known for creating bold, flavourful savoury mushroom-based dishes (like lion’s mane steak) that are devoured and loved by vegans and meat-eaters alike.

I’ve worked with these mushrooms for years and know how they can replace meaty textures in almost every sense.

Ready to see what all the hype is about? Check out Sarno’s YouTube channel for heaps of pro tips on how to make mushrooms taste unbelievably ‘meaty’, or try one of the many health-boosting (and most importantly, mouth-watering) mushroom recipes we have on the VegKit recipe hub. 

From shawarma to stroganoff and even oyster mushroom steaks, one bite and you’ll be sold on mushrooms too!

Header image: © Derek Sarno