Our truffle story started in 2003
Our Story
We started in the Australian truffle industry in 2003 when we were approached to train and deploy truffle detection dogs in the Manjimup region of Western Australia. After a couple of years venturing down each and every weekend during winter months to hunt over various plantations, we gave up the city life and relocated to Manjimup. Here we expanded our business along with myself becoming the Operations Manager of the Wine & Truffle Co (now Truffle Hill). We had a major part in the company being one of the largest producing truffle farms in Australia at the time, setting up the logistical systems, grading and packing processes along with the all important hunting / harvesting. We also conducted freelance hunting for several other plantations from Bridgetown, Manjimup, Pemberton, Quinninup through to Northcliffe. We travelled to France and trained under one of Frances leading truffle distributors in the European way of grading truffle.
After deciding on a change tack, we then moved to France, arguably the home of truffle. We spent the European winters hunting in the native forests locating various species of the hidden gems. In conjunction with the firsthand knowledge of hunting in the wild forests, we also visited many truffle growers throughout Spain, Italy and different regions of France. Here we learnt the many different ways to cultivate, hunt for and process truffles. I returned back to Australia whilst living in France to conduct 2 Australian truffle seasons, one in Western Australia and the other across Victoria, ACT and NSW.
After an amazing life experience, we returned to Western Australia. In January 2019, I was asked to take over the management of the now largest producing truffle plantation in Australia – Oak Valley Truffles. Oak Valley Truffles established in 2006 is a 36,000 tree plantation, over 50 staff in season, 8 trained dog teams with 14 dogs owned by Oak Valley Truffles.
Up until the end of the 2023 truffle season I was the General Manager responsible for all facets of the business including the farm management, staff training, dog acquisition / training, truffle harvesting, truffle processing and truffle sales. I oversaw the complete renovation and upgrading of the processing facilities along with purpose-built kennels to house the 14 Oak Valley Truffles owned dogs. I changed the truffle cultivation management completely with learnings I had obtained over his time working with truffles. Oak valley Truffles has gone from strength to strength under my management with the yields increasing from 2.8 tonnes in 2019 through to over 14 tonnes in 2023.