Has anyone tried growing truffles in the UK?

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Dim

Has anyone tried growing truffles in the UK?

Post by Dim »

seems easy according to this website:

http://www.truffle-uk.co.uk/farming.php

takes 5yrs though and you need the space, plus you may need a trained dog or pig to dig them up .... but these guys say that they bring the dogs and help harvesting for a percentage of the profits

at £195-£750 a kilo (for the black truffles), and the white ones sell for £2900/kg ..

it may be a good investment (especially if you have the space).. nudge nudge, wink wink Mr Kristen??

and according to the link:

Suitable growing areas in Great Britain are likely to be over chalk or limestone ie: Chiltern Hills; North and South Downs. Between Norwich and Cambridge; Hampshire and Wiltshire into Dorset, between Hull and Lincoln; north of Oxford; south to Gloucester; east to Bristol; the south coast west of Portland; West Devon around Brixham; west of York to Nottingham and parts of the Peak District. This is because truffle cultivation requires soil with a high pH (in excess of 7.3 for Burgundy truffle and 7.9 for Perigord Black truffle). Recent recorded 'finds' stretch as far north as Darlington in Yorkshire.

I've never tasted one though, but have seen that our local farm/cheese shop has a huge jar of black ones ... if it's not too expensive, I may try one (a small one) this week with scrambled egg
Kristen

Re: Has anyone tried growing truffles in the UK?

Post by Kristen »

Dim wrote:nudge nudge, wink wink Mr Kristen??
:)

Last year I started a collection of Snowdrops and Succulents ... next year ... ? :)

I thought they needed an Oak forest (definitely NOT got one of them, but we have got a few Oak trees in the garden). Off to have a read of the site you linked ...
jungle jas

Re: Has anyone tried growing truffles in the UK?

Post by jungle jas »

Yes, some years ago one of the dragons in Dragon's Den invested in such a scheme. I don't know if it was successful? Also James Martin was digging some up somewhere in the south of England a few weeks ago. I say digging, he was using a trained dog. icon_thumright
miketropic

Re: Has anyone tried growing truffles in the UK?

Post by miketropic »

there are a couple guys over in the Netherlands that sell the "magic" truffles :lol: bet they get more than £2900/ki . In all honesty I did watch a program on them and they have a multi million dollar operation with super sterile grow rooms and such..id be more inclined to just try some under a tree. I know They grow wild in the Pacific North West over here and I think they hunt them with dogs..they say pigs do much better but they eat the truffle before you can grab it more often than not so its not very effective
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