Explore every episode of the podcast The Truffle Forager Podcast
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| British Guy Growing Truffles In France | 27 May 2024 | 02:10:38 | |
Join the Truffle Dog Club ๐ฌ๐ง ๐ https://truffleforager.com In this episode of the Truffle Forager podcast, host Ben Sweet interviews Chris Bate, owner of Black Diamond Truffle Trees. They discuss Chris's move to Perigord, France, and his truffle business. Topics include the discovery of a wild tuber melanosporum truffle in the UK (WOW!), truffle dog training, truffle tree cultivation, and different truffle species. Chris explains the symbiotic relationship between truffles and trees and how animals spread truffle spores. They also cover the rarity, value, and varieties of truffles, the French truffle scene, and fake truffle products. Chris concludes with stories about training his truffle-hunting dog, Dougie, highlighting the dog's sense of smell, genetics, and the role of truffle flies in locating truffles. Visit Chris's website here: https://www.blackdiamondtruffletrees.com/ For any purchases on Chris's site, use 20% Discount Coupon: "SWEETTRUFFLES20" TAKEAWAYS: Truffles can be found in the UK, including the highly prized tuber melanosporum. The cultivation of truffle trees involves creating a symbiotic relationship between the tree roots and truffle mycelium. Truffle dogs play a crucial role in locating truffles by sniffing out their distinct aroma. Wild truffles can be found in unexpected locations, and animals contribute to the spread of truffle spores. Truffles are highly valued due to their rarity, not necessarily their quality. The truffle scene in France is characterized by a strong obsession with truffles and a belief in the superiority of the peregrine truffle. Fake truffle products, such as truffle oil, are common and can be deceptive. Truffle dogs are trained from a young age using various methods, including conditioning with truffle scents. Early training and conditioning are crucial for the success of truffle dogs. Training a truffle-hunting dog involves teaching them the action and then introducing the word to associate with the action. Dogs have an incredible sense of smell and can locate truffles underground. The truffle fly can indicate the presence of truffles and is used by truffle hunters to find them. Genetics and instinct play a significant role in a dog's ability to find truffles. Truffle hunting is a fascinating and rewarding activity that combines nature, science, and culinary delights. CHAPTERS: 00:00 - Introduction to Truffles and Chris Bates 01:54 - The Exciting Discovery of a Wild Tuber Melanosporum Truffle in the UK 03:48 - Chris's Journey into Truffle Cultivation 08:29 - The Process of Growing Truffle Trees 10:56 - The Natural Occurrence of Truffles on Chris's Land 33:35 - Confirmation of the Wild Tuber Melanosporum Truffle 41:20 - The Importance of Aroma in Truffles 42:19 - The Rarity and Value of Truffles 46:20 - The Truffle Scene in France 53:22 - The Issue of Fake Truffle Products 59:33 - The Importance of Protected Status for Truffles 01:13:18 - Training Truffle Dogs: Early Conditioning 01:25:30 - Training a Truffle-Hunting Dog 01:28:09 - The Incredible Sense of Smell in Dogs 01:43:56 - The Role of the Truffle Fly 01:46:18 - Genetics and Instinct in Truffle Hunting 01:59:18 - The Fascinating World of Truffle Hunting | |||
| Expert Pet Dog Trainer Takes Up Truffle Hunting With His New Malinois | 06 May 2024 | 01:47:34 | |
Join the Truffle Dog Club ๐ฌ๐ง ๐ https://truffleforager.com On this episode I chat with leading UK-based dog trainer, Nick Benger who recently decided to teach his new malinois, Onyx, how to hunt truffles. Nick is a highly regarded dog trainer and has been training dogs for nearly 20 years starting when he was just 15. He's become a bit of a celebrity after being called up to the Amazon Prime Hit TV Show The PACK, to be their lead trainer. He now resides in Bristol and has a successful pet dog training company called Hound Plus. Nick and I connected over a shared interest, dogs and truffle hutning. On this episode we talk about a wide array of general dog training principles and reveal some top tips for any aspiring truffle dog handler.
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| JULIE STOPFORTH - Inside The Life of A REAL White Truffle Hunter | 05 Apr 2022 | 01:22:31 | |
Welcome to this Episode of the Truffle Forager Podcast, where itโs my job to chat with Truffle Hunters, Mushroom Experts and Enthusiasts from around the world and tease out their stories of Inspiration and Wisdom with you... helping you to deepen your connection with mother nature. Special guest: Julie Stopforth Since 2015, Julie and her family have been hunting for white truffles professionally in an undisclosed location in southern Europe. A retired truffle hunter took them under their wing and was able to give them the key information to get started truffling. Now they sell the white truffles they find direct to the consumer in 24 hours from ground to table to maximise freshness and quality.ย Julie's website: https://pelagaggia.com/ย YouTube: Pelagaggia Truffles - The Ultimate Truffle Guide Like this type of content - let me know in the comments? ////////////////////// ย โ๏ธ ย \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ Join the Truffle Forager community & stay updated with the latest ๐ ย https://truffleforager.com Follow @TruffleForager | |||
| MELISSA WADDINGHAM on Truffle Hunting Without Dogs, Finding Extinct Truffles, and Much Much More | 02 Mar 2022 | 01:45:56 | |
Welcome to this Episode of the Truffle Forager Podcast, where itโs my job to chat with Truffle Hunters, Mushroom Experts and Enthusiasts from around the world and tease out their stories of Inspiration and Wisdom with you... helping you to deepen your connection with mother nature and your dog. ย Special guest: Melissa Waddingham ย Since 2011, Melissa has been a professional truffle hunter in the UK. Together with her dogs, she respectfully and sustainably hunts for truffle mushrooms. She's a student of forestry and woodland management, which has, along with her quest for truffles, developed a profound respect in her for the associations between truffles, mushrooms and the woodlands they can be found in. 10 years ago, she later turned this passion into a career, launching her mushroom foraging business; Truffle and Mushroom Hunter. ย ย For anyone interested in truffles, Melissa does it all... from leading truffle foraging courses, training truffle dogs, carrying out woodland surveys and collaborating with landowners to nurture environments for truffle cultivation. ย She's a member of the British Mycology Society and sat on the board of the Professional Foragers Association for several years. ย You can visit here website http://truffleandmushroomhunter.com/ย Instagram and Facebookย @TruffleAndMushroomHunter ย Like this type of content - let me know in the comments? ย ย ย ย ////////////////////// ย โ๏ธ ย \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ ย ๐โ ย Support the channel: ย ย ย Join the Truffle Forager community & stay updated with the latest ๐ ย https://truffleforager.com/ ย ย ย Follow @TruffleForager | |||
| GARETH RENOWDEN - UK Expat and Author of "The Truffle Book" Shares His Story Growing Truffles In New Zealand | 01 Mar 2022 | 01:45:22 | |
Welcome to this Episode of the Truffle Forager Podcast, where itโs my job to chat with Truffle Hunters, Mushroom Experts and Enthusiasts from around the world and tease out their stories of Inspiration and Wisdom with you... helping you to deepen your connection with mother nature. Special guest: Gareth Renowdenย Despite being a photographer, writer, magazine editor and publisher, over the last 25 years Gareth Renowden has turned himself into a truffle grower. Born and raised in the UK, Gareth now lives in New Zealand on his farm, Limestone Hills, based in the Waipara Valley (near Christchurch on the South Island). His truffle farm is unique in that, they are the only farm in New Zealand to produce four different speicies of truffle. His award winning book on truffles, The Truffle Book, is a perfect introduction into the pleasurable and mysterious world of truffles. Heโs a truffle grower because he likes eating them, and perhaps heโll explain whyโฆ ;-) ย You can learn more about Gareth by visiting https://limestonehills.co.nz/ ย Also please follow him on Twitter and on Instagram @grenow ย Like this type of content - let me know in the comments? ย ย ๐โ ย Support the channel: ย Join the Truffle Forager community & stay updated with the latest ๐ ย https://truffleforager.com/ ย | |||
| JAMES FEAVER - on Finding Massive English Truffles and Working With Truffle Dogs | 10 Feb 2022 | 01:08:49 | |
Welcome to this Episode of the Truffle Forager Podcast, where itโs my job to chat with Truffle Hunters, Mushroom Experts and Enthusiasts from around the world and tease out their stories of Inspiration and Wisdom with you... helping you to deepen your connection with mother nature. In this first episode, James Feaver is our special guest, where he talks about finding massive english truffles and shares some great tips for training your truffle dog, and much more. More about James: Since 2012, James has been the owner of The English Truffle Company - where he not only sells truffles to Michelin star chefs, private individuals and truffle dealers but he also sells truffle inoculated trees, unique truffle hunting experience days and much more. James and his truffles have been featured on Radio 4, BBC News, ITV, a host of newspapers & magazines including The Guardian, Financial Times, CountryFile and the Great British Food magazine (just to name a few)... He's also been featured on an "Insider" video series titled "21 Jobs You Probably Never New Existed" as well as a "Business Insider" video all about Truffles, which went viral and now has more than 14M views. Also, James and his truffles have been used on a number of special occasions over the years, including a dinner cooked at the 2020 BAFTA awards. Learn more about James at: www.englishtruffles.co.uk Follow him on Twitter @EnglishTruffles Like this type of content - let me know in the comments? ๐โ ย Support the channel: Join the Truffle Forager community & stay updated with the latest ๐ ย https://truffleforager.com/ย | |||
| Everything You Need To Know Before Buying A REAL Truffle Dog - Louise Ferguson | 07 Apr 2024 | 01:26:27 | |
Join the Truffle Dog Club ๐ฌ๐ง ๐ https://truffleforager.com In this episode, I sit down and chat with Louise Ferguson. She is a long-time Lagotto Romagnolo dog breeder based in the UK. She's also the Chairwoman of the UK Lagotto Society and has a tone of experience with the breed and with truffle hunting. We dive deep into the breed, why these dogs are perfect for truffle hunting, and what you should look out for if you're considering purchasing a Lagotto from a breeder. As well as dog training tips, we also learn about Louise's adventures competing with her Lagotto at THE premier Lagotto-focused Truffle Hunting competition in Italy. Learn more about Louise here: https://louisemizenferguson.com/ | |||
| How A Lagotto Dog Won The 2023 UK Truffle Dog Championships - With Jon McGowan | 12 Feb 2024 | 01:53:10 | |
Join the Truffle Dog Club ๐ฌ๐ง ๐ https://truffleforager.com In this interview, Ben talks with friend and fellow truffle Nerd, Jon McGowan, who recently won 1st place at The UK Truffle Dog Championships 2023 with his Lagotto Romagnolo, Tembo. In this episode, we learn about how Jon did it, and what his experience was like and he reveals several bombshells of information when it comes to truffle hunting and dog training. Enjoy.
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| ALANA MCGEE - How To Hunt Truffles With Dogs, An Overview of American Truffles, The Perfect Truffle Dog Behavioural Sequence and How To Achieve It + Eating Truffles with Coconut | 27 Jun 2023 | 01:46:21 | |
Alana McGee is the founder of The Truffle Dog Company and is a world-renowned truffle consultant and truffle dog trainer. Learn more about Alana here: https://truffledogcompany.com In this episode, we cover: 00:02:26 - Alana McGeeโs story and how she got started training truffle dogs 00:09:05 - What different truffle species do you find in North America - An Overview 00:18:14 - Alanaโs favourite truffles and what different truffles smell like? 00:24:00 - Are there undiscovered areas where wild truffles might be growing? 00:28:00 - Truffle oil vs. real truffles for dog training 00:32:50 - How do you make your own truffle-scented oils? 00:37:10 - Alana shares what science and truffle research projects sheโs excited about 00:41:00 - Alana talks about her dogs 00:43:10 - What are the most common things new truffle dog handlers struggle with? 00:46:50 - How to teach a dog to alert and stay at source 00:50:20 - What is the ideal truffle dog sequence to train for 00:58:00 - What do your advanced students commonly struggle with? 01:04:20 - How much do we need to worry about scent contamination when training our dogs? 01:08:50 - What is the best way to explore new truffle areas with your dog? 01:16:00 - How to use your โqueโ when training your dog hunt truffles 01:17:35 - Alana shares what she loves most about her work in the truffle industry 01:20:45 - Alana talks about truffle hunting in Europe 01:29:12 - Raking for truffles vs using dogs 01:40:18 - Alanaโs favourite way to eat truffles Subscribe and share if you enjoy this episode! | |||
| SAM WEBSTER: How To Wash Your Clothes With Conkers, Deadly Fungi Facts, Fermented Wild Garlic Recipes And Foraging For Your Mental Health | 21 May 2023 | 01:38:15 | |
In this captivating podcast episode, I interview UK wild food expert and foraging guide, Sam Webster for www.foragingforages.com. Sam delves into the fascinating world of unconventional laundry techniques, intriguing facts about deadly fungi, mouthwatering recipes featuring fermented wild garlic, and the therapeutic benefits of foraging for your mental health. Join us as we explore innovative ways to wash your clothes using conkers, uncover the mysteries of poisonous mushrooms, discover delightful culinary creations, and delve into the healing power of nature. Get ready for an engaging and enlightening journey through the realms of truffles, nature, and unconventional living. Tune in to the Truffle Forager Podcast with Sam Webster and embrace a unique blend of knowledge, inspiration, and natural wonders. | |||
| PROFESSOR PAUL THOMAS: How To Cultivate Truffles In Your Garden, Woodlice Poo Truffle Experiment With The Kids During Lockdown, The Climate Change Effect On Truffles And Truffle Dog Training Tips | 07 Feb 2023 | 01:29:04 | |
Join The Truffle Forager email newsletter community here ๐ https://truffleforager.com ๐ ABOUT TRUFFLE FORAGER ย | |||
| NATE SCHOEMER - Master Dog Trainer Talks Scent Detection, Truffle Dog Training And The Science That Will Help You Succeed! | 01 Feb 2023 | 01:42:48 | |
In this video podcast episode, I talk to master dog trainer, Nate Schoemer about truffle dog training, scent detection training and many other foundational principles to do with dog training including; free shaping, obedience training tips, positive punishment, rewarding your dog and much more. | |||
| JESPER LAUNDER - UK Mycologist Talks Truffles, Fungi Foraging and DIY Medicinal Mushrooms | 18 Dec 2022 | 02:06:31 | |
In this podcast interview, I talk with mycologist and herbologist, Jesper Launder.ย Jesper is a super knowledgeable guy and also shares a particular fascination with truffles. We cover a wide range of mushroom-related topics including, 90 species of truffles found in the UK, how to spot the signs of truffles in your local village or park, medicinal mushrooms and how to prepare your own, and a lot more besides. | |||
| ADAM HARITAN - Learn Your Land, Endo and Ectomycorrhizal Fungi, Maitake Prep and Boiling Your Mushrooms | 15 Dec 2022 | 01:28:13 | |
In this podcast interview, join me and the founder of Learn Your Land, Adam Haritan as we discuss his journey into foraging and mushrooms and a lot more besides. We dive into tree identification and its importance to the forager. We get his view on invasive species and how he views them... Maitake mushroom prep and also boiling your mushrooms instead of frying them... who knew! I was very grateful to speak with Adam, and his knowledge and enthusiasm for wild foods is infectious.ย I hope you enjoy watching and listening as much as I did talking to him. Check out more from Adam here ๐ https://learnyourland.com Join the Truffle Forager community here ๐ ย https://truffleforager.com ย ย | |||
| Does Traditional Scent Work Negatively Impact Truffle Dog Training? | 19 Dec 2024 | 00:09:33 | |
In this episode, we tackle the question: Does traditional scent detection or nose work negatively impact truffle dog training? Learn about the benefits and potential challenges of mixing scent disciplines, how to ensure clarity for your dog, and why context and consistency are key to successful training. If youโre passionate about truffle hunting and want to connect with like-minded enthusiasts, join the Truffle Dog Club at truffleforager.com for training, meetups, and a supportive community! | |||
| Black Diamonds: Consulting at a Giant French Truffle Orchard | 14 Aug 2025 | 00:27:53 | |
Host Ben Sweet recounts a whirlwind trip to central France to advise what may become one of the worldโs largest truffle orchards, where a small team and six trained dogs are racing against time to increase their hunting efficiency to keep pace with booming truffle production. | |||
| Homegrown truffle hedges, climate change and truffle dog dynamics on truffle harvests with Prof. Paul Thomas | 28 Oct 2025 | 01:03:32 | |
๐๏ธ In This Episode We explore how homegrown truffle hedges can thrive in the UK, the impact of climate change on yields and quality, and how dogโhandler dynamics can shape successful harvests. Paul shares insights from the largest truffle hunting dataset ever collected and offers a glimpse into the future of truffle growing, research, and innovation. Subscribe to the Truffle Forager email newsletter for more great content, updates and more. ๐ https://truffleforager.com----------------------------------------------------๐ FOLLOW ME ON SOCIAL MEDIA ๐๐ธ INSTAGRAM: @TruffleForager๐ฆ TWITTER: @TruffleForagerโฐ TIKTOK: @TruffleForager๐ง FACEBOOK: @TheTruffleForager ----------------------------------------------------LEARN MORE @ www.truffelforager.com | |||