Chestnuts provide hope

At a time when the UK mushroom industry is under increasing pressure, news of expansion is a rare thing. Oakfield Farm Products however, is looking the future in the eye with a degree of confidence, says managing director Hugh Owens. While, unusually for an essentially English grower, the company has a farm at Stromproy in Holland that concentrates on exporting white mushrooms, it is the specialist production of organic chestnut mushrooms in the UK which will provide the expected boost. David Shapley reports.