Island Mushrooms

Driven by their passion to give back to Barbados, the ever-lovely, John and Janet Shaw, retirees from the UK who have called our tiny island home for the past two decades, have done just that!

John often lamented about the lack of fresh mushrooms and goes on to describe how such a project would certainly go a long way in working towards Barbados’ goal of boosting food security and simultaneously creating a very healthy superfood for the island.

Repeated calls from our Prime Minister, The Hon. Mia Amor Mottley and Minister of Agriculture & Food Security, Indar Weir, to find creative and sustainable ways to grow healthy foods for Barbados, hasten our quest to create such.

The stark realization of how vulnerable and quickly our island is when impacted by supply chain shortages, brought to light the urgent need for food security. Coupled with the growing climate crisis, we must all be driven to play our part in securing a future where we can feed ourselves, and the wider Caribbean.

King Oyster (Pleurotus eryngii): King oyster mushrooms are a large member of the oyster mushroom family with a meaty texture and rich umami flavor. They're versatile mushrooms that can be grilled, broiled, sautéed, and braised and served as a side dish or as the main component of a meal. The flavor is earthy, aromatic, and very savory. This variety of mushroom is known for its intense umami flavor.

Photo by Naresh Belgrave

Our vision at Island Mushrooms (Barbados) is to support national food security through the cultivation of novel nutritious produce using locally sourced materials. Local food cultivation must be sustainable if it is to have an effective impact on food security.

Mushrooms grow on organic materials, that quite often are considered agriculture “waste”. For example, Coconut Coir and fallen logs. After the fruit is harvested, the ‘waste’ generated from mushroom cultivation is now an extremely effective biofertilizer, playing a vital role in the creation of the next generation of healthy topsoil.

Lia Gajadhar, Lab Manager & Senior Mycologist

Photo by Naresh Belgrave

Mushroom cultivation ticks a lot of boxes, with healthy living and food security being the most critical, and priorities for all nations. Island Mushrooms (Barbados) believes that good nutrition is the foundation of a good life and mushrooms offer an easy-to-prepare, nutritious, and novel eating experience.

Mushrooms boost your immune system, lower blood pressure and cholesterol, and have increasingly shown positive trends in treating cancer. They contain 20-35% protein (dry weight), are low in lipids and contain all nine essential amino acids.

Whether you are a vegan or vegetarian looking for variety, or an omnivore looking for a tasty meat replacement – a growing trend that not only supports healthy lifestyles but also lessens our carbon footprints, mushrooms are a must!

Lia and Naresh are working feverishly to bring this project online and you can soon expect the Oyster family mushrooms, choices range from Pearl, Pink, Phoenix, and King Oyster mushrooms, with Golden and Blue varieties available from December 2022. For mushroom lovers who’ve been waiting for this, you can look forward to Chicken of the Woods, Lion’s mane, Enoki, Portobello, and Shiitake mushrooms in early 2023.

Follow Island Mushrooms on Instagram @islandmushroomsbarbados Contact: (246) 233-3269 Email: islandmushroomsbds@gmail.com

Pink Oysters (Pleurotus Djamor): This tropical oyster mushroom is a stunning pink color and resembles the flavor of seafood.

Photo by Naresh Belgrave

Photo by Naresh Belgrave