From Waste to Wonder: How Myco is Reinventing the Food Chain
In the heart of Leeming Bar, a quiet revolution is growing – quite literally.
Behind the doors of Myco’s production site, rows of mushrooms rise not just from compost but from a bold vision: to transform waste into nourishment, shorten the food chain from miles to metres, and redefine how individuals think about protein.
At the helm of this sustainable venture are Myco’s chairman, non-executive director, and its forward-thinking chief executive, who opened the doors to their high-tech facility to reveal how a simple observation about mushroom waste sparked a whole new category of food.
A Second Life for Mushrooms
Myco’s origin story is rooted in a startling industry insight. Exotic mushrooms, such as oyster varieties, are often only partially used. Only 50% of the cap gets consumed, the chairman explained, and the rest – stems, roots, all perfectly good biomass – goes to landfill, making it an environmental and economic absurdity.
That insight laid the foundation for Myco. The goal? Take what others throw away and create something better for people, planet, and profit. Their solution was to repurpose this ‘waste’ into mushroom-based meat alternatives – products that not only reduce food waste but offer a genuine alternative to traditional meat.
The Supply Chain Snag
As with any bold vision, the road wasn’t smooth. Myco made early strides in developing its product within the United Kingdom supply chain – only to discover that by creating a demand for previously discarded mushroom parts, they had inadvertently created a new market and drove prices up.
The chairman stated that they tried to buy locally but suddenly it was more economical to buy from Europe. However, that shift away from their low-emission goals didn’t sit well. The team knew the only way to realign with their sustainability ambitions was to take full control – and grow their own.
Growing Up: The Vertical Farm and AI Leap
Myco’s solution was as ambitious as it was futuristic: a vertical farm powered by Artificial Intelligence. The chief executive explained that they are not interested in how pretty the mushrooms look,, instead what matters is how many they can grow, and how efficiently.
Their AI-driven system monitors every variable – temperature, humidity, CO₂, oxygen levels, light exposure – and can tweak each element to achieve specific results. Want faster growth? Bulkier mushrooms? Denser caps? The AI adapts in real time, learning from six million data points collected in just four months.
This marriage of technology and biology allows Myco to grow mushrooms exactly how they need, when they need – without compromising on quality or sustainability. It’s not just farming. It’s precision protein production.
Beyond the Vegan Stereotype
One of the unexpected hurdles for Myco wasn’t technical – it was public perception. Again, the chief executive noted that there’s been a backlash to plant-based eating. People saw it as aggressive, ideological, not something they wanted to be part of.
But the emergence of brands like Beyond Burger helped ease that tension. They did the hard work of starting the conversation that helped them tremendously. Myco’s approach has been subtler: focus on flavour, quality, and versatility.
Today, just over a year since launch, the results speak for themselves. Myco has gone from a standing start to supplying 72 plant-based retailers. They’re now serving multinational clients, with serious interest from the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia – not just for their food, but for their mobile vertical farming tech.
As the chief executive put it, if they can grow protein using rainwater in the middle of the desert, that’s game-changing.
A Bigger Appetite
For Myco, this is just the beginning. The chairman envisions a future where their products don’t just appeal to vegetarians or vegans.
They want to talk to 100%, not just the 3%. Their products bind and blend with meat so well that they can help people reduce their meat intake without feeling like they’re giving anything up.
What’s more, the environmental and health implications are profound. Reducing meat consumption – even modestly – can have far-reaching benefits. And if Myco can lead that shift while helping others follow, so much the better.
Conclusion: The Future is Fungi
What started as a quest to solve a waste problem has grown into a sophisticated, AI-powered, vertically farmed solution to some of the biggest challenges in modern food.
In just 14 months, Myco has evolved from an idea to a company driving real change – from landfill to lunchbox, from food miles to food metres.
With their eyes set on scaling production, transforming public perception, and expanding into global markets, Myco is proving that mushrooms are more than just a side dish – they’re the foundation of a smarter, more sustainable future.
News Credits: Food metres not food miles: Inside Myco’s vertically integrated mushroom factory
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