What was it all about?

This project delivered comprehensive market analysis to identify opportunities to boost demand for mushrooms in the Australian food service industry. Currently, 23 per cent of the national mushroom crop is sold though food services, compared to 40 per cent for vegetables.

The data gathered by this three-year project is important to individual growers, as well as the broader industry, for use in developing strategic and operational planning aimed at increasing consumption of fresh mushrooms in food service.

A project team made up of mushroom industry experts, food service industry specialists and market researchers developed a ‘Market Mapping and Mushroom Food Service Opportunity Blueprint’. This explained market dynamics, sector configurations, supply chain characteristics and demand and supply side issues.

Collaborative research projects were then undertaken with three partner companies prioritised in the Blueprint to investigate opportunities for, and obstacles to, having mushrooms included on each partner’s permanent menu. The partners were Subway (1100 restaurants in Australia), Nando’s (more than 270), and McCormick Foods, which provides an extensive range of herbs, spices, meal bases and instant sauces sold in supermarkets.

The third phase of the project saw key findings outlined in the Mushroom Industry Food Service Strategic Directions Report, which detailed recommendations for ongoing strategies to increase mushroom consumption.