£100,000 boost for Biospheric Studio
MANCHESTER sustainable food pioneer Vincent Walsh has revealed a series of new projects and partnerships and a major investment he believes will rapidly commercialise his research into urban farming and local food production.
Walsh’s Biospheric Studio will benefit from an initial £100,000 investment to help kick-start a purpose-built, mobile mushroom production unit which aims to sell directly sell fungi to local restaurants in the city centre.
The facility, debuted vlast month in Albert Square as part of the Manchester Food & Drink Festival (MFDF).
Walsh and his team are aiming to produce 800 kg of premium shitake mushrooms every month and already have a handful of top Manchester restaurants lining up as customers, including Tampopo, The Lowry Hotel and the Chop House restaurant group.
In addition to the mushroom farm project, which has been informed by five years of PhD research at Walsh’s agricultural laboratory by the River Irwell in Salford, the Biospheric Studio has secured a number of major commissions in Manchester.
These include the design and installation of an aquaponics system at Manchester Museum, the creation of a mobile whole food store to serve communities in Pendleton, and a series of culinary roof-gardens and compact food production facilities for a range of landlords and property developers in the city.
Walsh said: “The new investment and commissions from the both private and public sector means we already have a solid platform on which we can build.
“But there is still a long way to go, and we will need to find other progressive, innovative and ambitious partners across Manchester who share our commitment to making a lasting impact on sustainable food production locally.
“This includes the city’s restaurant and hospitality sectors, whose custom will be key to making projects like the city-centre mushroom farm commercially sustainable in the long run.”
Walsh is also developing a programme of food-related events, workshops, pop-up farms and talks for a number of Manchester’s festivals including this year’s MFDF and next July’s European City of Science and EuroScience Open Forum (ESOF).
