Monterey Mushrooms

What Monterey Mushrooms does

Monterey Mushrooms, LLC is a privately held, vertically integrated mushroom grower, packer, and shipper headquartered in Watsonville, California. Founded in 1971 and operating coast-to-coast U.S. farms with a company-owned nationwide distribution network, the company states it is the leading wholesale mushroom grower in North America, cultivating 10 mushroom species (white button, brown/portabella varieties, oyster, shiitake, lion's mane, king trumpet, maitake, and blends) across fresh, dried, organic, specialty, and nutraceutical formats. The company also operates a wholly-owned nutraceutical subsidiary (Monterey Nutra) and a Mexican subsidiary (Champiñones Monte Rey), and pioneered a UV-B light exposure process that converts ergosterol into vitamin D2 in fresh mushrooms, marketed as High Vitamin D products providing 50% of the Daily Value per serving.

The core technology stack is agronomic and processing-oriented rather than digital: it includes proprietary mushroom strains developed by a sister company, a proprietary UV-B exposure process for vitamin D enrichment, USDA-organic and CCOF-certified organic cultivation, and downstream dehydration into powders and dried SKUs. The company holds registered trademarks for the Monterey Mushrooms, Portabellini, and Let's Blend product lines and offers multiple certifications (USDA Organic, CCOF organic, gluten-free, vegan, Kosher, Non-GMO) on its nutraceutical powders.

Revenue is generated across three channels via direct B2B sales: fresh and processed mushrooms to retail grocery chains (nationally branded and custom labeling), fresh mushrooms and ingredients to foodservice operators (restaurants, hotels, caterers, manufacturers), and mushroom ingredients (sliced, diced, whole) plus nutraceutical powders (with vitamin D levels up to 15,000 IU/gram) to food and supplement manufacturers. The company is led by CEO Shah Kazemi. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; the consumer-facing channel relies on a 'Where to Buy' store locator on the company website, while B2B customers transact directly through a dedicated enterprise field-sales motion. No funding, investor, or revenue figures are publicly disclosed.

Name

Monterey Mushrooms

Legal name

Monterey Mushrooms, LLC

Website

https://montereymushrooms.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1971

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Monterey Mushrooms is a privately held, vertically integrated North American mushroom grower, packer, and shipper serving retail grocery chains, foodservice operators, and food/supplement manufacturers with fresh, dried, organic, specialty, and nutraceutical mushroom products across a coast-to-coast U.S. farm network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fresh Mushroom Production and Distribution

NAICS

Mushroom Production (111411), Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food Manufacturing (3114), Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Merchant Wholesalers (424480)

SIC

Canned, Frozen & Preservd Fruit, Veg & Food Specialties (2030), Canned, Fruits, Veg, Preserves, Jams & Jellies (2033), Wholesale-Groceries & Related Products (5140), Food And Kindred Products (2000)

akta.pro primary industry

Mushroom Farming (Button, Oyster, Shiitake) (AFAGADAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Mushroom & Fungi Production (Indoor/Protected) (AFAGAHAK), Canned Vegetables Manufacturing (AFAKACAB), Fresh Produce Distribution (CRAOABAB), Ingredients, Spices & Culinary Supplies Distribution (CRAOABAK)

Keywords

• Fresh mushroom production
• Mushroom wholesale distribution
• Nutraceutical mushroom powders
• Organic mushroom cultivation
• Specialty mushroom varieties

Headquarters

HQ city

Watsonville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Fresh Mushroom Sales (Retail): Fresh mushrooms sold to grocery retailers nationwide in various packaging formats including whole, sliced, and diced options across white, brown, specialty, and organic varieties, including High Vitamin D labeled products.
2. Fresh Mushroom Sales (Foodservice): Fresh mushrooms and mushroom ingredients sold to restaurant and foodservice operators for menu applications, with year-round supply and customized processing.
3. Mushroom Ingredient Sales (Food Manufacturing): Fresh mushrooms (sliced, diced, or whole) and nutraceutical mushroom powders, including high vitamin D powder, sold as ingredients to food and supplement manufacturers for use in consumer packaged goods.
4. Dried Mushroom Retail Products: Dried mushroom products (Shiitake, Porcini, Oyster) sold in consumer-friendly, resealable packaging through retail grocery stores.
5. Nutraceutical Mushroom Powders (Wholesale): Traditional and certified organic mushroom powders sold in bulk format exclusively to wholesale food and supplement manufacturers for use in nutraceutical and functional food applications.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Monterey Mushrooms is the leading wholesale mushroom grower, packer, and shipper in North America, operating coast-to-coast farms that produce fresh, dried, organic, specialty, high vitamin D, and nutraceutical mushroom products. The company distributes nationwide through retail grocery, foodservice, and food manufacturing channels, with customized processing (sliced, diced, whole formats) and proprietary UV-B vitamin D technology applied to fresh mushrooms.

Product overview

Monterey Mushrooms is a leading North American mushroom grower, packer, and shipper offering a diversified product portfolio centered around fresh, dried, and processed mushroom products. The core offering consists of Fresh Mushrooms available in White, Brown (Portabella, Baby Bella, Portabellini), and Specialty varieties (Oyster, Shiitake, Lion's Mane, King Trumpet, Maitake, Umami Stir Fry Blend). Supporting product lines include Dried Mushrooms (Shiitake, Porcini, Oyster), Organic Mushrooms (USDA-certified White, Baby Bella, Portabella), and High Vitamin D Mushrooms (UV-exposed, 50% DV per serving). Value-added offerings encompass Let's Blend™ mushroom blends for meat substitution, Sliced Mushroom Kits (Teriyaki, Fajita, Thai flavors), Stuffed Mushrooms, and Marinated Mushrooms. The company also serves food manufacturers with Nutraceutical Mushroom Powders including culinary and medicinal varieties (Cordyceps, Lion's Mane, Maitake, Reishi, Shiitake, Turkey Tail, Chaga, Blazei). Products are distributed coast-to-coast through retail, foodservice, and manufacturing channels.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Let's Blend®: Finely diced traditional or seasoned mushrooms for blending with meat products
• Portabellini®
• Champiñones Monte Rey
• Monterey Nutra

Products and services

• Fresh Mushrooms Fresh mushrooms available in multiple varieties including White, Brown (Portabella, Baby Bella, Portabellini), Specialty (Oyster, Shiitake, Lion's Mane, King Trumpet, Maitake, Umami Stir Fry Blend), Organic, and High Vitamin D options, available as whole, sliced, or diced formats. Distributed to retail grocery, foodservice, and food manufacturing buyers.
• High Vitamin D Mushrooms Fresh mushrooms exposed to UV-B light to convert ergosterol to vitamin D2, providing 400 IUs (10 mcg) per serving (50% Daily Value). Available nationwide in 8 oz and 16 oz packages of sliced Whites, sliced Baby Bellas, and whole Portabella Caps.
• Organic Mushrooms USDA-certified organic mushrooms grown using chicken fertilizer in the composting process in lieu of synthetic urea. Available in White, Baby Bella, and Portabella varieties in 8, 16, or 24 oz packages, sliced or whole.
• Dried Mushrooms Dehydrated mushrooms with extended shelf life including Dried Shiitake, Dried Porcini, and Dried Oyster varieties. Packaged in consumer-friendly resealable gusseted bags with nutrition labels and rehydration instructions.
• Let's Blend Mushroom Blend Pre-portioned, finely diced traditional or seasoned mushrooms designed for blending with ground meat in foodservice and manufacturing applications, reducing fat and calories while adding flavor and nutrition. Marketed under the trademarked Let's Blend sub-brand.
• Sliced Mushroom Kits Pre-sliced and pre-spiced mushrooms available in Teriyaki, Fajita, and Thai flavors as ready-to-cook convenience products for home meal preparation.
• Stuffed Mushrooms Pre-filled mushroom appetizers ready for cooking, positioned as a meal kit product line for retail consumers.
• Marinated Mushrooms Ready-to-eat marinated mushroom snacks with tangy, peppery, garlicky, and sweet flavor profiles, sold as shelf-stable products in retail stores.
• Nutraceutical Mushroom Powders Dried mushroom powders sold to food and supplement manufacturers, including white and brown mushroom powders and medicinal varieties (Cordyceps, Lion's Mane, Maitake, Reishi, Shiitake, Turkey Tail, Chaga, Blazei). Available with vitamin D levels up to 15,000 IU/gram. Certified organic, gluten-free, vegan, Kosher, and Non-GMO.

Quantifiable outcome

• High Vitamin D mushrooms provide 400 IUs (10 mcg) per serving — 50% of the Daily Value. Eating 10 mushrooms per day provides 100% of the FDA's daily value recommendation of vitamin D.
• +4 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Dole plc: Dole is a global produce incumbent with broad retail distribution and brand reach in fresh produce, overlapping with Monterey's retail grocery channel for fresh mushrooms and value-added produce SKUs.
• Bonduelle Group: Bonduelle is a global leader in canned and frozen vegetables, including mushrooms, comparable to Monterey's processed/marinated lines and a competitor for shelf-stable vegetable retail SKUs.

Emerging players

• Four Sigmatic: Four Sigmatic is a consumer-facing functional-mushroom brand (Lion's Mane, Reishi, Cordyceps) buying mushroom powders and extracts; overlaps with Monterey Nutra's nutraceutical ingredient customer profile on the B2B side and competes on the consumer brand side.

Direct peers

• To-Jo Mushrooms: To-Jo is a family-owned mushroom grower, processor, and distributor on the U.S. East Coast with retail, foodservice, and industrial ingredient lines — directly comparable to Monterey in scale and channel mix.
• Phillips Mushroom Farms: Phillips is a Pennsylvania-based specialty mushroom grower (King Trumpet, Maitake, Beech, Shiitake) and one of the largest U.S. producers of value-added mushroom products including stuffed mushrooms — overlapping with Monterey's specialty and meal-kit lines.
• Sylvan Inc. Sylvan is one of the world's largest producers of mushroom spawn and a major cultivator of fresh and specialty mushrooms, competing head-to-head with Monterey across white, brown, and specialty varieties for retail and foodservice customers.
• Giorgio Fresh Co. Giorgio Fresh is a large U.S. mushroom grower and processor supplying fresh and processed mushrooms (sliced, canned, marinated) to retail and foodservice, comparable to Monterey's fresh and processed/canned product portfolio.
• South Mill Mushrooms (Highline Mushrooms): Highline Mushrooms (formed through combination with South Mill) is a leading North American mushroom grower and shipper with broad retail and foodservice distribution, directly comparable to Monterey's coast-to-coast fresh mushroom model.

Regional players

• Mother Earth Mushrooms: Mother Earth is a Pennsylvania-based mushroom grower with nationwide shipping; while smaller and more regional, it competes with Monterey across fresh and value-added retail SKUs.

Others

• Mushroom Council: Industry checkoff program that promotes mushroom consumption in the U.S., including the blended-burger initiative in which Monterey participates; not a competitor but a category-demand driver that benefits Monterey.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/MontereyMushroomsInc
• Facebookfacebook.com/montereymushrooms
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/monterey-mushrooms
• Instagraminstagram.com/montereymushrooms
• TikToktiktok.com/@montereymushrooms

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Monterey Mushrooms