Kennett Square-based supplier Caputo and Guest is thriving with their specialty mushrooms. When the family company began growing exotic mushrooms sales were slow, writes Keith Loria for The Produce News.

Common mushrooms such as white and brown mushrooms stole the show, but now with the health-conscious uprising, Americans are seeking something new. The company includes a code on their packages that share recipes, so customers know how to cook with them.  

Aside from these savory dishes, Americans are also looking to these fungi for health benefits. Louis Caputo, one of the founders, said that Lion’s Mane is becoming more popular due to its health benefits such as fighting dementia.  

The company deals with a weekly supply of a quarter-million pounds of exotic mushrooms, and production is expected to increase by 400 percent with new expansion.  

“It was a very, very niche market for these mushrooms,” he said. “But as the years have progressed and Americans have transitioned toward healthier eating and have, in general, become more health-conscious, mushrooms, especially the mushrooms we grow, have definitely been gaining market share.” 

Read more about the mushroom supplier in The Produce News.  

Kennett Square is the mushroom capital of the world.