Welcome To All Who Love Trees, Mushrooms and Truffles!

Hello and welcome to my our new Great British Truffle Blog!

My name is Melissa Waddingham. I am a truffle hunter and wild mushroom picker. I have been in this wonderful industry for 16 years. In the spring and autumn months I run mushroom forays, truffle hunts, talks, courses and throughout the year I provide truffle hound training days for your truffle hound to be or at an intermediate level

I founded the UK Truffle Festival in 2022 -2023 and I have re launched the festival under a new name and partnership with Michael Corcoran. We will continue to run these every year, including of course the Great British Truffle Hound Competition!

I exclusively offer truffle hound Zoom courses which have been a great addition to my one to one classes, suiting those who do not live close to me or abroad. Three of the winners at my festival this year were prior zoom clients and a great testament to the efficiency of these courses on line. All the information is transferable and I can interpret your dog as if I were there giving you guidance all the way. The courses are also an assessment of you and your dog; I give feed back, honest advice and encouragement, however if I do not think you dog is well suited, I will also tell you.

I manage woodlands for the sustainable production of truffle. For more information regarding these services, click on the relevant tab on my website or contact me. truffleandmushroomhunter.com

Dates of up and coming events will be posted on my website, group numbers are small with a maximum of ten people so I do advise that you book well in advance. One to one and smaller group forays/courses are also available.

Truffle hunting is an uncommon practice here in England and the rare opportunity to have a go with a trained dog and its owner is an experience not to be missed for a great day out!

I have early memories of foraging with my grandfather in Champagne, France gathering Chanterelles. I was never aware that he secretly slipped out and came home with the odd truffle in his pocket, apparently only for special customers and family as he ran an auberge that was very popular with the locals for his sublime classic French food.. It was my father who told me about my Grandfather and his truffle antics, when I presented him with ten or eleven of my own!  I found this instantly gratifying realising that my passion truly was in the blood.

Foraging for fungi has been a way of life for centuries, especially abroad. In England, mushroom picking seems to be viewed with suspicion and is not a common past time for those living in the country as it is in countries like France, Italy and Eastern Europe. Trends are now slowly changing and more people are interested in foraging for fungi these days.

Apart from the fact that mushroom hunting can be a deadly past time and needs a professional eye cast over before consumption, mushroom picking codes of practice must be strict and carried out for their sustainability with a duty of care for the environment. This is because they play a major role within our in ecology which is essential and not commonly appreciated. The relationship that fungi have with trees and other plants is phenomenal and our world would not be the same without them. I have studied forestry and woodland management and my real fascination lies within how woodlands function, understanding all the complex relationships within this environment.

I DO NOT RECOMMEND YOU CONSUME MUSHROOMS IDENTIFIED ON THIS SITE OR ANY OTHER WEBSITE. YOU MUST HAVE A PROFESSIONALS POSITIVE IDENTIFICATION IN PERSON IF YOU ARE UNSURE. I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR CONTENT POSTED ON THIS SITE. THIS CONTENT IS TO BE USED AT YOUR OWN RISK.

All my forays are insured and fully covered with public and products liability insurance. 

All photographs on this site, except for photographs directly attributed to other photographers, are the property of Melissa Waddingham, Copyright 2024