A major campaign to encourage younger consumers to eat mushrooms is being planned for 2010.

Growers' body The Mushroom Bureau has put out a tender for an agency to produce a campaign pushing the health benefits of mushrooms. The campaign is expected to run from January next year.

The £330m mushroom category had not previously had an integrated marketing campaign, said Stephen Allen, marketing manager at Monaghan Mushrooms. "Value sales are up, but volumes are down slightly and we need to address that," he said.