Come truffle hunting with the Craft Guild

Friday, December 5, is the date of the Craft Guild of Chef's next study trip.

Chef Lecturer Jose Souto from Westminster Kingsway College in conjunction with the Craft Guild will be paying a visit to Hampshire to meet truffle specialists Dr Paul Thomas and Marion Dean.

Dr Thomas is the founder of Mycorrhizal Systems, a company conceived from a fascination with edible fungi and based around the advances in the production of the highly valued fungi known as truffles. His knowledge about truffles and their cultivation is second to none and he has travelled the world setting up growing sites in countries such as America, New Zealand, Australia and South Africa.

In 2006 Marion Dean, a truffle expert and enthusiast, contacted Dr Thomas about starting a truffle orchard and she mentioned that she was about to get a truffle hound puppy. Not long after this the dog school called Truffle Hunters was set up where she teaches dogs and their owners the fine art of finding truffles.

On the visit we plan to look at how truffles are grown, their history, the different types of truffles that are available, truffle harvesting with dogs, understand a little about the way in which truffles are cultivated and taste some truffle products over a relaxed lunch.

The trip has been organised by Jose for Craft Guild members and is free to members. All you need to do is get to the venue.

If you would like to book a place, please contact him by email on Jose.souto@westking.ac.uk or call 0207 802 8963. Places are limited so please book early. Details of the venue will be sent once you have booked a place.

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