Truffle Hunting
Experience Days
A day in the woods for food lovers, nature lovers and the curious: hunt real wild truffles with an expert forager and a trained truffle dog, then eat what you find.
- Watch a trained truffle dog uncover real wild British truffles in front of you
- Sit down to a fresh truffle meal, cooked and eaten in the woods
- Take home a fresh British truffle of your own, if we find enough
A hands-on adventure into the world of British truffles.
Forget supermarket truffle oil. On this immersive day out, you'll explore ancient woodlands alongside me, Ben Sweet, and my truffle dog Buddy. We'll search for Britain's elusive black truffles together, find them in the wild, and learn the small details that separate a fun walk in the woods from a real find.
Then we eat. Fresh truffles, cooked and shaved over simple, beautiful food, right where we found them. It's a true farm-to-table experience, only the table is a forest floor and the farm is a hundred-acre wood.
See Upcoming Days →
Whether you're a foodie, forager, or simply curious, this day is for you.
Open group days, private one-to-ones, corporate bookings and gift vouchers. There's a way in for everyone.
Food & nature lovers
For anyone drawn to wild food, ancient woodland or the kind of day out you tell stories about for years. No experience required, just bring your curiosity and a good pair of boots.
Corporate & group bookings
A genuinely different team day: small groups, real woodland, real truffles, and a meal you've helped find. Available as a private buyout for teams, clients or special occasions.
Private one-to-ones
Just you, me and Buddy. A bespoke day in the woods built around what you want to learn or experience, perfect for serious foodies, food writers, chefs or quiet birthday treats.
Gift vouchers
An unforgettable gift for the food lover, forager or nature obsessed person in your life. Vouchers can be redeemed against any upcoming Experience Day in the season.
No previous experience required, just bring your enthusiasm.
A day of discovery, learning and incredible flavours.
A small group, a real woodland, a working truffle dog, and the kind of meal you'll remember a long time.
Meet Ben & Buddy
We start with a coffee and a quick brief: what we're looking for, where we're going, how Buddy works and what to do (and not do) when he locks on to a scent.
Guided woodland truffle hunt
Follow Buddy as he sniffs out real wild British truffles, revealing their hidden locations. You'll be right there for every find, watching, learning, and sometimes carefully digging them up yourself.
How to read a truffle wood
I'll show you how to identify prime truffle habitats, the trees and soils that matter, and the techniques professional truffle hunters actually use: straightforward, demystified, no jargon.
Fresh truffles, cooked in the woods
Back at our woodland setup, we shave the truffles we've found over freshly cooked dishes, simple, seasonal food designed to let the truffles do the talking.
Eat together, in the wild
A relaxed sit-down meal in the woods. No tablecloths, no fuss, just good food, good people, and the rare experience of eating something you found yourself, hours earlier.
Your own British truffle
If we find enough, you'll leave with a fresh British truffle of your own. You'll also get a guide on how to use, store and keep it at its best.
It isn't just a walk in the woods, it's a day designed to engage all your senses.
Truffles, fresh from the forest floor.
There's no real comparison between a truffle pulled from the woodland floor an hour ago and anything you'll find in a jar. We keep the food simple, the truffle is the point, but every dish is built to show off its earthy, aromatic depth at its peak.
- Freshly cooked dishes featuring the truffles we've found that day
- A relaxed, communal meal in the woodland, eaten where it was hunted
- Vegetarian options available, please let us know when booking
A taste of a day in the woods.
A short film of truffle hunting, cooking and eating in the South Downs woods with Ben and Buddy.
Honest words from previous Experience Days.
"An outstanding experience of real truffle hunting. I had been on a truffle workshop previously but this really was the real thing, finding 'proper' truffles in the woods."
"Such a fun day learning to hunt truffles with Ben. Super knowledgeable, the people were lovely and the food at the end was delicious and very truffly. A genuinely unique day out."
"Watching Buddy work was the highlight. Ben is genuine in his passion for sharing the lost art of truffle hunting here in the UK. Definitely worth the trip, I'd do it again tomorrow."
"Ben is not just passionate and knowledgeable, he is very calm and caring. His delivery is clear, constructive and positive, a brilliant host."
Meet Ben & Buddy.
A working truffle hunter and his dog, sharing what they do, in the woods they actually work in.
Ben Sweet
I'm Ben, founder of Truffle Forager and co-founder of the UK Truffle Festival and the UK Truffle Dog Championships. Buddy is my truffle dog and the reason any of this exists. Together we work the woods of the South Downs, find real wild British truffles, and run a small number of these Experience Days each season so others can see what's actually possible, right here in the UK.
Everything you need to know.
Prices vary by season and date. See the booking page for live pricing and availability.
Other ways to spend a day in the woods.
Discovery Days, Starter Days, Shadow Days and the UK Truffle Festival. There's a day for every stage of the journey.
Discovery Days
Bring your dog and learn to hunt.
A hands-on day for you and your dog: beginner truffle dog training, a fresh truffle lunch and the first steps toward a working truffle dog.
Learn more →
Starter Days
A short taster of truffle dog training.
A simple, low-key session for you and your dog. Learn the very first steps of truffle training and see if you both catch the bug.
See dates →
Students Only
Shadow Days
Shadow a working truffle hunter.
Come out with me and Buddy on a real foraging day, part of a dog's advanced training. Reserved exclusively for Truffle Forager students.
Learn more →
UK Truffle Festival
A weekend celebrating British truffles.
The UK's only festival dedicated to truffles: talks, tastings, the UK Truffle Dog Championships and the wider Truffle Forager community, all in one place.
Learn more →Frequently asked questions.
- Guided wild truffle hunt with Buddy in real working woodland
- Insider knowledge from a working truffle forager
- Fresh truffle meal cooked and eaten on-site
- A take-home British truffle, if we find enough
- Hot drinks throughout the day
Spend a day in the woods. Eat what you find.
Small-group, hands-on, and as real as truffle hunting gets. Spaces are limited and tend to sell out fast.
Book Your Spot →Hunt together. Bond forever.