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Swansea café creates the UK’s first Lion’s Mane Mushroom Burger

A CAFÉ in Swansea that prides itself on doing things a bit differently has created what is believed to be the UK’s first Lion’s Mane Burger, using fresh Lion’s Mane Mushrooms grown in Carmarthenshire.

Vegan Chef, Helen Wilson, of Ground Plant Based Coffee in Brynmill, has teamed up with growers at Madarch Ty Cynan Mushrooms, to turn their magical medicinal mushrooms into a totally unique offering – which has hit the menu by storm.

Lion’s Mane Mushroom is believed to have cognitive health benefits including helping to enhance your daily focus, combat brain fog and reduce stress.

The mighty mushrooms are harvested in Trimsaran, Carmarthenshire and delivered by hand to Ground, who opened in 2021, post pandemic, as a tiny takeaway serving speciality coffee.

Once in the kitchen, they are finely chopped and combined with closed cup mushrooms, tempeh (fermented soya beans), seitan and 11 herbs, spices and other top secret ingredients, before going through a double cooking process as they are formed into burgers.

Helen said: “We started selling medicinal mushrooms in coffee early in 2023 and have watched interest and popularity grow in Lion’s Mane. I had been looking for a Welsh supplier of fresh Lion’s Mane for ages. When I found out it was being grown in
Carmarthenshire I couldn’t wait to experiment with it and see if it could be made into a burger.”

Since being launched as a special on Ground’s menu at the start of October, the Lion’s Mane, Tempeh and Seitan Burger has been their top selling item after Oat Lattes.

Helen added: “At Ground we like doing things differently. We opened as Swansea’s first plant based coffee shop, making a commitment to serve coffee with oat milk as Standard.

“Since then we have continued to push the boundaries on what’s possible with plant based food. Our motivation is to produce food and drink that is not only good for people’s health but is also better for the environment and sustainability and a Lion’s Mane Burger produced in Wales, by us, is just this.

“Reducing or stopping consumption of animal products is the single biggest thing anyone can do to reduce their carbon footprint – this is what we are passionate about.

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“Our Lion’s Mane Burger is high in protein, packed with flavour and is served in a vegan brioche bun, with sriracha mayonnaise, pickles and tomato, alongside roasted Welsh baby potatoes and salad, so ticks all the boxes.”

Madarch Ty Cynan Mushrooms is a partnership between Tetrim Teas, Madarch Cymru & Cleobury. The company grow gourmet mushrooms, including Lion’s Mane, Shiitake and Wood Oyster in three growing units in Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Gwynedd.

Kelly Stockwell, Tetrim Teas Business Development Manager, said: “Helen’s innovative Lion’s Mane Burger, crafted with mushrooms we’ve carefully grown, serves as a culinary inspiration. We’re delighted that Ground has showcased such an inventive and delicious way to feature our mushrooms as a standout vegan dish.”

The Lion’s Mane that Ground is using is being supplied by Tetrim Teas as part of a collaborative research project funded by Innovate UK working with Aberystwyth University, Llaeth Y Llan, Phytoquest and Afallen LLP.

The project is focussed on developing functional food products that incorporate ingredients such as Lion’s Mane that can provide additional health benefits.

Joseph Kidd, from Afallen, said: “Whilst Lions Mane has been creating a buzz for awhile now, incorporating it into foods so that it is more widely accessible is the next big step. Establishments like Ground are at the forefront of this with the development of their burger – combining great taste with valuable health benefits.”

The exotic gourmet mushroom growing business is a part of a partnership between Tetrim Teas, Madarch Cymru and Cleobury. The new initiative has already contributed to local employment, Welsh language opportunities, and community profit-sharing.

Some possible benefits of Lion’s Mane mushrooms are: speeding up recovery from nerve damage, lowering the risk of heart disease, and may reduce symptoms of arthritis.

For more information about Ground, find them on Instagram, Tik Tok and Facebook and at www.groundcoffeeswansea.com/

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