A new mushroom grower has hit the scene here in Tucson — and they’re growing some of the highest quality culinary mushrooms in the region.
Sunset Mushrooms is a new company launched by Bobby Richardson, the owner of Vista Microgreens. In 2022, I toured Bobby’s facility in Sierra Vista where it became immediately apparent to me that his obsession with perfecting the growing process resulted in some of the most flavor-packed greens I’d ever tasted.
Now he’s bringing that same level of quality to the mushroom world.
Eating mushrooms can be a little intimidating for those who aren’t prone to broadening their palate. It wasn’t always a go-to dish for Bobby, either.
“I really didn’t like mushrooms at first because if you go to most grocery stores looking for mushrooms, you’re usually only going to get the button mushrooms or portobellos,” he said. “They don’t have much flavor, and they’re just kind of the same old thing every time. But then, I started trying Lion’s Mane — just all different types — and it was like, ‘Wow, there’s so much more to mushrooms than just a store-bought button mushroom!'”
After a few tastes, he was hooked. Mushrooms sort of grew on Bobby. And now, Bobby grows mushrooms.
Half of Sunset Mushrooms’ 4,000-square-foot warehouse in Sierra Vista is used for microgreens and the other half is for the fungi. Speaking of which, Richardson is a fun guy to chat with, but also a genuine, down-to-earth person who takes a lot of pride in what he creates.
Sunset Mushrooms started selling to local restaurants and eaters this past April after Bobby began talking with Phillip Allred, another mushroom grower at farmers markets in Sierra Vista, Allred Family Fungi. Richardson purchased the company and immediately scaled production to enter the Tucson market.
“Phillip wanted to focus more of his time on growing the mushrooms, so joining forces is a win-win because I can focus on expanding our distribution into the Tucson market. He’s been on board, helping me learn all the growing processes and lingo.”
Eating the mushrooms is only half the fun. Watching his fungi develop over time is an irreplaceable experience for Richardson. The mushrooms grown at Sunset Mushrooms, which currently include Lion’s Mane, Blue Oyster, Pearl Oyster, Chestnut, King Trumpet, and Pioppino (often considered a hidden gem in the mushroom world), take anywhere from 25 days to four or five months, depending on the variety.
Restaurants account for 95% of Sunset Mushrooms’ revenue, but anyone can purchase a fresh set of King Trumpets or Pioppinos via their website — all of which are delivered weekly to Tucson on Tuesdays.
You can find Sunset Mushrooms on the menu at places like JoJo’s, Forbes Meat Company, The Coronet, and much more.
While mushrooms are often purchased for their flavors, they also offer a wealth of health benefits.
“Lion’s Mane is very good for the nervous system,” said Richardson. “A lot of studies have been done and are still being done about the health benefits of people with PTSD and Multiple sclerosis (MS). Lion’s mane really helps build back and protect the myelin sheath and nerves in the body. So, with MS, that’s what it is — the deterioration of the myelin sheath. Lion’s Mane is really beneficial in helping to build that back.”
‘They’ve also got a lot of vitamins,” he continued. “Turkey Tail, for example, is anticarcinogenic. It’s known to prevent further growth of cancer. It’s been in a study where it can help reduce actual cancer that’s already been diagnosed. It depends on the combination — some doctors are using it in combination with certain chemo treatments, and it’s helping patients recover and fight cancer faster and more efficiently.”
In their online store, Richardson recently debuted new mushroom tinctures and has other products in the works like mushroom powders, substrate blocks (so you can grow your own mushrooms), and other cultivation supplies.
“Mushrooms are considered to be an Eastern medicine because they’ve known more about the benefits of these mushrooms for far longer than we have,” Richardson added. “Places like Asia and China have been using mushrooms as medicine for thousands of years. Here in the West, we’re just now starting to get on board with understanding it all at a deeper level, like what these mushrooms can do for us. We’re incorporating it more and more into our food.”
Just a couple of months ago, Chef Christian Bidegain of JoJo’s in downtown Tucson teamed up with Sunset Mushrooms for a one-night six-course meal. They featured five varieties of mushrooms, creating dishes like a Pioppino Mushroom Sorbet — a Pioppino mushroom and citrus sorbet with cava granita and garnished with basil caviar.
Back in July, Tucson Foodie teamed up with Iron John’s Brewing and Sunset Mushrooms for a limited-time Pioppino mushroom pizza. The Sunset Mushroom pizza had brown butter instead of pizza sauce, spinach, mozzarella, oregano, and sautéed pioppinos in oil, garlic, and salt.
It’s no longer available, but maybe you can hassle Iron John’s to bring it back as one of their pizzas of the month. It was honestly one of the best pizzas I’ve ever had in my life.
Richardson hopes to be a part of more of these dinners in the future, furthering his shroom footprint in the Old Pueblo.
In the meantime, there’s some special brewing at Crooked Tooth Brewing Company: a mushroom beer.
On Sunday, September 22, Crooked Tooth, Tucson Foodie, and Sunset Mushrooms are hosting a party for the launch of their new “Sunset Mushroom” beer. More details to come soon!
“We used three mushrooms! Ben and the team at Crooked Tooth used Lion’s Mane, Pioppinos, and Chestnuts in the brew,” said Bobby. “A dark ale is what Ben is going after.”
It’ll be a great opportunity to meet our local mushroom growers, taste the new brew, buy some mushrooms to cook with at home, and mingle with others in the local food scene. More details to come soon.
As Sunset Mushrooms grows, Bobby’s passion is helping redefine Tucson’s food scene with fresh, locally-grown fungi and collaborations. Keep an eye out for new products in the online store.
For more information about Sunset Mushrooms, visit sunsetmushrooms.com.
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