Dine Underground in Tasmania: Tunnel Hill Mushrooms Turns a Historic Railway Tunnel into a Food Experience

Tunnel Hill Mushrooms 

Imagine sitting down to dinner deep inside a historic railway tunnel, surrounded by the cool, atmospheric conditions where gourmet Tasmanian mushrooms are grown.

At Mount Rumney near Hobart, Tunnel Hill Mushrooms is turning that unusual setting into one of Tasmania’s most distinctive food and agritourism experiences. Visitors can explore a historic railway tunnel, meet mushroom grower Dean Smith, discover how gourmet mushrooms are cultivated and, on selected occasions, dine underground.

A Historic Tunnel with a New Purpose

The story begins with a railway tunnel that was once part of the Bellerive to Sorell railway line. The railway operated from 1892 until 1926 before the tunnel was decommissioned.

In 2010, the historic site gained a completely different purpose when it was adapted for commercial mushroom production. Today, the tunnel provides an unusual environment for growing a range of gourmet mushrooms while preserving an important piece of Tasmania’s railway history.

Tunnel Hill Mushrooms produces varieties including Black Pearl Oyster, Elm Oyster, King Oyster, Lion’s Mane, Pink Oyster, Reishi, Shiitake, Turkey Tail and White Elf Oyster mushrooms.

Go Behind the Scenes of a Tasmanian Mushroom Farm

Tunnel Hill Mushrooms 

The experience is about much more than looking at mushrooms.

Guided tours take visitors through the production process, from cultivation to harvesting, with opportunities to learn about mushroom growing and enjoy freshly prepared produce. The farm also offers experiences where visitors can get hands-on with mushrooms and discover how they can be prepared for cooking.

One of the experiences combines the farm, historic tunnel and food, including the opportunity to harvest mushrooms, learn how they are prepared and sample them cooked on the distinctive train barbecue.

For visitors interested in a deeper experience, a mushroom workshop can also be added, with participants able to take home their own mushroom grow log.

Long Table Dining Underground

For food lovers, the Long Table Dining experience offers something particularly memorable.

Guests can dine inside the historic railway tunnel among the working mushroom farm, enjoying a bespoke menu created by a renowned chef. The combination of local produce, gourmet mushrooms and an atmospheric heritage setting creates a dining experience unlike a conventional restaurant meal.

Tunnel Hill Mushrooms also hosts other events and experiences, giving visitors different ways to explore the farm and learn about the production of gourmet mushrooms.

A Different Side of Tasmania

Tunnel Hill Mushrooms 

Tunnel Hill Mushrooms demonstrates how Tasmania’s agricultural heritage, local produce and unusual historic places can be brought together to create memorable visitor experiences.

For travellers exploring Hobart and southern Tasmania, a visit offers the chance to step away from conventional sightseeing and discover a working mushroom farm where an abandoned railway tunnel has been given a remarkable new life.

Whether joining a guided tour, getting involved in a mushroom workshop or sitting down to a long-table meal underground, Tunnel Hill Mushrooms offers visitors a fascinating taste of Tasmania from below ground.

Tunnel Hill Mushrooms

Website: https://tunnelhillmushrooms.com.au/
Address: 2 Old Coach Road, Cambridge, Tasmania 7170, Australia

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