While there’s a perception that Australian diets worsened during the pandemic, new research from Australian Mushrooms reveals that more than half of Australians (59 percent) have improved their diet and eating habits over the last 12 months – with 63 percent admitting to preparing more meals at home, eating less processed foods (49 percent) and increasing their intake of fresh and healthy foods (49 percent).

To celebrate Australians’ love of home cooking with the best ingredients, nature offers, Australian Mushrooms has partnered with celebrity chef Adam Liaw and Coogee-based butchery Kingsmore Meats to create the first-ever Mushroom Meatery, a delicious deli selling all things meat and mushrooms.

The Mushroom Meatery will be serving up a series of limited-edition dishes that feature the Mighty Mushie and fresh cuts of meat. The collaboration comes after research reveals ingredients matter most to Australian home cooks – with three-quarters (75 percent) saying the ability to control what ingredients they use is what they love most about home cooking. A half (51 percent) said that they enjoy sourcing fresh ingredients, such as quality meats, mushrooms or vegetables.

“Australia is home to some of the best fresh produce in the world and we’re fortunate enough to live in a country where it is easily accessible from our local grocer or butcher,” Liaw said. “It’s fantastic to see Aussies embracing these world-class ingredients and celebrating them in home-cooked meals.”

With one in 10 saying they visit their butcher for expert advice on cooking fresh produce, Joel Houghton of Kingsmore Meats has been managing customer recipe requests, inspirations, and requests for prep help for many years.

“The pandemic meant people had more time to cook and experiment with their cooking. Every day, we had numerous customers coming in asking for expert advice on how to cook their fresh produce and for recipe ideas to make at home,” Houghton said.

“We love to experiment with our meat cuts to see what other products we can offer. Australian Mushrooms have a firm texture and meaty flavour, so they’re perfect to blend in with the meat, without taking away the meat flavour.”

Alongside the one-off menu items such as Chicken and Mushroom Nuggets and Mushroom and Brisket Ragu, The Mushroom Meatery will be home to a ‘Mushroom Pick and Mix’ complete with Buttons, Cups, Flats, Portobello and Swiss Brown mushroom varieties.

While one in three (32 percent) are making an effort to have dedicated meat-free days, over half (53 percent) are eating the same amount of meat – so The Mushroom Meatery offers something for those who are on a meat-free day, those who crave a mix of plant-based and meaty goodness, and for those who are ready to try something completely new.

“Adding the Mighty Mushie can transform your meal as they are super little packages, containing a bundle of nutrients while being low in fat,” Bulla Farm mushroom grower Georgia Beattie said.

“Australian Mushrooms are available all year round with the majority being grown located near our capital cities. I’m proud to be one of the 77 plus Australian Mushroom growers in the country.”