The Mushroom Council and Eataly announced April 9 the launch of a three-month promotion spotlighting fresh mushrooms as a star ingredient in seasonal cooking. Rooted in Mushroom Monday efforts, the partnership spans three locations: New York City’s Flatiron store in April, Eataly Chicago in May and Eataly Los Angeles in June.
Eataly is a high-end Italian marketplace that attracts food lovers, home cooks and chefs with its curated mix of restaurants, counters and retail offerings focused on seasonal ingredients and culinary discovery.
“This partnership brings mushrooms to life in the most engaging and delicious way,” said Amy Wood, president and CEO of the Mushroom Council, in a news release.
As part of the promotion, each month kicks off with the Mushroom Council presenting a Monday evening “Mushroom Celebration” reception at Eataly that brings mushrooms to life for area food media, culinary professionals and content creators. The first event took place on March 31 at Eataly Flatiron’s rooftop restaurant, Serra on the Roof, where 150 guests mingled, tasted, snapped photos, posted to social media and learned about fresh mushrooms in an immersive setting.
Attendees sampled mushroom-forward bites and cocktails while interacting with growers as they visited education stations focusing on nutrition, flavor and sustainability. They also experienced a vibrant mushroom wall installation, live mushroom illustrations and educational displays celebrating the culinary versatility, nutrition benefits and distinct sustainability story of mushrooms.
Coast-to-coast with criminis and more
Throughout each store’s designated promotion month, Eataly’s campaign will highlight multiple mushroom varieties and promote popular mushroom dishes across its restaurants, fresh counters and grab-and-go cases. Items include:
- Pizza alla pala with crimini and white mushrooms, one of Eataly’s best sellers
- Four-cheese ravioli with mushroom ragù, made with oyster, maitake and crimini mushrooms, available in the take-home case
- Tagliatelle verdi con ragù di funghi, a house-made spinach tagliatelle served with mixed mushroom ragù and Grana Padano, developed specifically for the promotion by Eataly’s culinary team
Eataly is supporting the campaign through extensive in-store and digital marketing, including signage at fresh departments, mushroom features in its newsletter, social channels and Eataly Magazine. Each store will also host a mushroom cooking class during its promotional month.
“From dishes and classes to signage and storytelling, Eataly is helping elevate mushrooms and connect with curious food lovers right where they shop and dine,” Wood said. “Each of our launch receptions features hands-on experiences led by our mushroom growers, creating a powerful and personal connection between the people who grow mushrooms and the people who enjoy them.”
Mushroom Council’s local market kick-off events continue in Eataly Chicago on Monday, April 28 and Eataly Los Angeles on Monday, June 2.
