Truffle farmer forced to give away luxury crop to locals for free with fancy restaurants closed
'It is a bit like salt and pepper [in France], but here it’s seen as a luxury.”
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}That’s a lot of mushrooms.
A wide variety of businesses felt the impact of the coronavirus pandemic that forced restaurants to close their dining rooms. The locals that live near one farmer, however, have been reaping the rewards.
Mike Collison, a truffle farmer in England, says that he has over $37,000 “rotting in the ground,” Southwest News Service (SWNS) reports. According to him, with no fancy restaurants to sell his crop to, he’s had to simply give the luxury crop away to locals for free.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Mike Collison, a truffle farmer in England, says that he has over $37,000 “rotting in the ground.” (SWNS)
“Truffles normally sell wholesale to fine dining restaurants,” he told SWNS. “They put it as a garnish on top of food or make a butter out of it. We sell to some local restaurants in Ludlow, the Midlands and some in London -- we sell to anyone that will take them really. The problem is that all the restaurants have been closed and are only starting to reopen, so we haven't been selling any.”
Collison is optimistic, however.
“Hopefully we’ll still be able to sell to restaurants this year if they open and can afford to buy some,” he said. “I think there are lots of people who can afford to go out, because if you’ve got money you’ve still got it. But if restaurants are only allowed to have a third of the people they did before it’ll be hard for them to make it pay.”
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People afraid to go out and restaurants reducing their menus (possibly negating the need for truffles) are other issues Collison is worried about.
“The crop is early this year because the stormy summer has stimulated production,” he explained. “The orchard will keep producing for four to five months until it could become frosty in November or December. I’m hopeful I can still sell some wholesale as restaurants open up by September or October, but some could spoil before then so it's hard to tell for sure."
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For the time being, however, Collison is being generous with his stockpile.
He explained, “We thought we should give some pieces to people who can’t usually afford it. It’s quite a big ego trip giving them to someone who has never tried them before and might never have done. It’s a really nice feeling. I’m a governor of a local church school and feel you have got to give something back to the community. It is a posh man's food in this country, but in France everybody eats them. It is a bit like salt and pepper there, but here it’s seen as a luxury.”
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He continued, “They have loved it and are very grateful. They’ve been cooking them and having them as shavings on steak or putting them on eggs. You can have it as a garnish on top of anything and truffle butter is another classic one. Around 50 people who have never had truffles, now have tried them -- and I haven't had a complaint yet."