Last week, I had the pleasure of touring Mighty Cap Mushrooms’ new industrial facility in Tin City. Since moving there, they’ve been able to offer a one-of-a-kind experience with up-close tours of their growing operations. They don’t just grow your average mushrooms — they cultivate exotic, gourmet varieties like lion’s mane, blue oyster, pink oyster, and shiitake.
Tours are led by owner and founder Chris Batlle, who brings extensive experience from the food and beverage industry. Chris began his career at Santa Monica Seafood, where he coordinated the logistics of getting fresh seafood from sea to plate along the West Coast. Most recently, he worked in the wine industry with the Stoller Family Estate, known for brands like Sextant and Paris Valley Road. Between those two industries, Chris recognized an opportunity to provide the food service world with domestically grown, gourmet mushrooms — all while maintaining his core value of delivering unparalleled customer service.
Mighty Cap Mushrooms are sustainably grown in small batches on high-quality organic substrate to ensure exceptional flavor and texture. The team sources all materials from certified organic suppliers and avoids the use of any chemicals throughout the growing process. They also run a local recycling program for their spent substrate, sending it to Mt. Olive Organic Farm in Paso Robles for composting.
Visitors can get an inside look at every step of the process — from substrate preparation and sterilization to incubation and compost recycling. After a tour, it’s easy to see why their mushrooms are featured on more than 70 menus across San Luis Obispo County!
