A COUPLE who started a mushroom farm in an old shipping container just outside Oxford are now selling the whole business on eBay.

Lee Timermanis and Rajo Taylor-Smith are asking for £50,000 for their futuristic fungi farm just outside of Kidlington.

The couple set up The Oxford Mushroom Company less than two years ago in 2017, growing exotic varieties such as Shiitake and Oyster.

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They are now having to sell the operation due to ill health which they say is a great shame as the business was proving a hit.

They have already received a lot of interest from people up and down the country.

In their eBay listing, the Jericho duo explain that the container, which was originally commissioned by Ministry of Defence and used for food storage, ‘is very versatile' and could be used to grow other 'niche market crops such as micro salad greens'.

Oxford Mail:

It originally had air conditioning units but was converted and equipped with special filter fans, humidity-controlled misting systems, automated lighting and thermostatically controlled heating, all of which helped to grow mushrooms.

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Also included in the mushroom business bundle is equipment such as a commercial fridge, freezer, dehydrator packing materials and more.

The couple say that the container is being sold either as a ‘mobile infrastructure’ which can be transported with their help to another location, or the business could continue on the farm where the container is now stored.

Oxford Mail:

This will determine how much the business will cost as the price is negotiable depending on whether a buyer intend to continue the business at the farm with the option of taking on their brand, logo, website and support.

The couple say the sale of The Oxford Mushroom Co ‘presents an amazing and rare opportunity for Oxford’ as there are plans for the site to become a local food hub with space for events, cafés and shops.

Unlike their crops, which sprout up in a matter of days, The Oxford Mushroom Co. spent a long time in the making.

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It all began when the couple first started looked into an American innovation known as ‘freight farming’ – growing food in shipping containers.

The method is ideal for the urban environment and the small space required is also ideal given Oxford’s land prices.

Oxford Mail:

The pair eventually reached a deal and had their first shipping container delivered where they harvested more than 30kg of mushrooms a week.

Demand for their funky fungi was much better than they had anticipated when Oli’s Thai in Magdalen Road, East Oxford, based an entire dish around them.

To see their business for sale go to ebay.co.uk