Mushlove Cornwall supplies Zacry’s with lion’s mane mushrooms grown on a community farm near Newquay. Not only adding big flavours to the menu, every bite is good for your health, good for the planet, and tells the story of Cornwall’s growing circular food movement.
With rich umami depths and earthy notes, lion’s mane has been making waves in the kitchen. Flame-charred or folded into a risotto, these locally grown mushrooms are not just a versatile meat-free star. From supporting focus to boosting mood, they reportedly bring wellbeing benefits. And where better to savour their feel-good flavours than beside the waves at Watergate Bay?
‘We thought – let’s grow one and see what happens. Our first crop was a single lion’s mane mushroom growing in a tent.”
Name: Amanda Nother and Martin Dunstan – co-founders
Business name: Mushlove Cornwall
What we buy: Lion’s mane – and occasionally shiitake – mushrooms, sustainably-grown in shipping containers on a community farm near Newquay.
Where they’re based: Fentenfenna Farm, a 13-acre community holding transformed into a thriving hub for circular-economy businesses. Here you’ll find beekeepers, herb growers, a seaweed-to-fertiliser project, Wasted Apple turning surplus fruit into juice and cider, and more – in a collaborative space reshaping how Cornwall grows and shares food.
Distance from Watergate Bay: 7.5 miles
Mushlove began its journey in 2021, experimenting with mushrooms after Martin started taking lion’s mane capsules to ease post-Covid anxiety. “I used to forage for mushrooms with my dad as a kid, and we’d heard of research into their medicinal benefits going back thousands of years in China. So we thought – let’s grow one and see what happens. Our first crop was a single lion’s mane mushroom growing in a tent,” recalls Amanda.
By 2023, after testing the water at local farmers’ markets to great success, Mushlove opened their shop in Newquay and began supplying Watergate Bay with lion’s mane and shiitake. Grown sustainably in repurposed shipping containers, each mushroom is carefully cultivated for flavour, texture, and wellbeing benefits – and versatile enough to star in risottos, roasts, burgers, or even pulled like pork.
Amanda and Martin are indoor, vertical farmers, growing a variety of mushrooms – including lion’s mane, shiitake, reishi, turkey tails and oysters – from culture on racks inside repurposed shipping containers. They are cultivated chemical-free on untreated hardwood and grown in sealed bags to keep out contaminants. Water is the only addition, making it a truly eco-friendly approach with an exceptionally light carbon footprint.
Grown to order and delivered only within a 20-mile radius, any waste is composted onsite, feeding the soil and supporting the wider Fentenfenna Farm community. Sustainability and science guide every stage of production, and their work with Plymouth University’s smart agriculture scheme is helping to advance research on medicinal mushrooms – all while bringing ethical, local, and high-quality produce to Watergate Bay’s kitchen.
“Water is the only addition, making it a truly eco-friendly approach with an exceptionally light carbon footprint.”
“We love Mushlove’s lion’s mane and shiitakes for their meaty flavour and versatility. One of our standout autumn dishes at Zacry’s is the charred lion’s mane mushroom risotto, with sage, Old Winchester and confit onion.”
- Chris Eden, Executive Head Chef
Settle into Zacry’s in the low autumn light, the sea roaring outside the window, a charred lion’s mane risotto on your plate. Each mouthful connects you to the local community and a better way to eat, be, and feel.
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