Inkable Spotlight: TRUFFLE TRADERS

We are honoured to have Truffle Traders on the Inkable Spotlight this month! From fine cuisine to home-cooked meals, they are a heritage brand that delights everyone with premium rare truffles, underground treasures highly prized and sought after.

They have been in the business since the ’30s, and we are rapt to learn about their special offerings and how they keep delighting customers throughout Australia and around the world.

What is the Truffle Traders story?

Truffle Traders is the result of passion, tradition and experience developed throughout a lifetime.

Since I was a child I have always been surrounded by truffles, thanks to my father, a well known truffle merchant in Milan, in the north of Italy. My father took over what my uncle and before him, his father, started nearly a century ago, in 1930.

I consider myself really lucky to have had the privilege of growing up within a “truffle family”.

I remember the unmistakable smell of truffle going through my nose every day on the way to school as our family car had a portable fridge in the boot which was used by my dad for truffle deliveries. The afternoons passed carefully brushing and trimming these incredibly aromatic tubers, and the countless times I got caught secretly eating bits of it.

I lived in Australia for nearly ten years and truffles have always been a big passion of mine. Then few years ago I tried the Australian truffles for the first time and I was again enchanted. That’s when I decided to open up my own truffle company, Truffle Traders, following my family steps, right on the other side of the world.

Coincidence or faith wanted that soon after my decision I met my life and business partner, a beautiful French woman with also a very good knowledge and passion for truffles. We both believe that this is a perfect match that combines love for food, experience and knowledge and can help us contribute to the truffle culture in Australia.

• For our readers who aren’t quite acquainted with your product,

could you kindly give us an overview of your offerings? 

Truffles are very precious and delicious tubers (subterranean fungus), which grow in symbiosis with tree roots under special environmental and climate conditions. Truffles can only be found with the help of trained dogs which, with their accurate sense of smell, can pinpoint these underground delicacies.

We specialize in supplying restaurants, deli, and food lovers all year round with fresh truffles and premium truffle products. Our product range includes pure truffle paste, truffle oil, honey, salt, pesto, balsamic vinegar with truffle, and many more.

We are one of the very few if not the only importer in Australia of the real Italian “White truffle of Alba” or Tuber Magnatum, considered by many the best in the world. Black Perigord truffle or Tuber Melanosporum as well as Summer and Autumn truffles. During the southern hemisphere’s winter we supply and export a wide range of fresh Australian truffles, too.

The famed “White truffle of Alba”

Black Perigold Truffles

Summer Truffles

What inspires you most about your work, especially as a specialised provider of this delicacy?

As an Italian and French, we have been growing up with a rich food culture. We believe that having a good and healthy meal is one of the best things in life. The idea of refining the food culture in Australia with our products is something that really inspires and motivates us every single day.

What is Truffle Trader’s proudest moment to date? And can you give us a sense as to why it’s such a key milestone? 

In July 2015 we attended a big truffle event showcasing our products and what we do.

It has been a really amazing experience where we received great feedback and true appreciation for the quality products we have brought to Australia. That has been a really proud moment!

would you mind sharing a favourite recipe with us? 

The key for getting the best out of truffles is to keep your dish as simple as possible.

Even a fried egg with truffle sliced on top is a true winner.

Coming from an Italian heritage, my favorite recipe is risotto with white truffle. It really reminds me of my childhood and it is an incredible way to taste the truffle.

As food lovers we try to create new recipes and combinations every time we cook. For those who are interested, we share new recipes every couple of weeks on our blog.

• It’s been a pleasure being part of your journey, albeit and even if only through printing some of your collaterals.

How has print helped your efforts?

Printing our brochures and business cards was a great way for us to promote our big range of truffle products and to make an impact.

It is essential for us to sustain our brand with quality marketing materials that go along with our products. Inkable really made this possible.

What are the three adjectives that best describe Truffle Traders, and why those three?

PASSION: is what drives us every day in doing what we love.

QUALITY: We carefully choose our suppliers to always get the best quality product.

SERVICE: We are customers-oriented, which means we always aim at providing our clientele the best experience possible.

• Many of our customers are small businesses who’ve had their share of tough challenges.

Can you impart some words of wisdom for people who are just starting out with their own endeavours?

Starting a new business it isn’t easy at all, yet, it can be very rewarding. Be prepared to do a lot of hard work and lots of sacrifices, especially at the beginning. Don’t give up through tough time, passion and love for what you are doing will make you succeed, eventually.

Any upcoming events where people can connect with you and try fresh truffles? 🙂

We just attended Truffle Melbourne 2015, the biggest industry event in Australia. We are currently offering tasting in different delicatessen shop in Melbourne.

To get the chance to meet us and try our product you can get updates HERE.

Where else can we find you? 

Official Website: www.truffletraders.com.au/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/truffletraders
Twitter: twitter.com/truffletraders
Google Plus: plus.google.com/+TruffletradersAu

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We have been fortunate to have met awesome people through our work, and learning about them and their challenges and triumphs is always humbling and inspiring. As print advocates, we truly enjoy talking with artists and small businesses who inspire us everyday.

~Check out Truffle Traders’ shop at www.truffletraders.com.au/shop