Mellow Cogumelo

Mellow Cogumelo is a rural, off-grid project based in Monte Selão, Luzianes-Gare, in the Alentejo region of Portugal. Founded by Nathalie and Danny, a Belgian–American couple, the project brings together three complementary pillars: gourmet mushroom farming, mobile Neapolitan pizza, and permaculture land stewardship. In a straw bale barn fitted with growing tents, they cultivate oyster mushrooms, Lion's Mane and other Hericium varieties using sustainable methods, harvested fresh for their flavour and texture. Their wood-fired mobile pizzeria brings authentic Neapolitan-style pizza to events and catering, using their own mushrooms alongside locally sourced ingredients. Beyond food production, the couple is designing and implementing regenerative land management systems — soil regeneration, water harvesting, and native plant restoration — aimed at building a resilient, biodiverse ecosystem. Living off-grid, they produce their own energy and take a mindful approach to water use, respecting the limited resources of their rural setting. The project reflects the founders' complementary backgrounds: Danny grew up in a pizza-making family with Italian roots in New York, while Nathalie grew up in the African bush with a deep connection to nature. Together, they chose the Alentejo landscape to build a shared life centred on food, cultivation and conservation. Mellow Cogumelo is actively growing and welcomes people with skills in mushroom cultivation, pizza-making, farming or craftsmanship to join their small, early-stage team and help shape the project's future.