LOOK out Corn Flakes and step aside Vegemite - mushrooms are making a play for the breakfast plate.
A new campaign from Australian Mushrooms is encouraging consumers to order mushrooms on toast at their local cafe.
On the back of commissioned research which says 60 per cent of Aussies are inspired to try new flavour combinations and taste sensations at their local cafe, the national body has partnered with chef Jason Roberts to launch its #MyMushroomToast campaign.
The research, conducted in August 2022 by Pureprofile on a sample of 1002 Australians, found 43pc of Aussies believe the menu at their local café does not offer enough variety and they're starting to find themselves bored with current menu options.
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More than a third (36pc) claimed a cafe breakfast was favourite thing about eating out in the morning.
However, Aussies are apparently craving a menu refresh, with 39pc calling for their local café to update their menu every one to two months.
Chef Jason Roberts said mushrooms were a fantastic ingredient.
"They're highly nutritious and add to the flavour profile of any dish - whether at home or at a cafe," Mr Roberts said.
"We'd love to see Aussies getting creative and experimenting with the mighty mushie to create new taste sensations."
Third campaign in a year
THE new marketing campaign is the latest in a string of chef partnerships with Australian Mushrooms this year.
In July, it promoted blending mushrooms with meat with celebrity chef Adrian Richardson, followed by the creation of a "Mushroom Meatery" at Coogee-based Kingsmore Meats where celebrity chef Adam Liaw help establish a deli of all things meat and mushrooms to highlight the pairing of the two foods.
Nearly a quarter (24pc) of survey respondents said they'd order mushrooms on toast if it were available over other popular breakfast dishes like bacon and eggs which was ranked by 28pc of Aussies.
Mushroom grower Georgia Beattie said she was proud to be one of the 40 plus Australian mushroom growers in the country.
To encourage cafés to "hero mushrooms" in more dishes, Australian mushrooms is running a competition from September to October to determine the best #MyMushroomToast.
"I'm excited to see Aussie cafés flex their creativity and come up with some new and delicious variations of mushrooms on Toast," Ms Beattie said.
"Australian mushrooms are flavoursome, versatile and have a firm texture. Mushrooms on Toast is also a dish that suits almost every diet for example vegan and vegetarian meaning, they're truly the best ingredient for cafés to experiment with for the #MyMushroomToast competition."
Additionally, the cafe that creates the best mushrooms on toast and adds the dish to their menu will receive $10,000.
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