I ordered a black winter truffle…
I ordered an £82 black winter truffle which was delivered on December 18th. It was very well packed and arrived on time. I wrapped the truffle in kitchen paper and placed it inside a food container and that in the fridge. The aroma was good but not great when it arrived - I've been buying black, white and summer truffles since the 80s but always in person so able to choose - and it held for 5 days then was gone. I always put the parings in a small jar of Madeira for later use and even that has very little truffle smell. The last (black winter) one I had, brought back from Florence, filled the whole house with its heady smell when I opened the package. This one may have been immature? It's probably best to buy in person to avoid disappointment. I had given a 3 star rating but, on reflection, price v quality, 2 stars it is and compounded by the indication that I should have read the small print. If they knew that it was a late / poor start to the season then they should not be selling lackluster truffles and should instead wait for the quality to improve.
Reply from The Truffle Company
Hi James
Thanks for your review, although I am disappointed to see you gave us only 2 stars on TrustPilot when you gave us 3 stars on our own review platform. Either way, I am always sad to hear that a customer experience has not met expectations. You are right to highlight that the truffle was lacking in real depth of aroma because it was immature - in as much as you purchased it right at the beginning of the Black Winter Truffle season. We endeavour to make clear (see our Guide to Fresh Truffles page on our website) that aroma, as I am sure you know, intensifies significantly as the season progresses. This is compounded by the fact that the unseasonably warm summer and Autumn in Europe delayed the start of the season this year from mid-November to early December. The aroma does not really peak until around mid-Jan. The point in the season at which the truffle is purchased, as well as timing of the season itself, both, therefore, play a vital role in the overall intensity of the Truffle. I am sorry we do not have the facility for you to buy in person, but nonetheless appreciate your feedback. We source our black winter truffles fresh from the mountains of eastern Spain, receiving at least 4 deliveries each week during the winter season. So what we supply is the best possible quality available at that specific point in the season.
Reply to Edited Review:
There is no suggestion you should have read the small print. We simply try to provide as much information as possible and can only do this by way of the website and our social media. We cannot force people to read it. But instead suppose a degree of awareness that purchasing a fresh seasonal truffle is the same as buying any fresh seasonal fruit or vegetables - that each has their own season, dictated only by mother nature, and that, within those seasons the overall flavour and intensity can differ of any given fruit or vegetable, dependent on when in that season it is bought.
We actually waited 2 weeks longer than any other supplier in the UK, who all started supplying the black winter truffles a fortnight before us - in order to ensure an acceptable level of aroma of our truffles. Indeed, you indicated that the "aroma was good" yourself. Thank you again for your feedback and sorry we could not impress you more with an early season winter truffle.
