BRISTOL FUNGARIUM

Bristol Born. Science Led.
Organic Certified Medicinal Mushroom Extracts

Bristol Fungarium is a Medicinal Mushroom Farm, specialising in cultivating UK Native Species.

We grow 9 species of fungi:
Lion’s Mane, Reishi, Cordyceps, Maitake, Shiitake, Chaga, and Turkey Tail.

From these, we carry out an extensive triple-extraction process, pulling out all the fungi’s bioactive compounds so they are more bio-available for human consumption.

Mushrooms, generally, are immuno-modulators so they regulate the nervous system in a way that is specific to your body’s needs.
Different strains also provide their own particular health benefits, affiliating with specific organs, bodily functions and processes which you can read more about here, on the Bristol Fungarium Website.

My role

I have been working at the Fungarium as their ‘Biodesigner and Fungi Researcher’ since July 2023.

The world of fungi and their potential applications is vast and the team at the Fungarium know this. Hence, while the farm specialises in producing medicinal mushroom tinctures, they also put their money, time, and energy into the ecological/rewilding aspects of working with fungi, but also the creative sides. (That’s where I come in!)

Since my Master’s in Biodesign at Central Saint Martins, I have been building with mycelium, specifially oyster mushrooms (for their ability to break down a huge array of substrates) and reishi (for their strength, resilience, and sculptural long-lasting fruiting bodies).

At the Fungarium, I create both artistic sculptures (Sheela-na-gigs, buddha heads, eggs big and small, mini-chairs, large-scale podiums), as well as more practical objects (bowls, boxes, and hopefully some lampshades to come). These mycelial creations have been exhibited at Festivals and Public and Private Events across the UK - see below.

My next big project for the Fungarium is to produce our mycelium-packaging for the Christmas Hamper!
They will be limited edition and I will make roughly 50 boxes (which requires a looooot of time, manual labour, and resources but are beautiful works of art in-and-of themselves)

Christmas Hamper

(process thus far)

PART 1 - Creating the 3D Model on Rhino

PART 2 - CNCing a physical mould from MDF
Creating the ‘male’ mould
(Done by Knowle West Media Centre, Bristol)
(Base, lid x2, logo x2 in acrylic)

PART 3 - Vacuum forming the mould
Creating the ‘female’ moulds aka the inverse of/container for the desired final shape
(Done by myself at the 3D Make Department at Central Saint Martins, UAL)

PART 4 - Creating the Mycelium Packaging: Filling the female moulds
(Done by myself in the lab at the Fungarium)

The lids, filled with innoculated substrate and left to grow for a week.

to be updated as process continues!

Creature Chair

F*CK UP FRIDAY: THE CHAIR 🪑

It’s been a while since we fessed up to a fuck up… So, here goes. There has been much anticipation about Kit’s mycelium chair but it’s time to announce that the chair is, without a doubt, f*cked (as they say in the trades).

Originally designed for Elle and Tom’s baby-to-be 😅 the chair has since been conquered and consumed by many creatures, great and small.

It made its debut at Medicine Festival this year where @kit.kat.fat presented a workshop about the wonders of building with mycelium. Sadly the combination of buckets of rain and scorching sunshine threw the mycelial growth and the chair returned to the Fungarium with some little black spots of contamination… 🦠

All was not lost at this point, and the chair was potentially salvageable, but we decided instead to leave it out in The Great Outdoors to see what else might enjoy a sit down on this fragrant furniture.

Over the course of three months, the chair has become a biodiversity hotspot. Snails, slugs, worms, woodlice, centipedes, flies, cats, dogs, and even one ginormous horse have made the pilgrimage to behold the increasingly slimy vision.

Alas, never has it ever been sat on by a human, nor shall it ever be. But at least it completed its lifecycle surrounded by adoring fans 🪱 what more can any of us hope for?

There have since been a series of successes in the mycelial building department - and we have one particularly exciting announcement to make in the run up to Christmas! Watch this space 🤞🏼

Bravo Kit for bringing your project to life ~ and then volunteering it so gracefully to the great grassy living room 🍄♥️ legend.

#BristolFungarium #BristolBorn #ScienceLed

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Watch the F*ck up Friday video here

Medicine Festival 2023:
Building with Mycelium Workshop

Mycelial Timelapse: Turkey Tail

Click here to watch our Bonfire Night Turkey Tail Timelapse

Fungi Photography

Mycelial Podium Exhibited at Koko Club for the Harvest Series

STEP 1 - LATEX (for detailed mould)

DRYING LATEX

STEP 2 - EXPANDING FOAM (mould support)

SEPARATING ALL PARTS

STEP 3 - GROW MYCELIUM IN HALVES

STEP 3 contd.

STEP 5 - LEAVE TO GROW & FUSE

STEP 4 - PLACE HALVES ON TOP OF ONE ANOTHER & ALLOW MYCELIUM TO FUSE

STEP 5 - (in a sterile environment)

STEP 4 - fill any gaps with fresh substrate to encourage growth between halves

GROWTH PART 2

DAY 1

DAY 1

DAY 4

DAY 4

Ideally, I would’ve liked to have grown the two halves together for 10 days but the event was in 2 days so we had to halt growth by dehydrating the pillar and its top (see below).

Base in dehydrator

top of podium in dehydrator

top of podium pre-dehydration

@ KOKO CLUB

If I get any better pictures I will add!
Sadly, the podium never made it back to the Fungarium as it was lost in the packdown of the event. WIll have to make another one day!

Sculptures (bits and bobs)

Looking into ancient female fertility goddesses: Sheela-na-gigs, Baubo, Isis, etc. and creating my own with mycelium :)

Half a dozen mycelium eggs

Sadly, the large baby egg was consumed by trichoderma

Underside of a bowl (currently off with Harvest)

lots more bits and bobs to come :)))
If I’m not busy in the lab making mycelial bits and bobs, I help out with ‘dry’ work (marketing, graphics, and socials) as well as ‘wet’ work (growing, harvesting, dehydrating, cleaning, washing, chucking - all the usual things one does on a mushroom farm) :)

Follow me online for more frequent updates
︎ @kit.kat.fat

Trip to Nova Scotia: Canadian tinctures

I went to visit my grandparents in Nova Scotia, Canada in September where there was an abundance of mushrooms.

There was a particular abundance of Birch Polypore and Turkey Tail which I foraged to make limited edition Nova Scotian Medicinal Mushroom tinctures for my family for Christmas.

- Birch Polypore -
- Turkey Tail -

︎ Native
︎ Wild-harvested
︎ Triple-extracted
︎ Medicinal & Functional