This week, Brussels-based Eclo is participating in the international trade fair ‘De Champignondagen’ in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands, where it hopes to find new customers for its organic mushroom substrates. The substrate is produced from recycled organic waste and was recently produced at the new Eclo factory in Villers-le-Bouillet, in the province of Liège.

Last fall, the company raised 4.7 million euros to build a 4,200 m² factory. “The first batch is currently being sold through partners in the Netherlands and Belgium,” said marketing manager Quentin Declerck. He indicated that production would be increased in the coming months, so that full production capacity could be reached in September.

The side activity becomes the main activity

The production of this mushroom substrate was originally a side business of Eclo, previously known as Le Champignon de Bruxelles. In 2014, the company started producing exotic mushrooms which are often exported from distant countries. These mushrooms are grown in old cellars beneath the Anderlecht slaughterhouse and then distributed to Brussels cooks and organic shops throughout Belgium.

Apart from mushroom production, and later also microgreens, Eclo also focused on the production of organic circular substrates. The mushroom substrate consists of a mixture of the main ingredients, wood, grain, water and mycelium. For sustainable substrate compositions, mushroom growers approach local companies for waste streams. For example, Cantillon Brewery supplies draft beer, while Colruyt Group and Bon Pain supply organic bread, which is not sold.