Tassie family who struck black gold makes coveted foodie list

The first family of Australian black truffles the Terrys – who welcome visitors to help unearth their precious fungi – has been recognised in offering one of Australia’s top-100 food experiences

The Truffle Farm in the Deloraine, welcomes visitors to join their troop of affable truffle hounds in the orchards, where they sniff out the precious fungi supplied to chefs and those savvy enough to join the lunch tour. Picture: Jess Bonde/Tourism Tasmania

Today Australia is one of the top exporters of black truffles worldwide. But if it weren’t for this farm in the Deloraine Valley, the entire industry might not exist. Meet the first family of Australian truffles, the Terrys.

Once a delicacy reserved for European nobility, the truffle is now a stalwart on our menus. Layered atop creamy mashed potato, shaved table-side over carbonara, or folded into scrambled eggs, the pungent umami punch of these subterranean fungi is adored by Australian chefs, home cooks and curious diners alike.

But, though Australia now ranks fourth in the world for truffle production, our national truffle story is hardly three decades old … and it all started at the foot of the Great Western Tiers in northern Tasmania. On a family farm in 1999, Tim Terry unearthed the country’s first black truffle, setting in motion his family’s – and, eventually, the rest of Australia’s – deep appreciation for one of the world’s most coveted and mysterious ingredients.

Anna Terry, of The Truffle Farm in the Deloraine, welcomes visitors to join their troop of affable truffle hounds in the orchards, where they sniff out the precious fungi supplied to chefs and those savvy enough to join the lunch tour. Picture: Jess Bonde/Tourism Tasmania

Today, that family property is The Truffle Farm – a working truffle orchard and agritourism experience, bringing visitors on to the truffière to meet the clever truffle-sniffing dogs, and dig up one of these black jewels with their own hands. Further along the production line, the Terry family’s world-class Tasmanian Truffles range includes indulgences like truffle oil, truffle salt and truffle honey.

Both The Truffle Farm and Tasmanian Truffles remain in the Terry family, helped respectively by Tim’s children, Anna and Henry. As Australia’s only second-generation truffle farmers, Anna and Henry were raised on the fragrance, flavour and love of truffles discovered by their parents in the 1990s, and their passion for sharing their knowledge is as contagious as if they had harvested that first ever Australian truffle themselves.

Anna Terry leads some of The Truffle Farm’s hounds on a truffle finding expedition. Picture: Jess Bonde/Tourism Tasmania

The Truffle Farm is located in Northern Tasmania’s fertile region of the Deloraine Valley, which turns out is ideal for growing the precious black fungi. Picture: Jess Bonde/Tourism Tasmania

After leading her first truffle tour on the family farm at the age of 17, Anna took on her role as The Truffle Farm’s owner-operator in 2019, and now employs a growing team to tell the family’s story. The farm welcomes about 1500 guests annually on one of its immersive truffle experiences, all of which accompany chief truffle-hunting dog Doug or his friends on a truffle hunt, before settling in for an on-theme dining experience – cheesy truffle pizza, anyone?

Some of The Truffle Farm’s exquisite black fungi – which is premium produce, highly sought after by chefs from around the globe. Photo: Jess Bonde/Tourism Tasmania

It’s not difficult to see that Tim Terry’s decades-old values of passion, patience and the pursuit of perfection has rubbed off on Anna and Henry, who continue to pay homage to their family as the innovators and pioneers of Australia’s truffle industry through every experience that they create and product that they craft.

The Terry’s Truffle Farm is situated in the fertile fields of the Deloraine Valley, in Northern Tasmania. Picture: Tourism Australia

Every innovator needs followers, and the Terry family has garnered plenty of them. While Tasmania’s cool climate, pure air and fertile soil provide it with a distinct truffle-growing advantage, the island state is no longer the only part of Australia that has followed its nose to this unique flavour. The Australian Truffle Industry Association estimates that there are now more than 400 truffle orchards around the country, with representation in almost every state and territory, and projections for continued growth over the next decade.

Some of The Truffle Farm’s affable truffle seeking hounds. Picture: Tourism Australia

From European nobility to the humble Aussie kitchen, the truffle looks set to stay.

The Truffle Farm is just one of the many Tasmanian businesses that star in delicious. 100 – the ultimate foodie bucket list featuring 100 of the most delicious food experiences in Australia.

See the full list at delicious100.com.au