Love mushrooms?
Shroom. Love them or hate them? Personally, I’m a big fan but they’ve got to be cooked properly. Let’s face it, no one likes a slimy watery shroom. You know, like the ones you get in an exceptionally bad all-day breakfast. Give me big fat juicy mushrooms in a creamy garlic sauce any day. Agree?
Shroom pop up
Mushrooms are again, the talk around town. Why? Because pop-up mushroom fanatics Shroom are back and this time, they’ve taken up residency at It’s Mustard on Albert Road. We paid them a visit at their first pop-up in Hunter Gatherer a couple of months ago and were hugely impressed. They transformed the venue into what could only be described as a psychedelic underground den, a feast for the senses and something worth Instagramming. Think super funky UV mushrooms hanging from the ceiling, brightly coloured patterned fabric across the walls and quirky mushroom-related slogans stuck here, there and everywhere. Despite having to take it all down each morning so Hunter Gatherer could become a coffee shop again, the girls went to huge efforts for that all-important vibe.
Founders Antonia and Lucy are great. We chatted with them on our last visit and regularly see them around Southsea. Their bright and bubbly personality is everything you’d expect in two passionate entrepreneurs and they make a great duo. They’re on a mission to not only convert the unconverted (to mushrooms of course) but to support local businesses by bringing a unique low-carbon vegan dining experience to Portsmouth.
New menu
This time they’ve expanded their menu with new items alongside firm favourites, mine being the Shroom mac and cheeze and the Korean mushroom burger. They now cater for children, gluten-free and even have vegan (no mushrooms) burgers, for those unable to get over their fear of fungi. You may think that the mushroom burgers include a huge portobello mushroom but no, it’s a handmade mushroom patty carefully crafted in their kitchen.
I’ve had plenty of vegan/veggie burgers in my time and I’ve never tasted anything quite like it. It wasn’t as I expected but I would definitely have it again. Some patties are panko-fried, some marinated and some come as they are. Each burger has a bit of a worldly theme going on; the American, the Japanese, the Korean, the Mexican. I would take a guess that Antonia and Lucy are well-travelled. So many people have asked me about these mushroom burgers, unsure whether it would be their thing. I say the same thing to everyone, “just try it”.
So, why Shroom?
“We’re so lucky to have an abundance of mushrooms growing on our doorstep. They’re sustainable, versatile and local”, co-founder Antonia told me. All of the shrooms used in their cooking are locally grown and they’re right, there’s so much you can do with a mushroom – and their extensive menu proves that. One thing I love about Shroom is that sustainability plays a big part. They strive to be good to the planet, opting for a low-carbon approach to business and sourcing most of the ingredients locally.
Support local
Another big win, for me, is their support for other local businesses, bringing in customers when the place would otherwise be closed (in the case of Hunter Gatherer) or introducing a completely different clientele (in the case of It’s Mustard). We had never been to It’s Mustard and now we have. Appealing to the masses, Shroom is a good bridge between vegans and meat eaters. Who doesn’t love a dirty burger and fries with their pint or cocktail? It’s Mustard have fully embraced the mushroom craze by creating a special mushroom cocktail. I love that they’ve been prepared to offer a fairly new venture a chance to grow. The decor has been toned down a little in their new venue but it still has a good vibe and is somewhere you could hang for a while.
Everything homemade
Everything is made from scratch, even the sauces and marinades. That’s super important to me and something I look for when choosing where to eat. A dirty burger and fries is never going to be healthy, but we all need a bit of comfort food from time to time. Knowing that I’m eating fresh, quality, homemade food certainly makes me feel better. My go-to dishes are the mac and cheeze, now with more toppings, and the Korean burger which offers just the right amount of zing. For their latest pop up there are even homemcase cookies and boy were they good!
We recommend
One dish not to be missed is the garlic button mushrooms, lightly fried and dipped (if you wish) in a homemade garlic sauce. Top tip, bring a date or a mate who loves garlic just as much as you! This time round we tried the American and the Japanese with Carlos preferring the latter and me, the American. It was all good, I really couldn’t fault it.
Whether you love them or hate them, Shroom’ brings out the best in mushrooms. So, give it a go, try something new and experience this innovative, fun and quirky pop up.
H x
Ambience 7 (mainly depends on the pop-up venue)
Quality 9
Value 8
Service 9
Overall 8.5
Return? Yes!