Smithereens Mushroom

Smithereens Mushroom: A Sommelier and a Chef Take on Northern BC Fungi

In Smithers, a town of about 5,400 people in the Bulkley Valley of northern British Columbia, Marie-Eve Arseneault and Alexis Galus run a mushroom operation that exists because of a family health crisis. Smithereens Mushroom Farm, founded in 2021, has grown from a deeply personal mission into one of northern BC's most compelling small food businesses.

A Diagnosis That Changed Everything

The origin story of Smithereens is not the usual tale of hobby-growers scaling up. When Marie-Eve's father was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's, the couple began researching natural approaches to cognitive health and kept encountering the same name: lion's mane mushroom. The scientific literature on Hericium erinaceus and its potential neuroprotective properties was compelling enough to send them down a path that would eventually reshape their entire lives.

Marie-Eve brought a trained sommelier's palate and a background in the insurance industry. Alexis brought over 25 years of culinary expertise, a bachelor's degree in Hospitality Management, and a Quality Assurance certificate. Neither had grown mushrooms before. But the combination of personal motivation and complementary skill sets proved to be exactly what the venture needed.

From the Kitchen to the Growing Room

What makes Smithereens unusual in the Canadian mushroom landscape is the founders' dual focus on both functional and culinary applications. Alexis's chef background means the gourmet side of the business is not an afterthought -- it is core to how they think about product development and quality standards. Marie-Eve's experience with quality assessment and detail-oriented work translates directly to the precision required in mushroom cultivation.

The farm grows several varieties year-round, including lion's mane, oyster mushrooms, chestnut, and cordyceps militaris. That last one is notable -- cordyceps cultivation is technically demanding and relatively uncommon among Canadian small-scale producers. The fact that Smithereens has it in their rotation speaks to the level of mycological knowledge they have developed in a relatively short time.

Northern BC: Unlikely but Right

Smithers is not where most people would choose to start a mushroom farm. Located roughly 370 kilometers west of Prince George along Highway 16, it is remote by any standard. Winter temperatures routinely drop below minus 20. Supply chains are long and logistics are expensive.

But the Bulkley Valley has a history of attracting people who want to build something on their own terms, and the local food movement in the region is stronger than outsiders might expect. Smithereens has found a market that is receptive to high-quality, locally produced mushrooms -- both fresh gourmet varieties for kitchens and functional mushroom products for health-conscious consumers.

Building for Export

Smithereens connected early with BC's Export Navigator program, working with Export Advisor Mietka Zieba to develop their business strategy beyond the local market. That kind of forward thinking is unusual for a farm barely out of its startup phase, but Marie-Eve and Alexis have been deliberate about building infrastructure and systems that can scale. The partnership has already resulted in increased revenue and investment in equipment that improves both productivity and operating costs.

The farm has earned a perfect five-star rating across its reviews, and its presence in the BC Food Directory and Feed BC Directory signals growing recognition from provincial institutions. For a business founded in 2021 in one of the most remote towns in southern BC, that trajectory is remarkable.

You'll find Smithereens Mushroom at 2230 22 Ave in Smithers, British Columbia.