Business Excellence Awards 2021

Acquisition International - Business Excellence Awards 2021 25 aron de la Truffle is a specialist farm nestled in the rolling fields and picturesque French landscape of Touraine. Using all-natural ingredients and practices since its beginnings in 2013, the Baron de la Truffle holds the title of the first truffle farm in France, operating on 65 hectares of land in the region. With produce all grown and made ready for sale on site, selling fresh truffles to individuals and professionals in its market segment, it takes great pride in its work. For this reason, it operates with the seasons. By cultivating the close working relationship with the land that it has done, it works in the production period from mid-November to the end of February to harvest and dig up the truffles on a daily basis. After they have been found in the earth, Baron De La Truffle cleans and checks all the produce individually to ensure that they are up to standard. This process includes washing, brushing, and inspection according to the standard currently in force as laid down by health and safety regulations; it takes abiding by the food standards incredibly seriously, operating with professionalism and rigour as it does so. In addition, the product is also delivered forthwith. When working with such fresh produce, it recognises the importance of getting the delivery en route to the client as fast as possible whilst still maintaining its diligent standards. Its best sellers are widely lauded as both delicious and of outstanding quality by its vast and varied customer list – for instance, its fresh black truffles, Tuber Melanosporum, are very well received. Baron De La Truffle crowns this as the ‘queen variety’ of truffle that it cultivates, also known as the ‘melano’ or ‘black Périgod truffle’, and it very picky about the environment in which it grows; it thrives in conditions of limestone soil, demanding a depth of 1 to 30 centimetres. It begins to gestate in spring, and after growing to maturity by December, reaching a peak in January, it is a large and very recognisably shaped tuber. Company: Baron De La Truffe Contact: Serge Desazars Web: barondelatruffe.com Best Organic Truffle Producer 2021 - Europe B Another variety is the Tuber Brumale, a cousin of the Melano tuber, harvested during the same period. Shot through with white veins and with a coarser, flaky skin encapsulating the truffle, it has a musky, attractive scent when used in cooking. This has made it a very popular truffle amongst chefs and passionate home cooks, as it will add an additional dimension to a fine dining experience. The Tuber Mannatum Pico, by contrast, is very popular in Italy; harvested in the undergrowth and reaching maturity in September, it has a strong alliaceous taste. Its smooth, ochre tinted skin sets it apart from the others. Baron De La Truffle is excited to announce that it will be able to produce and harvest these in Touraine soon, encouraging clients to keep an eye out for future updates! The Tuber Aestivum and Uncinatum, whilst of the same DNA, are separated by harvest period – these nutty, distinctive tubers are milder than the others, but are still stunning in their own right. As a final example, a particular favourite of the people of Lorraine is the Tuber Mesentericum, with a strong, recognisable scent and standing up splendidly during cooking. Thus, it is the perfect truffle to use in foie gras. Baron De La Truffle is singularly passionate about its business, selling truffle chips which are perfect for butters and sauces, mandolins which will allow customers to cut truffles in the way they are meant to be enjoyed, and a book that can tell a client everything they wish to know about this truly special product. Also known as ‘black diamonds’, the truffle is something that has invited high praise and been surrounded by mysticism throughout the ages. Baron De La Truffle is keeping this magic alive with its outstanding practices and exemplary products, and it is excited to share this element of its work with many more customers as it plans for a bright future. Having planted more than 18,000 new oak and hornbeam trees on the estate by the end of 2020, near Chinon, Baron De La Truffle is well on its way to harvesting 100% organic truffles. Working hard to prune the trees, air the soil, and continually produce truffles that the market fall in love with, this company has made itself a darling of the food industry. May21154