Every mushroom growing kit we sell is hand-planted in small batches at our farm in Storrington, West Sussex, and dispatched direct from the people who grow it. We have been growing mushrooms for six generations, and that experience goes into every kit we produce. Our kits have been featured by the BBC, Channel 4, Reader's Digest, and The Sunday Telegraph.
Ready growing, past the hard part
Most home-growing failures happen during colonisation, the stage when the substrate is most open to competing moulds. Every kit reaches you past that point, already run through with healthy mycelium, so the risky work is done before dispatch. When your kit arrives, your first harvest is days or weeks away, not months.
Made in the UK, sent fast
Kits are prepared to order in West Sussex. Order before 2pm and it ships the same day, with next-day UK mainland delivery via DPD. Full timings are on our delivery information page.
Grown, not guessed
Because we grow every variety ourselves, the instructions, temperatures and timings on each product page come from the bench, not a supplier sheet. All of our indoor mushroom kits grow between 14 and 21 degrees, with an optimum of 17 to 18 degrees, making them well suited to growing mushrooms at home in the UK year-round. No greenhouse, no grow tent, no special equipment. Just a spray bottle and a suitable spot away from direct sunlight and draughts.
A kit is where most people start, but the farm makes more than kits. If you are here to browse the whole range, these are the other shelves:
Mushroom growing kits. The full growing-kit catalogue, with every variety and the detail on how each one grows.
Mushroom coffee and hot chocolate. Adaptogenic instant and ground coffee and hot chocolate made with lion's mane, cordyceps, reishi and other functional mushrooms.
Dried mushrooms and seasonings. Porcini and wild mixes for the storecupboard, plus mushroom salts and finishing seasonings.
Mushroom growing kits for beginners
If this is your first time growing mushrooms at home, start with Chestnut or White. These are the most forgiving kits in the range, crop at normal UK room temperature, and forgive the odd missed misting. They also have the longest growing window and the highest number of flushes (3 to 4 harvests per kit). Setup takes two minutes and your first crop appears within 16 to 24 days.
A warm home
Pink Oyster is the one variety that speeds up in the heat, so it suits a kitchen or conservatory that runs above 20°C. It doubles in size overnight and is a favourite as a meat substitute in stir-fries and tempura.
Fastest results
Shiitake and Pink Oyster both produce a first harvest in 7 to 10 days. Shiitake crops heavily on the first flush, often yielding around 1kg.
Cooking and flavour
King Oyster, Shiitake and Lion's Mane are the gourmet picks, meaty and full of flavour for the pan. Lion's Mane produces a striking shaggy cluster with a seafood-like flavour often compared to lobster, and it is illegal to forage in the UK, making a grow kit the only way to enjoy it fresh. King Oyster produces thick, meaty stems that can be sliced into vegan scallops or shredded as pulled mushroom.
A bigger project or a shared gift
Our two, three and four-kit bundles let you grow several varieties at once, which suits families and keen cooks. We also grow several oyster varieties including Pink Oyster, White Oyster, Black Pearl Oyster, and King Oyster, each with a different texture, flavour, and growing speed. White Oyster and Black Pearl are new seasonal varieties launching in 2026 as native, non-invasive alternatives.
A gift
Any ready-growing kit works, because it crops in the same week it is opened. See the mushroom gifts range for sets built for it.
Outdoor growing
Our outdoor log inoculation kits are the only kits in the range designed to be grown outside. Available for Shiitake, Lion's Mane, and White Oyster. All other kits are for indoor use only.
Buying as a gift?
Chestnut, White and outdoor log kits keep for 2 to 3 months before starting, while most other varieties are fridge-only and should be started within 7 to 10 days. Our gift ordering guide explains how to time your order for birthdays, Christmas, and other occasions.
Quick comparison: every mushroom growing kit at a glance
Shiitake, Lion's Mane, or White Oyster. Outdoor only. Long-term project.
Timelines shown are typical results at 14 to 21 degrees with regular misting. See the full day-by-day growing timeline for visual milestones by variety.
Delivery
Mushroom growing kit orders placed before 2pm are typically dispatched the same day via DPD for next-day delivery to UK mainland addresses. We also deliver to the Scottish Highlands, Islands, and Northern Ireland, though delivery times and methods may differ for those regions. Full details are on our delivery information page.
Is a kit worth it?
For most people, a kit is worth it because of what it gives back over time rather than the price on its own. A single kit gives more than one harvest, usually two or three flushes, and the first crop appears within days of setup rather than the weeks a from-scratch grow would take. You get mushrooms picked minutes before cooking, which is something no supermarket tray matches, and once the kit is spent the compost works as a soil conditioner in the garden. The value is in the freshness, the repeat harvests and the low effort, not in undercutting a shop on price alone.
Gifting
Mushroom growing kits make popular gifts for birthdays, Christmas, housewarmings, and anyone who enjoys cooking or gardening. As a gift, a kit does something: the recipient watches it grow and then eats the result. At checkout you can choose a delivery date and add a hand-written gift note, and if you let us know the kit is a gift we will adjust the dispatch date to ensure it arrives with maximum shelf life. Storage time before starting depends on the variety: Chestnut, White and our outdoor log kits keep for 2 to 3 months, while oyster varieties, Lion's Mane, Shiitake, King Oyster, Black Pearl, Nameko and Reishi are fridge-only and should be started within 7 to 10 days. Full details are in our gifting storage guide.
Choosing a gift for someone
Not sure which kit to buy someone? Chestnut and White are the safest choices for beginners. For food lovers, Shiitake or Lion's Mane make an impressive gift. Our bundle kits let you mix and match two, three, or four varieties in a single order.
Growing with children
A mushroom growing kit is also one of the few living things you can put on a kitchen counter and watch change day to day, which is why it works so well with children. The daily misting takes seconds and is easy to hand over, the clusters visibly double in size once they start, and the payoff is a meal everyone helped grow. Oyster kits are the best for this, because they crop fastest and show the clearest change from one day to the next. There is nothing sharp, nothing to plug in, and no garden needed.
Order before 2pm on a working day and it ships the same day, arriving next day on the UK mainland via DPD. You can also pick a future delivery date at checkout if the kit is a gift. See our delivery information page for the Scottish Highlands, Islands, and Northern Ireland.
How long does a kit keep before I have to start it?
It depends on the variety. Chestnut, White and outdoor log kits keep for 2 to 3 months. Oyster varieties, Lion's Mane, Shiitake, King Oyster, Black Pearl, Nameko and Reishi are fridge-only and should be started within 7 to 10 days. That storage window is what makes the kits practical to buy ahead as gifts. See our gifting storage guide for the full breakdown.
Can you grow a mushroom kit with children?
Yes, and it is one of the reasons the kits sell as gifts for families. The daily misting is simple enough for a child to take on, the mushrooms change visibly from one day to the next, and a fast oyster kit gives a harvest within the week. Nothing about it is sharp or needs power.
What is a mushroom growing kit?
A mushroom growing kit is a pre-prepared block of substrate (growing medium) that has been colonised with mushroom mycelium. You are not starting from spores or spawn, and there is no sterile lab work involved, because the colonisation is already done at the farm. You place it indoors, mist it regularly, and mushrooms grow from the surface. For most oyster kits, that means spraying twice a day through pre-cut holes in the box. For king oyster and the button varieties, you add a thin casing soil layer and keep it damp. Either way, your first harvest is days away. For a full explanation, see how ready growing kits work.
What is the best mushroom growing kit for beginners in the UK?
Chestnut and White mushroom kits are the most beginner-friendly. They are the most forgiving varieties, crop at normal room temperature, produce 3 to 4 harvests per kit, and grow well in any UK home between 14 and 21 degrees. If you want faster results, Shiitake produces a first harvest in 7 to 10 days.
Can you grow mushrooms indoors?
Yes. All of our mushroom growing kits (except the outdoor log inoculation kits) are designed to be grown indoors. They grow between 14 and 21 degrees in indirect light with regular misting. Most kitchens, utility rooms, bathrooms, and spare bedrooms work well. See our placement guide for more detail.
How long does a mushroom growing kit take to produce mushrooms?
It depends on the variety. Shiitake and Pink Oyster produce a first harvest in 7 to 10 days. Chestnut and White take 16 to 24 days. Lion's Mane typically takes 10 to 14 days. All kits produce multiple flushes over several weeks. See our grow kit timeline for a day-by-day visual guide.
How many harvests will I get from one kit?
Most kits produce 2 to 4 harvests, called flushes, with the heaviest crop on the first. Chestnut and White typically give 3 to 4 flushes over 5 to 7 weeks. Shiitake crops heavily on the first flush, often around 1kg, with a chance of a second. As an example on total weight, an oyster kit can yield around 800g to just over a kilo across all flushes. See our yields and harvests guide for a full comparison by variety.
How much do mushroom growing kits cost?
Single ready-growing kits sit in the mid-teens to low twenties, with bundles and gift sets priced above that. The current price is shown on each product page. Because a kit gives two or three harvests, the cost per meal works out lower than the sticker price suggests.
Do I need any equipment to grow mushrooms at home?
Just a clean spray bottle and water. Everything else is included in the kit. No grow lights, no humidity chambers, no special soil. Our misting guide explains exactly how much water each variety needs.
Are mushroom growing kits safe around children and pets?
Yes. All of our kits use commercially cultivated, food-safe species that are non-toxic to children, cats, and dogs. The mushrooms are the same varieties sold in supermarkets. See our guide on mushrooms and pet safety for more detail.
