Mushroom man wins store contract on C4 show
AN ENTREPRENEUR who started cultivating mushrooms in grow bags in his London house-share during the Covid lockdown has won a life-changing contract with Aldi.
As we reported on Tuesday, Gareth Griffith-Swain’s pastime flourished into a booming business after he left London to set up on the family farm near Waunfawr in Gwynedd.
The 33-year-old won Channel 4’s Aldi’s Next Big Thing, which aired last night. He won a coveted deal to supply the supermarket’s stores across the country. He was selected from hundreds of hopefuls all vying for the chance to see their products on Aldi’s shelves.
Julie Ashfield, managing director of buying at Aldi UK, said: “I had to pick Gareth. Dried Lion’s Mane Mushroom is a really unique product, and it does not come along every day. I’m excited for our customers to try it.”
Fungi Foods founder Gareth said: “I’m lost for words! This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I’m just going to grab it with both hands. It’s going to be surreal going into supermarkets and seeing my packet there.
“I think my family always knew I was going to do something a bit weird. I left all my friends in London to live in the mountains and my life is so different now.
“Not only do the mushrooms taste amazing, but they also look beautiful and have all these medicinal benefits as well.
“The team and I get excited about exploring new mushroom strains and want people to feel the same – we believe mushrooms have a big part to play in the future of food and we want to celebrate that.”
He attributed his success to selfeducation and perseverance, having learned the ropes through “trial and error” and YouTube tutorials.
On the Channel 4 programme, Gareth showcased his unique dried mushrooms, a culinary innovation he crafted with support from Coleg Llandrillo’s food technology centre in Llangefni.
After relocating his burgeoning enterprise to Wales in 2021 following the death of his grandfather, who bequeathed the family sheep farm, Tyn-yr-Onnen, to Gareth’s parents, he’s now making his mark on the land.