Bristol Fungarium

Bristol Born. Science Led.

Bristol Fungarium is a medicinal mushroom farm specialising in the cultivation of UK-native fungi. The farm grows eight key species: Lion’s Mane, Reishi, Cordyceps, Maitake, Shiitake, Chaga, Turkey Tail, and Oyster Mushrooms.

From these, they produce potent triple-extracted tinctures, a process designed to draw out the full spectrum of each mushroom’s bioactive compounds, making them more readily available and effective for human consumption. Mushrooms, by nature, are immuno-modulators—they help regulate the immune system in ways that adapt to your body’s specific needs. Each species also offers unique health benefits, supporting different organs, functions, and systems. You can explore the full breakdown of these on the Bristol Fungarium website.

My Role: Biodesigner & Fungi Researcher (2023–2024)

From summer 2023 to winter 2024, I worked with Bristol Fungarium as their Biodesigner and Fungi Researcher. While the farm is grounded in the science and practice of growing medicinal mushrooms, the team recognises the broader ecological, regenerative, and creative possibilities of working with fungi. That’s where I came in.

Building on my Master’s in Biodesign at Central Saint Martins, I’ve been exploring fungi as both a material and collaborator—particularly Oyster mushrooms, known for their ability to break down a wide range of substrates, and Reishi, valued for their strength, resilience, and long-lasting, sculptural fruiting bodies.

At the Fungarium, my role involved developing a wide range of mycelium-based creations—from sculptural forms (including Sheela-na-gigs, Buddha heads, eggs, miniature chairs, and large-scale podiums) to more functional objects like bowls, boxes, and (coming soon) lampshades.

These pieces have been exhibited at festivals, public exhibitions, and private events across the UK, highlighting both the aesthetic and ecological potential of fungal materials.

MYCELIUM PACKAGING: CHRISTMAS HAMPER

One of my most challenging projects for the Fungarium was the design and production of limited-edition mycelium packaging for their Christmas Hamper release.

The vision was to handcraft approximately 50 mycelium gift boxes, each made entirely from living fungal material. In practice, the process proved exceptionally labour-intensive, requiring significant time, care, and resources. Ultimately, I completed 15 boxes – not used for hampers but instead showcased as striking displays for tinctures at festivals. Despite the challenges, the finished pieces were beautiful, functional, and fully compostable. These boxes transcend traditional packaging, standing as eco-friendly artworks in their own right.

PART 1 – Designing the 3D Model
The initial 3D model was created using Rhino software.

PART 2 – CNC Milling the Physical Mould
A ‘male’ mould, including the base and branded lid, was CNC-milled from MDF by Knowle West Media Centre in Bristol.

PART 3 – Vacuum Forming the Moulds
Using the male mould, I vacuum-formed the ‘female’ moulds — the inverse shapes that serve as containers for the final product — at the 3D Make Department, Central Saint Martins, UAL.

PART 4 – Creating the Mycelium Packaging
Back at the Fungarium lab, I filled the female moulds with inoculated substrate. The lids were then left to incubate and grow for one week.

PART 5 – Full Colonisation
Once removed from the moulds, the pieces were left to fully colonise. During this stage, a thick white layer developed across the surface — resembling the rind of a camembert — indicating healthy mycelial growth and structural integrity.

PART 6 – Dehydration & Finishing
Once fully colonised, the pieces were dehydrated to halt further growth and preserve their form. They were then finished with a protective lacquer to enhance durability and water resistance.

left: fired as a test for colouration.

CREATURE CHAIR

Exhibited at Medicine Festival, 2023

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

BUILDING WITH MYCELIUM

Medicine Festival, 2023

SCULPTURES

When I wasn’t in the lab creating mycelial bits and pieces, I lent a hand with both the ‘dry’ work — marketing, graphic design, and social media — and the ‘wet’ work, which includes growing, harvesting, dehydrating, cleaning, and all the hands-on tasks typical of life on a mushroom farm.

Inoculating my book to grow mushrooms from it.

Photographing and harvesting Lion’s Mane Mushrooms

Spore Drops with Scarlet Elf Cups

Biofluorescent Mycelium Timelapses with Maitake Mushrooms

DIY FUNGAL KICKS

MYCELIAL FRAMES

MYCELIUM PODIUM

Exhibited at Koko Club for the Harvest Series, 2023

PROCESS:
CREATE A LATEX MOULD FOR FINE DETAILS
USE EXPANDING FOAM FOR MOULD SUPPORT
FILL THE STERILISED MOULD WITH INOCULATED SUBSTRATE
ALLOW TO GROW FOR A WEEK

DAY 1

DAY 4

PLACE HALVES TOGETHER TO ALLOW TO FUSE (FILL ANY GAPS WITH EXTRA SUBSTRATE)
INCUBATE IN A STERILE ENVIRONMENT FOR 10 DAYS OR SO

Ideally, I would have allowed the two halves to grow together for ten days, but with the event just two days away, we had to stop the growth on day four by dehydrating both the pillar and its top.

(not as colonised as I would have liked!)

@ KOKO CLUB

TURKEY TAIL TIMELAPSE

Click here to watch our Bonfire Night Turkey Tail Timelapse

MERCHANDISE

In summer 2024, I designed Bristol Fungarium’s merchandise: branded totes and t-shirts, and mushroom umbrellas that sold out within 24 hours!

FUNGI PHOTOGRAPHY

NOVA SCOTIAN MEDICINAL MUSHROOM TINCTURES

In September 2023, I visited my grandparents in Nova Scotia, Canada, where there was an incredible abundance of mushrooms. Birch Polypore and Turkey Tail mushrooms were especially plentiful, and I foraged them to craft a limited-edition Bristol Fungarium Nova Scotian Medicinal Mushroom tincture as a Christmas gift for my extended family.