Grower strikes black gold with UK’s first crop of Perigord truffles
BRITAIN’S first crop of one of the world’s most sought-after truffles has been successfully grown by a Welsh landowner who is now giving them away to local restaurants.
Matt Sims and his sprocker spaniel Bella have unearthed 25 valuable Perigord truffles in his 11-acre plantation as a result of a 10-year project.
Until now UK devotees of the pungent black delicacy have had to source them from abroad, mainly south-western France. Mr Sims, 49, says his success in the Monmouthshire countryside proves that British soil can support truffle growth. He discovered his first Perigord in March last year, towards the end of winter truffle season, and had to wait for the following winter to find out whether that had been a fluke.
He has since unearthed another two dozen, including one weighing more than 100g. Such specimens can be sold for hundreds of pounds.
But despite this, local restaurants have so far been among the main beneficiaries as part of an effort to cele- brate Monmouthshire’s role in Britain’s emerging truffle story.
In 2016 Mr Sims became the first to grow summer truffles in Wales, but the chances of successfully growing Perigords – also known as black winter truffles – were far slimmer.
He began the project in 2008 by planting 4,800 summer truffle trees as well as 200 Milano oaks in a sunnier, elevated part of the estate. “I thought that by starting growing truffles then I could end up 10 years ahead of everyone else,” he said.
After first making the soil less acidic by spreading more than 300 tons of chalk and lime, Mr Sims settled back for a wait of several years during which he trained Bella and Jack Russell-Patterdale terrier cross Truffle to search for the fungi.
Describing the moment when Bella found the first Perigord, he said: “I was just walking the dog as normal and it started truffling. When I saw that the truffle was there I pulled the dog away.
“It was fantastic. I gave my wife a ring to video me. It was quite a big moment. I knew straight way it was a Perigord as soon as I smelt it.”