Beyond the Button: Exploring Mushrooms Like Never Before
For decades, the humble button mushroom has been a kitchen staple - reliable, versatile and familiar. But the world of shrooms is vast, vibrant, and full of surprises. At Caley Brothers, we believe it’s time to go beyond the button…
This year, our focus is on showing you just how exciting mushrooms can be - both in your home kitchen and in the garden. Our 2026 display at RHS Chelsea, Beyond the Button, will be the pinnacle of this journey: a celebration of the diversity, flavour and functional benefits that mushrooms bring to life.
This year, our focus is on showing you just how exciting mushrooms can be - both in your home kitchen and in the garden. Our 2026 display at RHS Chelsea, Beyond the Button, will be the pinnacle of this journey: a celebration of the diversity, flavour and functional benefits that mushrooms bring to life.
The button mushroom truly earns its place at the table. It’s versatile, affordable, and widely loved - an ingredient that slips seamlessly into everything from a simple omelette to a comforting stew. Its mild flavour and adaptable texture have made it the go-to mushroom for generations, and for good reason: it’s reliable, nourishing, and endlessly useful.
But here’s the exciting part: the button mushroom is just the beginning. Beyond its familiar round cap lies a whole world of mushrooms waiting to be discovered - mushrooms that can bring new flavours, textures and benefits to your cooking and your lifestyle. Exploring these varieties doesn’t mean leaving the button mushroom behind; it means building on what you already know and love, and unlocking even more possibilities on your plate.
Take the oyster mushroom, for example: delicate and versatile, with comes in a variety of colours - that makes it a favourite for stir-fries and plant-based dishes. Or the shiitake, prized in Asian cuisine for its rich umami depth that can transform a broth or elevate a simple noodle dish. Then there’s the lion’s mane, a striking mushroom with a meaty texture - a brilliant ingredient for anyone curious about creative alternatives to meat.
Each has its own personality, culinary uses, and even health-supporting qualities, and we’re excited to show how accessible they are - whether you pick them up at the shops or grow them at home.
Meet the Mushrooms Beyond the Button
Oyster Mushrooms – The Versatile Favourite
With their delicate fan-shaped caps and subtle flavours, oyster mushrooms are one of the easiest to fall in love with. They cook quickly, soak up marinades beautifully, and shine in stir-fries, tacos, and creamy pasta dishes. The grey oyster’s tender texture makes it a brilliant choice for plant-based recipes, often standing in for chicken or pulled pork. Meanwhile, the striking pink and sunny yellow varieties are best enjoyed simply fried as a feature on any plate, or served raw in a colourful, crunchy salad.
Shiitake Mushrooms – The Umami Powerhouse
Shiitake are rich, earthy, and bursting with umami. Long celebrated in Asian cooking, these mushrooms bring depth to soups, broths, and sauces, and are equally delicious pan-fried with a splash of soy or added to risottos for a savoury kick. Their bold flavour makes them a natural star in the kitchen, even in small amounts. For a quick win, check out our shiitake skewers recipe - simple, satisfying, and utterly delicious.
Lion’s Mane – The Showstopper
With cascading spines that resemble a lion’s mane, this mushroom is a visual marvel and currently a hot topic for its functional benefits, often used in tincture and powder form. But to witness lion’s mane fresh and savour it for its culinary qualities is something truly special. Its firm, meaty texture is often compared to torn chicken when pulled apart. Shredded finely, it resembles crab meat with a delicate yet moreish mushroom flavour when pan-fried. For a bold approach, slice a large lion’s mane into chunky disks and sauté in butter or sear until golden - gourmet yet wonderfully approachable.
Enoki or Shiimeji Mushrooms – The Delicate Touch
Slender, elegant, and slightly crunchy, enoki mushrooms are a delight in soups, hot pots, and salads. Their cousins, the stockier shimeji, bring a similar sweetness and texture. Both varieties are quick-cooking and versatile, instantly elevating noodle dishes, stews, or even a simple miso soup. A handful of enoki or shimeji turns an everyday bowl into something curious, fun, and rewarding.
King Oyster – The Meaty Contender
The king of the oyster family, this mushroom has thick, sturdy stems perfect for slicing into “scallops” or shredding into a pulled pork-style dish. Its texture is hearty and satisfying, making it one of the best mushrooms for anyone exploring plant-based swaps without sacrificing substance. One of our favourites is to slice the stems thinly, add a dusting of baconnaise seasoning or a drizzle of soy sauce, and pan-fry - pan irresistible accompaniment to our take on the Dishoom-inspired “bacon butty.” Definitely a recipe worth investigating.
Mushrooms as a Plant-Based Alternative
Mushrooms are one of nature’s best-kept secrets when it comes to plant-based eating. Their unique textures and rich flavours mean they can step into roles often filled by meat, without feeling like you’re missing out. Whether you’re reducing meat, cooking for flexitarians or going fully plant-based, mushrooms make the shift both delicious and satisfying.
For pulled pork → Grey oyster or king oyster mushrooms
Carefully but satisfyingly hand shredded, marinated, and slow-cooked until they mimic the tenderness of pulled meat - perfect for burgers, tacos or BBQ buns
For Minced Meats → Button, Closed-Cap, or Chestnut Mushrooms
Finely chop your mushrooms, then sauté until the juices evaporate and the flavour deepens. From here, carry on as you would with mince in your family favourites - whether that’s bolognese, lasagne, mince and potatoes, or a spiced keema. One of our go-to recipes is a pea and mushroom keema: rich, comforting, and endlessly adaptable.For Chicken → Oyster Mushrooms
When lightly battered and fried, oyster mushrooms develop a juicy bite that feels uncannily like chicken strips or nuggets. They also soak up marinades beautifully, making them an easy swap in Thai curries, autumn stews, or even a Sunday roast with a twist.For Seafood → Lion’s Mane & King Oyster
Lion’s mane can be shredded into delicate, crab-like strands or sliced thickly and seared into a scallop-style dish. Meanwhile, the king oyster’s chunky stems make an excellent scallop substitute - ideal if you’ve always wanted to try scallops at home but felt daunted. With a simple tangy dressing, these mushroom “scallops” are every bit as good - if not better (we think so, at least!).For Bacon → King Oyster
Thinly slice the stems, brush with soy sauce or smoky seasoning, and pan-fry until crisp. The secret? Resist the urge to stir. Mushrooms are 80–90% water, so the less you move them, the firmer they’ll stay. Flip them only once to avoid sogginess, and you’ll be rewarded with smoky, savoury slices that rival bacon itself.For Beefy Richness → Shiitake & Portobello Mushrooms
Shiitake and portobello are the umami kings, bringing depth and richness to sauces, stews, and gravies. They’re also brilliant on the grill or BBQ. Simply season, cook as you would a burger, and pile into a bun with all the saucy, crunchy extras. Trust us - this mushroom burger can give the OG a serious run for its money.
What makes mushrooms especially exciting is that you don’t need to reinvent your favourite recipes - just substitute or add them, and you instantly create a dish that’s hearty, flavourful, and plant-forward. They’re the ultimate flexible ingredient for exploring plant-based options without sacrificing comfort or taste.
From shiitake and oyster to earthy enoki and fragrant lion’s mane, we want to encourage you to explore varieties that are accessible, easy to grow, and endlessly adaptable. Simple swaps and additions can elevate everyday meals into something extraordinary. Mushrooms can enrich plant-based eating, provide satisfying alternatives to meat, and introduce new textures and flavours that surprise and delight even the most familiar palate.
But Beyond the Button is about more than cooking and nutrition - it’s about connection, curiosity, and creativity. Over the coming year, we’ll take you behind the scenes of our growing projects, reveal the magic of mycelium networks, share stories from mushroom enthusiasts, and explore the many ways fungi can inspire sustainability, innovation, and wellness. From hands-on workshops to eye-opening demonstrations at RHS Chelsea, our aim is to show that mushrooms are not just food - they’re a doorway to discovery.
So whether you’re a seasoned grower, a curious cook, or someone eager to expand your culinary and environmental horizons, Beyond the Button has something for you. Together, we’ll uncover the hidden potential of mushrooms and celebrate their extraordinary role in our kitchens, gardens, and lives.
Content Powered by Creativity and AI |This page was crafted by us, with the assistance of AI to ensure clear, correct, and informative content for our audience. While AI helped confirm some of the details, the writing process, ideas and mushroom-growing expertise come directly from the heart of our team.
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