Myco, a UK plant-based company producing burgers and sausages from oyster mushroom protein, has announced that its production facility has expanded just months after opening due to “sensational” demand from consumers.
The site in North Yorkshire is now 3000 square feet larger, meaning Myco will be able to vertically farm significantly more oyster mushrooms. These are converted into the company’s Hooba range of meat alternatives on the same site, and the increased capacity will enable a 600% rise in production.
The unique production method, which sees the entire process carried out under one roof, has led Myco products to be named “Britain’s greenest burgers” due to their lack of food miles.
“Sales of our Hooba range have exceeded even our highest hopes, and the feedback we’ve had from customers has been superb,” said Myco CEO David Wood. “We had always planned on scaling up production over the next few years, but to be able to expand as quickly as this is incredibly exciting – and it is a testament to the quality of our product.”
“Over the moon”
The success has also allowed Myco to expand its team by appointing business development consultants Catherine Priestly and Will Marshall. Priestly has worked in the food industry for 18 years, including with notable names like Fable, Meatless Farm, and Genius, while Marshall has worked in commercial director-level positions for companies such as Xerox.
Myco says it plans to make several other key hires, including a mushroom farmer, by the end of the summer. Over the next year, the company hopes to employ around 70 staff.
Myco first announced plans to launch the Hooba range in February, following an undisclosed £1.5 million investment that allowed the company to commence full-scale production. The meat alternatives reportedly beat competitors such as Linda McCartney and the Beyond Burger in taste tests, and Myco finally launched the products in May after a year of development. At the time, the company said it had agreed listings with multiple suppliers and was in discussions with retailers.
“The first half of 2024 has exceeded all of our expectations, and we are thrilled with how well our Hooba range has been received,” said Myco co-founder John Shepherd. “We are over the moon to have attracted both Catherine and Will to the business, and we believe they will both play enormous roles in our growth going forward.”
