Shroom, the first “funghi-forward” food offering in the region, launched this week at top plant-based cafe Hunter Gatherer. They’re a female-led pop-up, here in Southsea for a seven week residency, and they’re already giving back to the local community.

With a small yet mighty burger menu showcasing the latest flavour trends, Shroom offers a tour around some of the world’s top culinary hotspots. Starting in North America, dropping south into Argentina then heading east across the Pacific to Korea. Sides of mac ‘n’ cheese, loaded skin-on-fries, and breaded garlic mushrooms accompany the burgers.

OK, but what if you hate mushrooms? I posed this question to Co-Founder Lucy Bridgewater because I have a long standing aversion to these slimy suckers. Indeed, you may wonder why I’m writing an article about Shroom, if that’s the case. Lucy told me “You’re not alone in your strong distaste for mushrooms, but I can confidently say that we have many converts! We don’t just stick a Portobello mushroom in a sesame bun here; our Shrooms are masquerading as chicken and topped with delicious homemade vegan additions. But if we can’t tempt you with that, our sides are also out of this world”.

Their social media has showcased two of the burgers in their full gloriousness, but I’ll leave the rest as a surprise for when you visit. I have to admit that the American burger (hot maple sauce-coated Shroom burger topped with caramelised onion, crispy bakon, melted cheeze, and miso mayo) and The Korean burger (bursting with homemade kimchi, sesame mayo, shlettuce, gochujang sauce, pickled cucumber and red onions, and melted cheeze) look insanely delicious. Co-founder Antonia Niblock said, “It’s a tight but tasty menu. As a pop-up and start-up there’s no need for long elaborate menus but what we do, we do well. We expect to grow the menu as word of our Shroomalicious burgers spawns across the region.”

With strong community values, Shroom is also providing a platform for local creatives. Southsea artist Joy Fantastic has created an exclusive line of their signature typography art which is available to buy. Local female DJ, Molly Penney, has curated a line-up of female talent to headline Shroom Presents: “Sound of the Underground’ every Saturday night.

Owner of Hunter Gatherer, Brian Morton, has stocked the beers from local favourites Make Make – and they have been selected for their pairing qualities with the Shroom burgers. Commenting on the new venture Brian said, “Offering a space for new businesses to grow is important right now, as the costs of starting up remain eye-wateringly high. When I was approached about the idea, I immediately loved the unique concept and wanted to support the pair as much as I could. Hunter Gatherer has been supported by our wonderful Southsea community, so offering a platform to spawn new ventures that drive the local economy can only be a good move.”

And the ‘giving back to the community’ that I mentioned earlier? Lucy told me “We believe that business must be a vehicle for good to authentically be part of any community. It’s why we took the decision to donate 10% of net profits to community initiatives before we even took our first order. By building a business that genuinely wants to improve the community it serves, we hope to make our little piece of the world just that little bit better, and tastier.”

So I can rest assured that even if the mushrooms aren’t for me, there are plenty of other reasons to pay a visit.

Shroom is in residence at Hunter Gatherer, 249 Albert Road, Southsea every Thursday, Friday and Saturday 18:00 – 22:00 from now until Saturday 14th September.

To book, DM the team for bookings on their Instagram: @shroomsouthsea

Website: huntergatherer.coffee/shroom-kitchen  
Instagram: instagram.com/shroomsouthsea