THE lion’s roar was heard for the last time in October of 2017 when the iconic Elizabeth Holden plant shut its doors.
The Holden plant was operated on the business precinct site, now known as Lionsgate, since 1960 and was part of the development of a new satellite city to Adelaide.
Now, the iconic space is set to become the exotic mushrooms capital of Australia with Epicurean Food Group (EFG) setting up a $110 million growing and processing facility.
The former lion’s den is able to grow and process more than 20,000 tonnes of exotic mushrooms each year, and has bought a massive boom to Elizabeth’s employment opportunities.
Epicurean Food Group has successfully opened Australia’s only existing vertically integrated plant, with the site providing supermarkets with a constant supply of locally grown mushrooms to areas that rely heavily on once internationally imported stock.
The plant is specially designed to grow exotic kinds of mushrooms, such as the oyster, shitake, enoki, king oyster and the appropriately named lion’s mane.
Small-scale production of exotic mushrooms on site is already underway, with the project now home to six growing rooms.
During a visit to the site, EFG’s chief executive officer Kenneth King told SA Farmer he has been in the business since he was only 5 years old.
“I’ve been in this business for a long time, and there’s a whole lot that I’ve learnt,” he said.
If there’s one thing I want this site to tell the community, it’s that we aim to be innovative, and become a circular business.”
From the specially built growing rooms, each with columns up to 13 meters high, to the substrate and materials used, Ken said the business uses techniques that others do not.
Waste product is taken from farms across the state to be turned into high-value substrate before returning back into the “circular business” to create green energy.
The site’s mushrooms are not only exported to local restaurants and suppliers, but are also used in EFG’s kitchen creating quality gluten and dairy-free food like the ‘shroom burger’.
EFG has quickly become a go-to staple for mushroom lovers across the state, with the group delivering and distributing gluten and dairy-free food since 2000.
Ken said despite the site’s historic connection to the city, locals had been "great spore-ts".
“We’ve been asked by many in the community to respect the former Holden site,” he said.
“Obviously people have a love for the space, and are also interested to see what it gets used for.”
Once fully operational, the site expects to employ 305 workers, including former Holden staff.
“All of the employees we have are locals,” Mr King said.
“The production offers a whole range of jobs, and everyone in this process in important.”
“There’s truly a wonderful workforce here in Elizabeth.”
EFG’s chief scientific officer, and Ken’s partner, Leanne McGrath echoed the CEO’s comments, and said the locals have taken nicely to the pair.
“The community really love it from what I’ve seen,” she said.
They’re happy to see people using the site, and mushrooms are a big thing at the moment too.”
Leanne also said the business was grown from the combined talents of both herself and her husband’s long history with working in food production and science.
“Ken comes from a farming and mushroom background and I come from a science background, so we work really well together,” she said.
“We went around asking supermarkets and farmer’s markets what they need, and we got exotic mushrooms as the response.
“With both of our backgrounds, it just made sense for us to merge those skills and create this business.”
Minister for Trade and Investment Nick Champion has also said he’s impressed by South Australia’s innovation.
“Repurposing one of the state’s most revered manufacturing sites is proof that the sector remains strong and adaptable,” he said.
“Nothing like this facility exists interstate.”
