In this episode of Yours For The Making, host Robin Johnson is joined by Robbie Kelly, founder of Basil’s Fungi Farm, a thriving gourmet mushroom business based in Hastings. From culturing mycelium on petri dishes to supplying chefs across the UK, Robbie shares his remarkable journey from teenage curiosity and chef life to pioneering sustainable urban mushroom farming.

Discover the science behind mushroom cultivation, how mycelium networks connect ecosystems, and why mushrooms might be the future of food, medicine, and environmental innovation. Whether you're a chef, grower, biohacker, or sustainability advocate, this episode delivers rich insight into one of nature’s most fascinating organisms—and the

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• How Robbie built a gourmet mushroom farm from his spare bedroom
• The difference between oyster, lion’s mane, Cordyceps & more
• How to propagate and grow mushrooms using mycelium
• The challenges of launching an agri-startup with zero funding
• Why mycelium networks are the “internet of the forest”
• Tips for DIY mushroom growing at home
• How to build a purpose-led, resilient micro-business
• Why taking risks matters—and how to survive the startup phase

In this show, we discuss:

Gourmet mushroom farming, how to grow mushrooms at home, mycelium cultivation, sustainable agriculture uk, oyster mushroom kits, lion’s mane recipes, mushroom growing startup, urban farming UK, Cordyceps mushroom health benefits, DIY mushroom grow kits, small-scale farming, food entrepreneur podcast, fungi and ecology, how to grow lion’s mane, mushroom spore propagation, mushroom farm business uk, regenerative food systems, soil biology podcast, artisan food growers, mushroom farming tips for beginners

KEY MOMENTS:

00:00 – Why taking risks is worth it

01:20 – Meet Robbie Kelly from Basil’s Fungi Farm

02:00 – What are gourmet mushrooms?

02:45 – Saprophytic mushrooms and species overview

03:40 – Robbie’s journey: from chef to grower

04:30 – Starting a mushroom business from a bedroom

05:15 – The Hastings mushroom yard setup

06:00 – How to grow mushrooms using sawdust & straw

07:00 – Understanding mycelium: cloning & propagation

08:20 – Using Petri dishes, grain, and culture slants

09:20 – The underground network: mycelium & ecosystems

11:00 – From petri dish to pounds of sawdust

12:00 – Mushroom fruiting: how long it takes

13:20 – Grow room conditions: humidity, temperature, air

14:45 – Always learning: growing vs. running a business

15:40 – The toughest part of starting up

17:00 – Selling to chefs and scaling up locally

18:30 – Could he hire staff? Scaling challenges explained

20:30 – Long-term vision: small-scale, human business

21:30 – Mushroom grow kits for home use

23:00 – Can you grow mushrooms in your garden?

24:00 – Medicinal mushrooms & supplements: do they work?

25:30 – Growing Cordyceps: tricky but possible

27:00 – Why some mushrooms can’t be grown sterile

28:30 – Home mushroom growing: kits vs. DIY

29:10 – Robbie’s favourite mushrooms to cook with

30:30 – Markets, meetups & mushroom visibility

31:30 – Why local home delivery is tricky

32:20 – Best advice for new growers

33:30 – Where to learn mushroom cultivation

34:30 – The hidden risks of mushroom farming

35:30 – Spores, mold & building a...