Autumn is here, and it’s time for truffles. Sophie Farrah heads for the hills in search of Surrey’s finest fungi...
Truffles are one of life’s Marmite pleasures. And no, I am not talking about the chocolate variety (everyone adores those, surely?), but the rare and pungent fungi that people tend either to love or to loathe.
I fall firmly in the ‘love’ camp. Shaved over scrambled eggs or folded through creamy pasta, fresh truffle has the power to turn the simplest dish into something transcendent. So when I was invited to join a local truffle hunt, I leapt at the chance.
Sophie Farrah
The gourmet Truffle and Cuvée day unfolded at High Clandon, a boutique vineyard in the rolling Surrey Hills, just a short drive from Guildford. Alongside the one-acre vineyard itself, owners Sibylla and Bruce Tindale planted a modest collection of oaks and hazels, inoculated with truffle fungus, in 2004. Their patience was richly rewarded in 2019, when the orchard yielded England’s largest truffle to date: a whopper weighing 604g.
Then, in January 2024, something even rarer was unearthed: the Périgord ‘black diamond’, a highly prized truffle variety coveted by chefs worldwide and seldom found on British soil. Not bad for a tiny truffière [truffle plantation] in Surrey…
Sophie Farrah
I arrived at High Clandon’s beautiful Glass Barn and met our expert for the day: James Feaver, a full-time truffle hunter and founder of The English Truffle Company. James turned his lifelong passion into his livelihood after redundancy in 2008. That same year, he won the inaugural UK Truffle Hunting Championships and launched his first truffle hunting experience day in 2011. Since then, more than 2,500 guests have joined him to discover the thrill of uncovering nature’s most luxurious delicacy.
First up was a fascinating talk by James about all things truffle. We would be hunting for the autumn, or Burgundy truffle, found in woodlands across England and continental Europe and harvested from September through to January or February. As with many culinary luxuries, demand outstrips supply, which explains their lofty price tag of £600 – £1,000 per kilo.
Excitement building, our small group was led to the secret location of High Clandon’s truffière. Our ‘nose’ for the day was James’s fully trained truffle hound, Jack – an enthusiastic eight-year-old black lab. Any dog can be taught to sniff out truffles, but labradors and poodles excel at the task, says James. Once off the leash, Jack darted from tree to tree, pausing and digging gently whenever he caught a scent. At each signal, the trowel was passed round so that everyone could dig.
Sophie Farrah
After a few false alarms, Jack froze beneath a tree. I knelt to the ground and immediately caught that unmistakable aroma. James dug with meticulous care, and then... triumph: a small, muddy truffle emerged. Cheers rippled through the group. Three more finds followed, including a huge specimen spotted brazenly poking out from the top of the soil.
Despite the drizzle and seasonal chill, our two hours flew by – I was hooked and could have carried on. But we returned, victorious, to the Glass Barn to taste our haul. Small slices of bread topped with creamy egg mayonnaise were crowned with shavings of our extremely fresh truffle. The gentle, earthy aroma and delicate nuttiness were utterly sublime.
Sophie Farrah
A hearty two-course lunch followed, before a tasting of High Clandon’s exquisite, multi-award-winning sparkling wines — each elegant sip a testament to the vineyard’s quality and finesse, not to mention the perfect truffle pairing.
There was just enough time to buy a few goodies to take home. Laden with truffle butter, truffle oil, and a bottle of sparkling wine, I left High Clandon still buzzing with the thrill of the chase and the lingering flavours of an unforgettably delicious day, and a promise to to keep my nose to the ground next time I am out walking in the woods...
The English Truffle Company hosts truffle hunts in Surrey, Dorset and Wiltshire. Upcoming Surrey dates include Oct 5, Nov 1 & Nov 22. £195pp includes talk, lunch, two hours of hunting and afternoon tea with a truffle dish. Book at englishtruffles.co.uk. For details of High Clandon’s next Truffle and Cuvée day visit: highclandon.co.uk
