Frequently Asked Questions

1. Shipping

1.1 Do you send orders discreetly?

We know that as soon as the words ‘mushroom hobby’ are mentioned to almost anyone, their minds don’t go to gourmet mushrooms like Pink Oyster, Chicken of the Woods, or King Stropharia… Nope.

Instead, they go to magic mushrooms. And guess what? There is no originality when it comes to a mushroom joke.

So, to save you the annoyance of having to laugh along with another bad mushroom joke, we’ll make our packaging as boring, plain, and securely sealed as possible. We won’t even mention our website name on there.

When bad mushroom jokes and repetitive magic mushroom assumptions stop being a thing, we’ll proudly brand all of our packages. But until then, expect boring 🙂

1.2 Do you ship worldwide?

Yes! We ship everywhere. All shipping options will be available at checkout.

1.3 I made a mistake in my delivery address, what happens?

A surprising number of customers enter their delivery address incorrectly at checkout. If your order has not yet been dispatched, we can change the address details for you. However, if you’ve already received dispatch notification, there is nothing we can do. We will have to wait until your order is returned to us by the courier, and we will then give you the option to pay delivery costs again to have your order re-sent to you. If your order is not returned to us by the courier (very rare) and is lost, we cannot offer a free replacement order or refund. So, please double-check your address when placing an order!

1.4 I missed the delivery, can you re-send?

If you miss the delivery of your order, the courier will return it to us (but this is not guaranteed). Royal Mail will return the order to your local depot, and it will be available for you to re-arrange delivery or collect for 30 days. When/if we receive your order back from the courier, we will contact you to arrange for you to pay the delivery costs again, and we can then re-send your order.

2. Products

2.1 Where are the microscopy spores?

We haven’t sold microscopy spores since 2023. If you are looking for high quality samples for your microscope hobby, head over to mycoscopy.co.uk

2.1 How long can gourmet mushroom spore solutions be stored for and how do I store them?

We advise that spores can be kept for around 2 years to ensure viability. Although, there are lots of reports online of them being stored longer than this and still being active! Some advice is to store spore solutions refrigerated, but there is absolutely no harm in storing them at room temperature, and this is how we have always stored our spores. It’s important to keep spores out of direct light, such as a dark drawer.

2.2 How long can mushroom grow kits be stored for?

We would always advise that you use a grow kit as soon as you possibly can. Moisture has been added to the substrates to support mycelium growth, and naturally, this moisture will gradually be lost. If you leave it too long before inoculation, there won’t be an adequate amount of moisture to support the mycelium, and you’ll risk very slow colonisation to no colonisation at all. The storage times do vary between substrate types, and we have had success from substrates inoculated months after sterilisation, but that is not always the case. If you experience issues with slow/stalled colonisation and you have had your substrate sitting around for weeks upon weeks, it’s likely to be a cause. Please, just get them inoculated quickly!

2.3 Will adding more solution to grow kits mean faster growth?

Do not add any more gourmet solution to substrates than what our guides tell you to. Adding too much moisture into a substrate will increase your chances of contamination… and nobody wants that.

2.4 Should I use a heat mat?

No! Using a heat mat introduces a higher risk of contamination. The warmth provided from a heat mat is not spread equally enough throughout your substrate – the heat is coming from the bottom, whilst the top of your substrate remains at a colder temperature. This produces a lot of condensation and therefore results in excess moisture build-up, which creates an easy pathway for contamination to enter your substrate. It’s really not worth it. We have an incubator in our Equipment section that will do the job for you.

2.5 What are the stickers on the lids? Do I remove them?

We often get asked what the ‘stickers’ are on the lids of substrate products – these are in fact specially developed filters which are heat-sealed to the lids and work to provide essential clean air exchange to your colonising substrate within. They should never be removed!

3. Refunds

3.1 Do you accept returns?

Of course, refer to our Returns and Refunds page for more information or Terms and Conditions page for in-depth information.

4. Payment

4.1 Can I change my payment method?

If you would like to pay using a different method than what you selected, you will need to place a new order and select your preferred option at checkout. Different instructions are emailed to you for each payment option, and for some payment methods, the payment process is completed dynamically during checkout, so it really is best just to place a new order to make things much quicker and easier!

4.2 Can you refund a cryptocurrency payment?

Yes. You will be refunded using GBP as the base currency for the total price of the order, converted into Bitcoin or whichever cryptocurrency you used to pay, at the current conversion rate at the time of the refund. We do this to ensure that the same GBP amount you pay at the time of ordering is returned to you. Due to the volatility of cryptocurrencies, we do not refund at the rate in force at the time of purchase, to protect both you and us from any big fluctuations in the crypto rates (they can skyrocket and drop regularly). This can mean that you receive more or less crypto than what was paid at the time of the order transaction; however, the equivalent GBP value of what you paid for your order will always be the same.

4.3 Why can’t I pay using Card or PayPal?

If you can recommend an ethical fintech company that aligns with our values, we would be happy to explore it. Unfortunately, many mainstream payment processors, such as PayPal and Stripe, do not meet our standards. From PayPal’s controversial practices, such as the Honey scandal, to Stripe abruptly closing accounts and withholding funds from small businesses for up to 120 days without explanation, we have found these companies to be unreliable and misaligned with our principles. As a small UK-based business, relying entirely on American fintech companies poses significant risks. Interestingly, since we stopped using PayPal and Stripe in 2019, our business has grown significantly. This proves these platforms are not essential for success. Additionally, by avoiding them, we save on their substantial fees—a win-win for us and our customers.

5. Other

5.1 How do you pronounce Cylocybe?

It’s pronounced SY-loh-SYB. Our name is inspired by the gourmet mushroom species Cyclocybe aegerita, known for its rich flavor and culinary appeal. It’s worth noting that we’re not associated with the psychoactive Psilocybe—a mix-up we often clarify!

5.2 Where are you based?

We’re from bonnie Scotland, in the United Kingdom.

Last updated on 7th January, 2025