A new family-run business is making a name for itself with gourmet mushrooms, medicinal extracts and grow-your-own kits, just months after launching at farmers’ markets.

Valley Mushrooms, founded by Louie Thomas and his family, began as a backyard hobby and has since grown into a full-scale venture, supplying fresh produce to home cooks as well as cafes and professional chefs.

The story started not in a greenhouse or woodland but on the sofa, with a television documentary.

“I watched Fantastic Fungi on Netflix and it completely blew my mind,” said Louie, from Stockbury near Sittingbourne.

He didn’t grow up foraging or farming mushrooms. He admits he used to think of mushrooms as “just something you toss on a pizza”.

But that changed overnight.

He began experimenting with grow kits at home, and soon converted part of their unused family farm into a place to grow the fungi.

With help from his dad’s business knowledge and his wife’s branding flair, Valley Mushrooms was born.

Today, the business produces popular varieties like lion’s mane, oyster, and shiitake, alongside more medicinal species such as reishi, cordyceps and turkey tail. The family’s fresh mushrooms, tinctures, herbal extracts and grow kits are sold at farmers’ markets and events across Kent.

Louie now lives, works, and cooks in what he calls a “magical world of mushrooms”.

“They’re incredible,” he said.

“Lion’s mane is my favourite. You can marinate it, press it, and fry it like steak, the texture’s like pulled pork.

“I eat more mushrooms now than meat.”

The family sells each week at Faversham farmers’ market and has built up a strong customer base.

Some have shared messages describing how the mushrooms’ medical extract has helped them with energy, focus, or wellbeing and for Louie, this makes his work “humbling and inspiring”.

Mushroom Valley is also collaborating with the Gallery Kitchen Café in Faversham, which uses its produce on their menu and in cooking classes.

Louie’s hope is to make Swale the “mushroom capital of Kent”.

“We’re not a big company,” he said.

“We’re just doing something we love, and it’s amazing to see how many people are connecting with it, whether for health, flavour, or curiosity.”

Valley Mushrooms will appear at upcoming events including the Kent County Show, Cranbrook Goes Nuts, Broadstairs Food Festival and Chickenstock Music Festival in Stockbury.

One of Louie’s favourite dishes is mushroom risotto, so much so that he’s just ordered the equipment to start serving it at markets and showing people how amazing this simple dish can be.

Louie’s mushrooms can be found every Friday at the Faversham market, as well as other markets across the county.

The mushrooms, tinctures and grow kits can also be ordered online on the Valley Mushrooms website.

The mushrooms are posted on a Friday, fresh from harvest.