I have always had a strong aversion to the term “first” when it comes to the Black British experience. Throughout history, melanated people have thrived in the UK, contributing to various facets of modern British life. So often it seems that the claim of being the “first Black person to…” is made by those who haven’t looked beyond recent internet sources.

Yet, as I stand on stage, accepting another award for my organic gourmet mushroom farm, I can’t help but wonder why melanated people, who are present in almost every other aspect of British life, are so notably absent here. If I do hold the bittersweet title of being the first Black award-winning mushroom farmer in the UK, it is certainly not a title I desire or court. There should be more of us and so I write in the hopes of raising awareness and piquing interest.

I own Deer Manor™ Gourmet Mushrooms, an estate-based, award-winning, organic gourmet mushroom farm nestled in the breathtaking wilderness of Scotland. Though many farm with romantic notions of connecting to the earth, I’m driven by a fiercely competitive, entrepreneurial spirit. We cultivate some of the finest organic gourmet mushrooms the UK has seen, and have earned a reputation for excellence, attracting some of the country’s most discerning private chefs, restaurants, estates, and eateries as our clients.