Rapidly expanding Dutch startup GRO focuses on the tasty, versatile and circularly grown oyster mushroom. The circular process starts with the coffee bean used to make a cup of coffee. What remains as raw material, or coffee grounds, is collected from wholesalers and repurposed for growing oyster mushrooms, which are then crafted into products made for vegans, vegetarians and flexitarians such as croquettes, ragout rolls, carpaccio, crisps and burgers.
Founded in 2011 by Jan Willem Bosman Jansen, GRO Mushrooms was inspired by a sustainable initiative in Zimbabwe, where coffee plantation waste was repurposed to cultivate mushrooms. Bringing this concept to the Netherlands, Bosman Jansen laid the groundwork for GRO, which produces snacks and finger foods from oyster mushrooms grown on coffee grounds collected from corporate cafeterias and catering services. This innovative chain collaboration between coffee waste suppliers and mushroom growers resulted in a circular system that not only supports sustainability but also advances the protein transition.
GRO’s forward-thinking approach earned the “Karel de Vos Sustainability Award” at Horecava 2011. Since then, the brand has garnered numerous accolades and has become a go-to choice for food professionals, offering a range of circular, plant-based products with minimal ecological impact.
Next stage of GRO’th
GRO’s mission is to scale its impact and make its products the standard in sustainable food. This vision involves continued investment in existing products, the development of new concepts and brands, and increasing scale to enhance competitiveness and accessibility to sustainable food options. GRO is committed to strengthening its brand and collaborating with others that share its mission.
GRO states that it is now poised for the next phase of its growth. As of August 1st, Edwin Hak and Jesse ‘t Lam have joined as managing partners to accelerate GRO’s growth trajectory. Both Hak and ‘t Lam will also be investing in the company’s future, facilitating collaboration with Wouter Muis and the GRO team to expand the brand’s sustainable and circular mission.
In the upcoming period, GRO plans to engage with retail, catering, and foodservice partners to refine and expand its ambitions. The company also invites other brands to join the conversation on advancing the protein transition and driving sustainability within the industry.
Embracing a gift from Mother Nature
Edwin Hak tells vegconomist he has been active in the food industry all his life, holding various management positions at Cosun, Zwanenberg Food Group and Wessanen, among others. “With GRO, we are heading towards a more sustainable future. Embrace this gift from Mother Nature and let’s really start scaling up and moving the snack and finger food market together,” Edwin states.
Jesse ‘t Lam led Bastini and Yellow Chips as an entrepreneur, two companies active in the crisps and snacks industry. Both companies were successfully sold to Intersnack and Campbell Soups respectively. After that, Jesse started focusing on accelerating impact- and sustainability-driven innovation and is one of the partners of Brave New Food, an investment fund and innovation accelerator.
Says Jesse: “Since 2021, we have been involved in GRO as a shareholder with Brave New Food. I am a fan and extremely positive about the opportunities that lie ahead for the GRO brand and products. I am very much looking forward to taking the next steps together with Edwin and Wouter’s team in the development of the GRO brand in particular the snack category in general.”
Read more at gro-together.com
