Grow Your Own Mushroom Boxes

Grow Your Own Mushroom Boxes

When a teenager called us to ask about bespoke boxes for growing mushrooms, we were intrigued. It turns out that Sam is an inspiration. He has transformed his obsession for fungi into a business, alongside studying for his A’levels.

Printed Mushroom Boxes

When Sam contacted us, he had already planned out the style of his mushroom boxes and created an impressive print design for the packaging. There were two different requests; one for the mushroom growing kits and another for his mushroom tinctures. The kit boxes needed to have a hole in them for the mushrooms to grow out of.

Although Sam was new to packaging design, he’d made good progress with what he needed. We were happy to step in and advise on ways to achieve his vision.

The Health Benefits of Mushrooms

Mushrooms are a tasty and nutritious addition to many recipes. Rich in Vitamin D, Vitamin B complex and Selenium, an antioxidant, they form part of a healthy diet. However, the full health potential of mushrooms is only just being realised. It is now known that some species have medicinal properties including the management of neurodegenerative diseases. This is what captured Sam’s attention.

Sam’s grandad has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease and in a bid to help him manage his symptoms, Sam began intensive research. He discovered that Lions Mane Mushrooms contain natural properties that can prevent the progression of Parkinson’s and Dementia, improve memory and boost immunity.

He also discovered that Oyster Mushrooms are a great source of iron. Among their many health benefits, they are known to lower cholesterol and blood pressure. Although Oyster Mushrooms grow in the wild in the UK, foraging is risky. Around 15,000 species of fungi grow wild in the UK. However, some poisonous species have a similar appearance to edible varieties.

Sam started growing mushrooms, developing ideas and formulating tinctures. These mushroom extracts had to optimise the range of compounds, to ensure they delivered beneficial health effects. When he’d mastered the processes, Sam was ready to launch his business.

Printed Packaging Design

The kit boxes that we manufacture are used as the container for growing the mushrooms. As such, the packaging material must be food safe. Another requirement is that the packaging can be recycled or composted at the end of use. So, corrugated cardboard is the ideal packaging material.

The boxes will be kept in customers’ homes or potting sheds for some time and printed cardboard packaging offers a great opportunity to showcase the brand. Sam had created a design, which we printed on a sample box, so he could check he was happy with the look. We also advised on how to create the print design for the tincture boxes using just two colours to cut the cost.

“The people at Aylesbury Box Company have been so helpful and that’s been a real advantage. I chose them as my packaging company because they were proactive from the start. I’m sure I’ve driven them crazy because I was new to packaging and we exchanged so many emails. The boxes arrived quickly and were great. Seeing the hours of designing and planning come together in the finished boxes was a good feeling.”

 – Sam Gardener, Smart Mushrooms

The Smart Mushrooms website has only recently been launched, but mushroom growing kit boxes are flying off the shelves. It’s amazing to know that this enterprise has got up and running whilst Sam is still at school! We are looking forward to seeing and supporting this business go from strength to strength.

Helpful Packaging Advice

We all have our areas of expertise – Sam’s is mushrooms and ours is packaging. The key is to use that knowledge to help others.

If you are new to packaging, don’t worry! Our helpful team will guide you through the process. We offer a proactive approach and packaging advice that will help you get exactly what you need at the best price. Simply give us a call on 01296 436888 or email enquiries@abcbox.co.uk.