A unique and intimate day out for dog owners and truffle enthusiasts looking to learn how to hunt truffles with their dog, eat delicious food, gain insider information and have a great time! 

Brought to you by:

• Ben Sweet (scent detection dog trainer, founder of Truffle Forager and co-founder of The UK Truffle Festival and Truffle Dog Championships)
  
  
• Julie Stopforth (Professional truffle hunter and dog trainer with 15 years experience and founder of The Real Truffle Hunters)
  
  

Event Highlights:

• Learn How To Hunt Truffles With Your Dog At Our Beginner Friendly Introductory Truffle Dog Training Workshop
  
  
• Take Part In Our Truffle Dog Have-a-Go Fun Challenge (and see if your dog has what it takes)
  
  
• Indulge In A Delicious Fresh Summer Truffle Picnic Lunch (with LOTS of fresh truffle).
  
  
• Listen In To Our Truffle Talks With 'The Real Truffle Hunters' (Julie Stopforth)
  
  
• Learn About And Participate In A Truffle Re-Wilding Project
  

*Read more about the event below

What our attendee's are saying:

Event Description:

🌞 The Summer Truffle Discovery Day is a brand new and unique event nestled in the picturesque South Downs.

This intimate, hands-on and entertaining summer day out is a blend of dog training workshops, expert truffle talks and tasty truffle food. 

Through this event, we aim to celebrate and share the joy of truffles with you while advocating for and promoting sustainable foraging practices, including a fun and important 'truffle re-wilding' project that you'll get to hear more about and take part in on the day.  

Whether you choose to actively participate as a Handler with your dog in the practical workshop training or simply opt for a Spectator ticket, you'll be fully immersed in the world of truffle hunting and truffle dog training throughout the day. 

If you have a dog with a keen nose, lots of energy or behavioural issues, then scent work and specifically truffle dog training is a fantastic activity to try. Your dog will love it, and you might just end up discovering how to hunt highly prized truffles for yourself as you progress on your training journey!

Join us for a day of learning, exploration and delicious experiences in the heart of the South Downs on Saturday 21st September 2024. Location and venue details to be shared upon securing a ticket. 

*Please read below for more detailed information about the day and ticket details.

Here's what you can expect...

More Info About The Day: 

Beginner Friendly Truffle Dog Training

The start of the day will include a welcome talk by Ben and Julie followed by a truffle dog training workshop. This will involve some teaching around strategy but will prioritise action and practical exercises for you and your dog to perform on the day. This session will be about 90 minutes long after which we encourage you to give your dogs a rest before we kick off our have-a-go truffle dog fun challenge.

Our workshop is primarily geared towards beginner dog handlers who have done little to no scent work before however, if your dog has done some nose work or truffle dog training previously and you'd like to come along then please do. Whether that's for a refresher, some new learnings, to brainstorm challenges with us or simply to pick up a few extra pointers, we welcome you to join us and we'll do our best to accommodate you during these workshops.

If you decide to attend as a spectator, you'll be able to watch at a reasonable distance to reduce the distractions for the dogs and their handlers taking part. 

To attend the day with your dog as a participating Handler team, you do not need any previous experience. This training is suitable for all dog breeds. If you have a particularly reactive dog or other issues, we ask that you let us know in advance so that we can manage things safely and appropriately. 

Our goal on the day is to introduce you to the basics of truffle scent work and to leave you and your dog with the confidence to go away and practice truffle dog training at home working towards the goal of finding your first wild truffles. 

We'll also have a plentiful supply of real training-grade truffles for you to go home with to continue your dog training.

Important Things To Note

• Dog and Handler places are limited to only 10.

• Spectators will NOT be able to bring dogs to this event.  

• Spectators will be able to watch along during these workshops at a reasonable distance to reduce the distractions for the dogs taking part.

Handler places are limited so that Ben and Julie can provide you with the maximum amount of support during the day. If you have two dogs and would like to work both dogs, you will need to purchase two handler tickets and we encourage you to have a second human to ensure each dog is getting the most training time possible. 

*Please read the FAQ's below for additional information on bringing your dog.

The Truffle Dog Have-a-Go Fun Challenge

We'll end the truffle dog workshop in the morning with a short break to give your dog a chance to decompress. Then we'll jump into the fun have-a-go truffle dog challenge to see if your dog is able to sniff out hidden truffles for real! There is no serious pressure to win here, it's all about taking part and having fun (especially for your dog). 

This should last around 60 minutes or so. 

Your dog won't be 'working' the entire time during this session and there will be shaded areas where they can rest. 

Spectators and Handlers can watch the action during this session, chat with our trainers and guests whilst enjoying the refreshments provided. 

A Delicious Fresh Summer Truffle Picnic-Style Lunch

Get the full truffle experience on the day by enjoying our delicious picnic-style fresh summer truffle lunch (menu below). 

This lunch will featuring freshly foraged summer truffle (tuber aestivum) throughout. During lunch we'll kick-off our Truffle Talks - so you can sit back and relax, eat your truffle lunch and tune in. 

 Lunch Menu*:

- Wild truffle & mushroom with fresh truffle

- Rocket and truffle salad

- Truffle pasta with fresh truffle

- Chocolate truffle mousse 

No synthetic truffle oil will be used in this menu. Only real, freshly prepared truffle infused oil or truffle butter/mayo (the way it should be). 

We will do our best to accommodate allergies or specific dietary requirements, we kindly ask that you let us know in advance and once you have purchased your ticket.  

A selection of soft drinks will be available too, however we  recommend you bring your own supply of water for yourself and your dog. Tap water will be available on the day. 

*Menu may vary on the day.

Truffle Talks from 'The Real Truffle Hunters'

Grab your chair and gather around to hear the fascinating truffle tales of our special guest, Julie Stopforth from The Real Truffle Hunters. 

As you finish your lunch, Julie will transport you into the mysterious world of truffles and truffle hunting across the continent. She'll share stories of her truffle hunting adventures, training her dogs and her recent interest around truffle sustainability and conservation. 

Plus, you'll have the chance to ask Julie and Ben any questions during the talk and throughout the day.

More about Julie: 

Originally from Liverpool, UK, Julie moved to Italy after graudating from Hull Univerisity. She worked as an English teacher for many years and in 2000 married John and moved to the countryside. While there, they were befriended by an old Italian truffle hunter, Danilo, who helped them to train their first dog on his truffle orchard. Julie started reading everything she could about the underground fungi and in time found her first wild truffle - the rare, previous white. From then she and John learnt to hunt other specieis of European truffle and began to explore different countries with ttheir dogs and children. Finally, the family got to the point where they were able to turn this passion into a full-time career. The Real Truffle Hunters was born - a truffle enterprise that trains dogs, hunts across Europe and deals in four truffle species, iwth a focus on the most expensive truffle in the world, the tuber magnatum or white winter truffle. Today, Julie has 8 truffle dogs and hunts with her team all year round. She has generously chosen to share much of her knowledge and experience hunting truffles via her popular Youtube channel - The Real Truffle Hunters. 

With many years of turffle hunting under her belt, Julie has a good deal of practical knowledge as well as many secrets and stories to share - we can't think of anyone better to come and talk at this special summer truffle event.  

PURCHASING YOUR TICKETS

It's important to note that this is a small event. 

It's not a large event with 100's of people able to attend. There will be no more than 24 attendees total. Therefore there is a chance not everybody who wants to purchase a ticket will be able to. It is for this reason, that we encourage you to book your ticket early to avoid missing the out. The organisers hope to run another event like this again in the future however this won't be until next year. 

Aim to book early as we typically sell out very quickly (often within a few hours after launch). 

Ticket types and prices:

DOG AND HANDLER TICKETS - 

These are for one adult and one dog taking part in the active dog training workshops throughout the day. Includes truffle lunch and soft drinks. 

• Price: £150
  

*If you have 2 dogs wishing to take part, you will need to purchase two Handler tickets (this would then allow an extra human to be a handler also or spectate). 

SPECTATOR TICKETS - 

These are for anyone wanting to attend the day without a dog. Includes truffle lunch and soft drinks. 

• Adult Price: £90
  
• Junior Price: £70

*Junior price is for 12 to 15 year olds (FYI - this is an adult focused event). 
*Spectators are not permitted to bring dogs to this event.

Event Location

This event will be taking place near Petworth in West Sussex in the heart of the South Downs. The exact venue details will be shared with ticket buyers at a later date.

Reserve Your Tickets Now!

We look forward to welcoming you and your dog for a fun Summer Truffle Day of Discovery and Delights! 

Frequently Asked Questions:

How long is the day? - Please arrive between 9am and 9:30am for a welcome cup of tea/coffee. The first session will start at 9:30. The day will end around 1pm 

Will there be breaks during the training sessions for my dog? - On the day we will encourage you to take regular breaks with your dog as you see fit, to ensure they are not overworked or losing motivation. We will also have mini breaks during the workshops and plenty of water. There will be shaded areas under the nearby trees and close to building depending on the time of day. 

Will I be able to leave my dog in my car safely? - The car park is very short walk from the field and just within sight of where we will be holding the event and training however, we encourage you to use caution if leaving your dog in your car as it will be the middle of summer and likely a very hot place for your dog. This car parking area will not be monitored and so you do this at your own discretion. 

Can I bring my own lunch? - Of course, if you do not want to eat the truffle lunch you can bring your own food and drink. Please contact ben@truffleforager.com for further assistance in purchasing your ticket. 

What if I buy my ticket and can no longer attend? - You can request a refund up to 7 days out from the event date. After which point we reserve the right to no longer permit any refunds. 

Can children attend? - This is an adult focused event however we have made junior tickets available for 12 to 15 year olds. Under 12 year olds are not permitted at this event.