ABOUT MELLOW COGUMELO

We're building a regenerative food system that connects cultivation, cuisine, and conservation in one integrated permaculture project.

We are Nathalie and Danny, a Belgian–American couple who came to the Alentejo with different backgrounds, but a shared desire to build a life closer to nature.

Danny grew up around pizza, learning from his Italian grandmother, who was among the first to open a pizzeria in New York. Food, fire, and hospitality have always been part of his world.

Nathalie grew up in the African bush, where wide open spaces and a deep connection to nature shaped her way of seeing the world. The landscapes of Alentejo immediately felt like home.

Together, we found in this land a place where our paths could meet. The idea of creating a shared life here led us to a simple but ambitious project: to build an economy around what we care about — food, cultivation, and the land itself.

This became Mellow Cogumelo: a mobile wood-fired pizza project and a small mushroom farm, developed step by step while learning the realities and challenges of off-grid living.

It is not a perfect or finished story. It is an ongoing one — shaped by work, seasons, mistakes, and discovery. At its heart is a simple intention: to share honest, beautiful food and create something meaningful in the place we now call home.

Nestled in the beautiful Alentejo region, in the Concelho de Odemira, Mellow Cogumelo is a unique blend of a mobile pizza enterprise and an innovative mushroom farm, rooted in sustainable practices and a passion for exceptional food.

Living off the grid, we take pride in producing our own energy and maintaining a mindful approach to water usage, respecting the precious resources of our area. Our commitment to sustainability extends to our operations, where we’ve built a straw bale barn housing growing tents for our beautiful mushrooms.

These are not your average store-bought mushrooms. We cultivate gourmet varieties with unique flavors, sourced from strains around the world, along with some medicinal mushrooms. As we expand, we envision offering dried mushrooms and other mushroom-derived food products, including meat alternatives.

In another part of the barn, we have set up a fully-equipped commissary kitchen, where culinary magic happens. Our dough, fermented for four days, forms the foundation of our delectable pizzas. Combining this exceptional dough with the finest ingredients, we craft pizzas that stand out from the ordinary.

One of the beauties of our mobile setup is that we can bring our oven on a trailer to various locations, spreading the joy of Mellow Cogumelo to different places. This mobility allows us to connect with more people, sharing our passion for quality food and unforgettable flavors.

Stay tuned as we embark on a journey to showcase our delicious pizzas and flavorful mushrooms. Explore our website to learn more about our pizza business and mushroom farm.

We cultivate premium specialty mushrooms using sustainable, organic methods in controlled environments that mimic natural forest conditions.

• Oyster mushrooms in multiple varieties (pearl, golden, pink)
• Lion's mane for culinary and wellness applications
• Fresh harvest delivered weekly to local restaurants

Our wood-fired mobile pizzeria brings authentic Italian pizza to farmers markets, festivals, and private events throughout the region.

• Traditional Neapolitan dough fermented for several days
• Wood-fired oven reaching 425°C for perfect crust
• Signature mushroom pizzas featuring our farm-fresh varieties
• Available for weddings, corporate events, and festivals

Building healthy soil through composting, cover cropping, and minimal tillage. Our mushroom cultivation byproducts become valuable soil amendments.

Designing swales, ponds, and rain gardens to capture and store water. Every drop is a resource for our plants and wildlife.

Protecting native species, creating wildlife habitat, and supporting pollinators. A diverse ecosystem is a resilient ecosystem.

Establishing perennial food systems with fruit trees, berry bushes, and edible understory plants that require minimal maintenance.

We believe that farming can heal the land rather than deplete it. Every decision we make considers the long-term health of the soil, water, and ecosystem. We're not just growing food — we're growing a future where agriculture works in harmony with nature.