FILIPPO AND THE GIANT MUSHROOM
Edinburgh Evening News – Friday 13th September 2002

A chip shop owner has picked one of Scotland’s biggest edible mushrooms. Filippo Crolla, 49, who runs the award-winning L’Alba D’Oro, in Edinburgh’s Henderson Row, spotted the 20lb fungus while mushroom-picking near Kelso.
Measuring 24 inches in diameter and 22 inches in height, the mushroom was so big he struggled to get it into the back of his Jeep.
Mr Crolla said: “I have been picked mushrooms for at least 30 years. But in all that time I have never come across a mushroom this bug. I had to get it to the restaurant to let people se it because I knew they wouldn’t believe me otherwise.”
On reaching his restaurant Mr Crolla used a reference book to identify it as a Devil’s Saddle tree mushroom or polyporaceae. They normally grow to just a few inches in diameter.
“This mushroom must be some age because of its size, so I have been told it will have lost most of its flavour. When I think of all the pizza toppings and pasta it could have helped make, it breaks my heart.”
Mr Crolla has now put the giant mushroom on display in his shop.